Welcome to our dash warning lights page
We've all been there, you are driving along minding your own business when all of a sudden you've got a warning lamp on the dashboard and the car doesn't seem to be going very well!
Below are the most common warning lamps you are likely to see, with a short explanation to help you understand their meaning
Engine warning lamp
In simple terms, the engine warning light means that there is a problem somewhere in your vehicles' management system.
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In broad terms, if the vehicle is still driving OK when the light comes on, you are OK to drive on until you can get to us. We can plug in our diagnostic kit and let you know what has happened and what is needed to fix it.
If the car has lost power as a result of the light coming on, it may be best to contact your breakdown service.
In simple terms, the MIL lamp indicates that there is a problem in the management sytem of your vehicle
It covers loads of different engine systems and can come on for a wide variety of reasons. In broad terms, if the car is still driving OK with the light on, then you will be fine to drive it for a short time until you can get it in to let us plug in and let you know the cause.
If the car suffers a loss of power or some other problem when the light comes on, then a call to your breakdown service is probably your best bet.
The engine warning lamp or 'MIL' lamp comes in a range of designs but they will generally look similar to one of the examples shown
Tyre pressure monitoring
In simple terms, the engine warning light means that there is a problem somewhere in your vehicles' management system.
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In broad terms, if the vehicle is still driving OK when the light comes on, you are OK to drive on until you can get to us. We can plug in our diagnostic kit and let you know what has happened and what is needed to fix it.
If the car has lost power as a result of the light coming on, it may be best to contact your breakdown service.
Many modern vehicles come with 'Tyre Pressure Monitoring' systems to warn you if you get a puncture
The Tyre Pressure Monitoring System or TPMS as the name suggests keeps an eye on the vehicle tyre pressures to give you an early warning if you happen to get a flat.
The system can on occasion be a little too sensitive, but it should never be reset without checking the tyre pressures first.
Most manufacturers include a reset procedure in the owner's manual, alternatively we are happy to check your tyre pressures and reset the system for you.
ABS lamp & TCS Lamp
ABS stands for Antilock Braking System
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TCS stands for Traction Control System
In simple terms, the engine warning light means that there is a problem somewhere in your vehicles' management system.
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In broad terms, if the vehicle is still driving OK when the light comes on, you are OK to drive on until you can get to us. We can plug in our diagnostic kit and let you know what has happened and what is needed to fix it.
If the car has lost power as a result of the light coming on, it may be best to contact your breakdown service.
These two lamps generally appear together but can also come on on their own
The ABS system on your vehicle (sometimes known as anti skid) is designed to stop your wheels locking up when you break in an emergency situation.
The car maker uses the ABS system to stop the wheels spinning when you are accelerating, this is known as 'Traction Control' and is why the lights often appear together
If your ABS and/or TCS lights come on when driving, the system is automatically switched off and you go back to having normal brakes. The vehicle is perfectly safe to drive, but be aware that you wont have the 'Anti Skid' function.
SRS or Airbag Lamp
SRS stands for Seat Restraint System but is generally known as the airbag light
In simple terms, the engine warning light means that there is a problem somewhere in your vehicles' management system.
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In broad terms, if the vehicle is still driving OK when the light comes on, you are OK to drive on until you can get to us. We can plug in our diagnostic kit and let you know what has happened and what is needed to fix it.
If the car has lost power as a result of the light coming on, it may be best to contact your breakdown service.
It comes on to warn you that the airbag system is switched off and will not deploy the airbag if needed
The ABS system on your vehicle (sometimes known as anti skid) is designed to stop your wheels locking up when you break in an emergency situation.
The car maker uses the ABS system to stop the wheels spinning when you are accelerating, this is known as 'Traction Control' and is why the lights often appear together
If your ABS and/or TCS lights come on when driving, the system is automatically switched off and you go back to having normal brakes. The vehicle is perfectly safe to drive, but be aware that you wont have the 'Anti Skid' function.
The 'Seat Restraint System' is one of the primary safety features built into modern vehicles.
In the event of a large accident, the system tightens the seatbelt to retain you securely in the seat whilst simultaneously deploying multiple airbags to cushion you from any impact.
If the airbag light comes on, this means that the system is switched off automatically (there is no way it can deploy accidentally), we need to plug in to diagnose which part of the system is at fault so that we can repair or replace to make sure that you stay safe
SRS or Airbag Light
EPC warning light
In simple terms, the engine warning light means that there is a problem somewhere in your vehicles' management system.
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In broad terms, if the vehicle is still driving OK when the light comes on, you are OK to drive on until you can get to us. We can plug in our diagnostic kit and let you know what has happened and what is needed to fix it.
If the car has lost power as a result of the light coming on, it may be best to contact your breakdown service.
EPC stands for
'Electronic Power Control'
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This lamp is only found on Volkswagon, Audi, Seat and Skoda vehicles and relates to a problem with the accelerator pedal or throttle flap.
As stated on the other page, this lamp means there is a problem with the electronically controlled accelerator on your vehicle, to get to the bottom of the fault we would need to plug in the diagnostic kit. The EPC lamp coming on usually results in a loss of power and often the vehicle goes into 'limp home' mode.
This lamp will also come on if the vehicle has a problem with the ABS or Traction Control system.
It is very common to see all three lamps on at the same time, but there is only 1 fault bringing them on.
DPF warning light
In simple terms, the engine warning light means that there is a problem somewhere in your vehicles' management system.
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In broad terms, if the vehicle is still driving OK when the light comes on, you are OK to drive on until you can get to us. We can plug in our diagnostic kit and let you know what has happened and what is needed to fix it.
If the car has lost power as a result of the light coming on, it may be best to contact your breakdown service.
DPF stands for
'Diesel Particulate Filter'
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As the name suggests, this light is only on diesel vehicles and comes on to warn you that the filter is getting full.
The Diesel Particulate Filter captures harmful exhaust particulates to stop them escaping into the atmosphere.
With use, the filter would eventually clog up and cause the vehicle to loose power. To stop this, the vehicle carries out a "regeneration" of the filter to burn off this build-up, but to do this the vehicle needs to be on a motorway type run for around 20 mins.
We recommend doing this sort of run with any diesel vehicle to make sure the system stays working correctly.
If the light comes on, the vehicle would need to come into the workshop to diagnose and deal with the fault.
Oil warning lamp
In simple terms, the engine warning light means that there is a problem somewhere in your vehicles' management system.
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In broad terms, if the vehicle is still driving OK when the light comes on, you are OK to drive on until you can get to us. We can plug in our diagnostic kit and let you know what has happened and what is needed to fix it.
If the car has lost power as a result of the light coming on, it may be best to contact your breakdown service.
The Oil Warning
Lamp is there to warn you that the oil pressure
in your engine is dangerously low, the engine needs good oil pressure to run without damage.
This Red warning light should never be ignored, if it appears whilst driving you need to stop immediately and contact your breakdown service.
This is the oil level warning light, it comes on to warn you that the oil level in
your engine has dropped below the ideal amount and that it needs topping up. You may continue to drive the vehicle (once you have checked the level) and top the oil up as soon as you possibly can.
Some vehicles use oil without
there being a problem, but if you are in any doubt please give us a call to check
This is not an oil level warning light
Handbrake warning lamp
In simple terms, the engine warning light means that there is a problem somewhere in your vehicles' management system.
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In broad terms, if the vehicle is still driving OK when the light comes on, you are OK to drive on until you can get to us. We can plug in our diagnostic kit and let you know what has happened and what is needed to fix it.
If the car has lost power as a result of the light coming on, it may be best to contact your breakdown service.
This may seem an obvious one, you have the handbrake on!
This light often doubles up and comes on to warn that the brake fluid level is low, if you get this light coming on and you are sure that you have released the handbrake fully we would advise pulling over to check the fluid level in the brake resevoir. If the level is low, you may have a fluid leak that needs looking at urgently
Brake pad warning
In simple terms, the engine warning light means that there is a problem somewhere in your vehicles' management system.
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In broad terms, if the vehicle is still driving OK when the light comes on, you are OK to drive on until you can get to us. We can plug in our diagnostic kit and let you know what has happened and what is needed to fix it.
If the car has lost power as a result of the light coming on, it may be best to contact your breakdown service.
The brake pad warning lamp is fitted to all modern vehicles to give you notice that the brake pads are wearing close to their limit
The system is designed to give you ample warning that your brakes are getting low to give you plenty of time to arrange to have them changed.
As such, you are perfectly safe to drive the vehicle for a few days until you can get an appointment.
(most manufactures give you approximately 1,000 miles)
However, ignore this light long term and the pads will wear out and damage the brake discs as well!
Alternatively you can go old school and give us a call on
01392 255938 and we will be happy to help