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Car Safety
What do my car's dashboard lights mean?
Your vehicle's dashboard symbols and warning lights are designed to help you maintain safety and ensure your car is operating properly. Here is a guide to the most important dashboard warning lights that drivers should never ignore.
Car dashboard symbols provide information on systems ranging from engine performance to tyre pressure and airbag rediness. These symbols often light up briefly when you start your engine, which is a sign the system checks are working.
But what if a light stays on or flashes while driving? What does it mean? How bad is it? Should you pull over and try to fix the issue yourself, or take your car straight to the mechanic?
The symbols and warning lights on your car dashboard serve an important purpose – namely, to alert you when there is an issue that needs addressing. Ignoring or failing to act can turn minor issues into major repairs and/or safety risks.
Read on to learn about the 14 most common and important dashboard lights, what they mean, and what to do when they appear.
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Are dashboard lights the same across all vehicles?
Dashboard lights can vary between manufacturers and even between models from the same manufacturer. However, many of the most common and most important symbols are the same or very similar across most vehicles.
Refer to your owner’s manual for further information on your car’s dashboard lights. If you bought your car secondhand without the manual, most vehicle manuals can now be found online through the manufacturer’s website.
If you're unsure or concerned about a dashboard light that your car is displaying, contact RACV Emergency Roadside Assistance. RACV Emergency Roadside Assistance drivers are able to run a diagnostic test to assist with identifying the issues and advise on your repair and/or maintenance needs.
What does the colour of the dashboard light mean?
Dashboard symbols appear in a range of colours, the significance of which can vary between vehicles. But generally speaking:
- Red or flashing lights indicate a potentially serious problem
- Yellow or orange lights indicate an issue that should be addressed or checked soon
- Green or blue lights indicate that a function is working as it should.
Low fuel
Most drivers understand this one. A symbol of a petrol bowser on your dash means you're running low on fuel. The fuel light tends to come on when you have between 10 and 15 per cent of your fuel reserve remaining, but just how far this gets you can vary greatly between makes, models and even the exact same car (due to driving and environmental factors). To avoid running out of fuel on the road, head to a service station as soon as the light comes on. The triangular arrow next to the fuel light indicates which side of the car the fuel tank is on, which is handy if you’re not driving your regular vehicle.
Running out of fuel is not only inconvenient but it can cause damage to components within the fuel delivery system including the fuel pump.
What do to: Refuel your car.
Check engine
The check engine light doesn’t necessarily mean your car is in serious trouble. The symbol resembles a car engine and turns on when there is an issue with your engine – anything from a loose part to a major malfunction.
What to do: If the check engine light turns on while driving, don’t panic. If there are no other issues with your car, simply complete your drive and book in for a service as soon as possible.
If the check engine light turns on in conjunction with other issues, such as strange noises, loss of power, or smoke, or another warning has appeared, such as a rising temperature gauge, pull over immediately to a safe location and call for roadside assistance. If in doubt, do not drive your vehicle as you may risk further damage.
With a check engine light, it can be tempting to get an OBD reader to scan the car for a fault code. It’s always best to consult a professional for this work as a fault code is merely a starting point towards a range of potential issues that will need further diagnosis.
Continuing to clear a persistent engine light, instead of resolving the issue, can cause serious mechanical problems. Seek professional advice for appropriate repairs and to avoid a more expensive repair bill.
Wiper fluid empty
If you run out of windscreen wiper fluid, this symbol might pop up on your dash. While it might not seem as scary as a check engine light, dirty windscreens can reduce visibility when driving.
What to do: Refill your wiper fluid at your next convenience.
These symbols relate to the car's fuel level, engine performance and wiper fluid level.
Battery
If you’ve ever had a flat battery, you'll be familiar with this symbol. This light switches on when there’s an issue with your car’s battery. This could mean your car has failed to start, but even if you manage to turn on the ignition, get your battery checked immediately as there could be a bigger problem.
A flashing battery light can indicate the battery is not charging correctly, and there may be an issue with the alternator, which charges the battery while you're driving. If the alternator fails and your battery has not been charged, your vehicle may fail to start.
What to do: If your car fails to start, call for roadside assistance. RACV Emergency Roadside Assistance drivers can provide battery health checks and, in many cases, provide a new battery on the spot, if required. The patrol can also advise if something more serious needs to be investigated.
Brake light
An exclamation mark in a circle represents your brake light. This light commonly appears when you start driving off without disengaging the handbrake, but it can be caused by other, less obvious brake issues, too.
What to do: Check to see if you’re driving with the handbrake engaged; disengage it if so. This light may also indicate another issue, such as low brake fluid. If you're not confident checking your own brake fluid level, get your vehicle checked immediately if the brake light turns on, even if your brakes seem to be working fine.
More: What to do if your brakes fail.
Engine temperature
A dashboard light resembling a thermometer indicates your engine is too hot or too cold. Most new cars use a blue thermometer symbol to indicate the engine is too cold, and a red thermometer symbol to indicate it’s too hot.
What to do: During cold weather, it’s not uncommon for this light to switch on when the car is first started, especially if parked outside. If the light remains on, or if the light is indicating the engine is too hot, pull over safely and call for roadside assistance.
These symbols relate to the car's battery, brake light and engine temperature.
Oil pressure
If the oil can sumbol lights up on your dash it could mean your car’s oil pressure is too low. This can often be fixed by filling your oil, but sometimes it can indicate an issue with your oil pump or another engine issue.
What to do: Pull over when safe to do so, turn off your car to let the engine cool, then raise the bonnet to check your oil dipstick. Use the correct grade of oil for your vehicle, and top up your oil if the level is too low. If the oil level is fine but the oil pressure light remains on, take your car to a mechanic as soon as possible.
If you have an electronic dipstick, your vehicle may read low oil even when the level is correct. Book a mechanic to check the level for you. Overfilling a car with oil can be just as damaging as running it low on oil.
DPF Light
If you drive a diesel vehicle, the DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) light indicates that your filter is near capacity with soot and needs to regenerate. It's a warning that you need to take action to burn off the accumulated soot and clear the filter. Driving with the light on for too long can lead to engine damage and potential DPF failure.
If you also have a check engine light on, then there may be another fault stopping the DPF from regenerating. Ensure the original fault is diagnosed and repaired, otherwise your DPF may become blocked, leading to a more expensive repair.
What to do: Book a mechanic for a full diagnosis.
Catalytic Converter Light
Your petrol vehicle may have a catalytic converter warning light that is separate to the check engine light. If this light illuminates, it does not necessarily mean there is an issue with the catalytic converter itself, but there may be an issue somewhere in the fuel or emission control system. This issue needs to be resolved by your trusted mechanic.
What to do: Book a mechanic for a full diagnosis
These symbols relate to the car's oil pressure, diesel particulate filter, and catalytic converter.
Airbag warning
Your car’s airbag warning symbol looks like a person wearing a seatbelt with a circle next to them. Australia’s Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) estimates that front and side air bags have reduced light vehicle fatalities by a combined 17 per cent since their introduction.
What to do: Usually there’s no need to be concerned if the symbol turns on when you start your car, as long as it disappears shortly afterwards. But if the symbol stays on, or if it switches on while driving, you should arrange to have your airbags checked as soon as possible. If the driver’s airbag light comes on and the steering wheel controls stop working, it’s likely your clock spring will need to be replaced without delay as your driver’s airbag may not deploy in the event of an accident.
Seatbelt warning
A symbol of a person wearing a seatbelt on your dashboard generally means you or a passenger does not have their seatbelt done up correctly. Many modern cars will also start beeping if you start driving when a person in the vehicle is not wearing a seatbelt. Keep in mind that children should travel in an appropriate child car seat or booster seat for as long as possible, and at least until they can pass the five-step test, which determines if a child is ready to wear a seatbelt.
What to do: Make sure all passengers are wearing their seat belts correctly. Occasionally some seatbelt lights can be triggered by a heavy object in a passenger seat. If the light stays on despite all seatbelts being done up, book your car in for a service at the earliest opportunity.
Door open
Another better-known dashboard symbol is the door open symbol, typically a birds-eye illustration of a car with its doors open. The symbol tells you that one of your car’s doors (or sometimes the boot or bonnet) has not been shut properly, an issue which could become hazardous while driving. While older cars left you to troubleshoot which door wasn’t closed properly, some modern vehicles indicate the exact door on the dashboard. If your car has child locks, switching them on can also help prevent young passengers from opening the rear doors.
What to do: Pull over to a safe location and make sure all your doors and boot are closed properly.
These symbols relate to the car's airbag, seatbelts and doors.
Tyre pressure
Drivers can often tell if they get a sudden flat tyre while driving, but a slow leak might be harder to detect. That’s where your car’s tyre pressure light comes in handy. This symbol, a flat-bottomed open circle with an exclamation point in it, indicates your tyre pressure has become too low. This might be due to a flat tyre, a slow leak, or just normal pressure loss over time. Many, but not all, new cars sold in Australia have this feature. Even if your vehicle has it, it should not replace manual tyre checks.
What to do: Pull over to a safe location to inspect your tyres. If you detect damage, call your roadside assistance provider or, if it is safe to do so, replace your tyre with your spare typre, or use your tyre inflator kit if provided.
If your vehicle is fitted with a space saver tyre, this should be fitted to the rear axle. You may need to rotate a rear tyre to the front if the issue is with a front tyre. If your vehicle is fitted with a runflat tyre, drive it to your nearest mechanic or tyre fitter for replacement.
If the tyres seem otherwise satisfactory, head to a service station to try inflating your tyres to the correct PSI. If the light remains on, take your car to a mechanic or tyre centre.
More: How to buy the best tyres for your car
Radar System Warning
If your car is fitted with radars and/or cameras as part of the driver assistance systems, you may see a warning light illuminate if the system malfunctions. If an obstruction warning appears, this could simply be a message that the sensors need to be cleaned, or are frozen in the event of cold weather. Be aware that collision avoidance systems and adaptive cruise systems may not function while the warning is illuminated.
What to do: Check for any obvious damage or obstructions. Clean the windscreen and radar locations. If the warning remains, consult a mechanic or body repairer.
These symbols relate to tyre pressure, and obstacle-detection and collison-avoidance sensors.
