Dashboard Traffic light Colouring
I have been
writing my blogs from an observational point of view as a woman who works on
the customer side within a garage. I am not a technician but I do listen to
what comes in and out of the office and have learnt a lot during my time here!
I want to
try to pass on some information about cars in a non – technical but simple and
informative way as I am sure that there are many people who like me over the years, have very little understanding about anything
to do with cars and if you are anything like me, might glaze over when
‘technical’ terms are used.
So,
following on from that, my latest observation relates to the warning lights
that may appear on your dashboard from time to time?
Are you
aware that all the lights are colour coded to a ‘traffic light’ system? I
certainly wasn’t! If I am honest I would only really have taken notice if a
light had come on whilst driving and I did not know that the lights could be
coloured differently!
I asked many
of my friends if they knew about the lights on the dashboard as I
did not want to write a blog and insult a reader’s intelligence! My responses
showed me that it is more likely to be ladies who did not know but not all men
knew either.
We all see
lights on the dashboard on a daily basis that we are probably aware of, but choose to ignore as
they mostly disappear once the engine is turned on. It is only when a light
comes on unexpectedly whilst we are driving that we may take notice.
I wonder how
many drivers really register the colour of a light when it comes on or if they
are aware that it may be coloured either amber or red if there is an issue, but
‘Green’ for headlights being on and functioning normally for example.
Just to
expand further:
Oil pressure warning light
This light should come on
when you turn the ignition on, and usually goes out again once the engine is
started.
If the light does not go out when the engine
is running and is coloured ‘Amber’ then
you need to stop driving and check the oil level of the engine. Top up if
required.
If the warning light stays
on and is coloured ‘Red’ even after putting oil in,
then you must not drive the car any further as it could cause catastrophic
damage to the engine of your vehicle. Call for help and get the vehicle
recovered to a garage.
Battery charge warning light
When you start the engine,
the battery charge light should always come on and then go off to indicate that
the battery is functioning normally.
If the light does not come
on at all, or if it comes on whilst you are driving, it will be coloured ‘Red’ and
means that your battery is not charging properly. Once again you should stop
driving immediately as there could be a number of reasons as to why the light
has come on; either the battery has failed or the drive belt has broken, which
stops the Alternator working (The Alternator is what charges the battery)
If you are in any doubt as
to why the light may be on then my advice would be not to try to restart the
engine as potentially you could cause even more damage. In this instance call
for a recovery service and get to a garage – preferably ours!
Brake system warning light
This light will be on and
coloured ‘Red’ when the handbrake is in use, but if it comes on once
the handbrake is off, it could mean that your vehicle is low on brake fluid.
If this is the case, then
you would need to ensure that you add the correct amount of brake fluid,
filling it to the Maximum level but do call us if you are in doubt! Brake fluid
levels do drop as the car is driven and there are specific intervals for each
make and model where a Brake Fluid change is required.
Check your brake fluid
level frequently to ensure there is no further rapid loss of fluid.
If the brake warning light
stays on even if you have topped up the brake fluid, then we highly recommend
that you have the car looked at as the brakes are obviously vital to our safety
on the roads!
Puncture!
If the tyre light comes on
‘Red’ whilst you are driving, then it would indicate that the tyre has lost air
pressure and it is likely that you would have a puncture. Once again you need
to stop and either change the tyre or use a product called ‘Tyre Weld’ to help
you get to a garage. If you have run flats you will be able to drive to a
garage.
For any more information please call Lakeside Garage on 01784 482158
or have a look at our website http://www.lakesidegarageservices.co.uk/
I hope this is helpful to
some people and apologies to others who already know!