Featured News 2012 The Alert Lights in Your Car: What They are and What to do!

The Alert Lights in Your Car: What They are and What to do!

Have you ever been driving and noticed one of those small little orange alerts pop up on your dashboard? There are a variety of small symbols that may have illuminated as you turned on your car, and remained there for the duration of your trip. Admittedly, a lot of people will bypass checking into the issues. They completely avoid the check engine light or any of the other alerts on the dashboard. This is because a lot of people don't realize that these lights communicate serious concerns. Your car can't talk, but it is programmed to alert you of issues in the inner workings by illuminating these buttons.

These little icons on your dashboard are part of an OBD-II system. OBD stands for on-board diagnostics. These little lights are linked to sensors which are all over your car. They are connected to functions on the car such as the engine, fuel, and emissions system. If your check engine light comes on, it could mean a lot of different things. The best way to assess the problem is by taking your car to the dealership. With a handheld diagnostic tool, mechanics can use the fault code in your car to find out what is wrong. If they believe that your car is giving you unnecessary warnings, they can reset your OBD so that they light won't come on anymore.

One of the most common problems that trigger the check engine light is a loose fuel cap. If you fill up on gas and fail to twist the gas cap into place, then the fuel won't pressurize. When this happens, it will trigger an alert. Some cars will log this as a "check gas cap" code and this warning will pop up on your dashboard. That way you won't take your car to the shop and realize that the issue was something you could have fixed in a moment by yourself. If the check engine alert isn't a gas cap issue, take your vehicle to a car dealer or a trustworthy mechanic.

Some places will charge you just to check the code and find out what's wrong with your car. Try to avoid places that charge for this. In some places, you may be able to get the information that you need for free and then fix the problems in your car yourself. If you have a service engine icon in your car and that comes on, then you are getting close to a scheduled maintenance interval. This icon is different from the check engine light, in that this one is not alerting you of a problem but reminding you that it is time to take your car to the mechanic for a routine checkup. Normally this light will only stay on for a few minutes when you start your car, and then it will disappear.

If a little light with a positive and negative sign inside of a box shows up, then your electrical fault light is on. This will probably light up when you are starting your car as part of the start-test, but if it remains on as you drive, it is a warning that you need to talk your car to a mechanic. The electrical battery light means that your car is not charging the right way. Your car could die because the battery is not charging, which would become a serious problem if you are on a busy street. You will probably need to get a new or refurbished alternator if this happens.

In other cases, your brake lights might come on. One type of break warning light says "brake" in all capital letters and has an exclamation point underneath. If there is something wrong with your braking system, stop driving and get your car to a maintenance facility. Faulty brakes are the cause of many accidents. In some cases, your braking system may lock up or fail, so that you can't stop your vehicle. Your car may also have antilock brakes light. This light normally has an ABS in capital letters, sometimes accompanied with an exclamation point. This also concerns the brakes and can be as simple as some dust in a sensor or as serious as brakes that won't function.

Also, pay attention to other lights on your dashboard. Many cars come with a coolant warning light which will let you know when you need to add more coolant to your engine. Never do this when the engine is running or is hot. Also, your car probably has an oil warning light. When this little light comes on, the oil pressure in your car is too low. If you continue to ignore this warning and drive then eventually your engine will die. You will want to get this fixed fast at a car maintenance facility. If you pay attention to these little warnings, it will help you to keep safe and stay away from dangerous situations that could cause a car accident.

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