Test your car smarts – can you name these 12 car dashboard lights?

When a light on your dashboard turns on, it means that something is wrong with your car and you should take it in to get looked at. It doesn’t mean that you should give it a few weeks to see if it turns off. Some lights indicate much bigger problems than others, for example, the brake warning lights is a much more urgent fix than the washer fluid reminder light. The more you know about the dashboard lights, the easier it will be for you to identify the problem and figure out how quickly it needs to be fixed. Test your knowledge below and if a light appears on your dash that you’re not familiar with, make sure to check your car’s owner’s manual.

Answer: Brake warning light

The brake warning light either means that your emergency brake is on or that your car has an issue with the brake system. The brake system involves the brake pads, braking fluid, and the brake lights that display on the back of your vehicle. All of those elements are very important to your safety when driving so if you see this light come on, take it to a mechanic.

Answer: Automatic shift lock or engine start indicator

The ASL or engine start indicator light means that your car is locked in neutral or park and that you need to step on the brake to release the lock and shift the vehicle into reverse or drive. If you tend to ignore your car dashboard lights, you should watch out for these signs that your car is about to die.

Answer: Airbag indicator

You never want to put off getting your car looked at if your airbag light is on. If the light is on (in some cars it will be a light with the letters SRS) it means that something in the system is faulty and your airbags may not deploy during an accident. It could indicate that something is wrong with your seatbelts, the airbag, the computer, or the wiring that controls the airbags.

Answer: Check engine or malfunction indicator light (MIL)

The check engine light is one that gets ignored a lot. Most likely because it can mean that your car just needs a quick fix or that something is seriously wrong with your engine. It turns on when your car’s diagnosis system detects a problem. You don’t need to pull over and turn off your car the second the light comes on, but if you ignore it you could end up making the damage much worse, so take your car in to get looked at as soon as possible.

Answer: Tyre pressure warning light

The tyre pressure warning light indicates that your tyre pressure is too low. Having low tyre pressure can lead to uneven wear of your tyres or tyre failure.

Answer: Washer fluid reminder

Luckily, when this light comes on you can fix the problem yourself at home. The washer fluid reminder light just means that the washer fluid in your car is low and that you need to refill it. Keeping a bottle of all seasons washer fluid in your garage is always a good idea.

Answer: Engine temperature warning light

In many cars, the engine temperature warning light will illuminate blue when the car is first turned on, meaning that the engine hasn’t fully heated up. Then, when the engine has been running for a few minutes, it turns off. It if ever illuminates red it means that your engine is overheating. When the light comes on, pull over and shut off your engine and wait for it to cool down.

Answer: Automatic gearbox warning

Also called the automatic transmission light, the automatic gearbox warning light means that there is a possible problem with your automatic transmission. The most common reason this light comes on is that the car’s transmission fluid temperature is higher than normal. Make sure you avoid these things when buying your next car.

Answer: Oil pressure warning light

The oil pressure warning light means that the oil pressure in your car is low and that you need to take your car in to get an oil change. If it comes on, stop driving immediately. Having little or no oil in your car can be very damaging to your engine.