Dashboard warning lights: what each one means
Red, amber and green warning lights explained: what the symbol means, whether you can keep driving and what to do right now.
Red — stop now
A red lamp means you should not keep driving. Pull over, switch the engine off and sort it out there.
Oil pressureOil pressure in the engine is below the safe level. This is not a «top it up soon» message: at l…Engine overheatingThe coolant has overheated. What follows is a warped cylinder head — the most expensive repair t…Battery chargeThe alternator is not charging the battery — the car runs on whatever is left in it. That is usu…Brake systemEither the handbrake is on, the brake fluid has dropped below the mark, or the control unit has …AirbagThe airbag system has found a fault and switched itself off. In a crash the airbag will not depl…
Amber — check soon
An amber lamp means you can drive on, but do not put it off. The car runs in a protective mode and usually drinks more.
TransmissionThe transmission unit has stored a fault. Often the car locks a single gear at the same time — t…Immobiliser: key not recognisedThe car does not recognise the key. The engine either will not start at all, or starts and dies …Check EngineThe engine control unit has found a fault and stored a code. This lamp has more than a hundred p…ABSThe anti-lock braking system is switched off. The brakes still work, but under hard braking the …Tyre pressurePressure in at least one tyre is below normal. In winter the lamp often comes on by itself: pres…ESP — stability controlIf the symbol blinks, the system is working right now — the car is slipping. If it glows steadil…Glow plugs (diesel)The coil symbol on a diesel dashboard. It glows for a few seconds at start-up — that is normal. …Diesel particulate filterThe particulate filter has clogged and needs regeneration. The lamp comes on when the car could …AdBlue (urea)The AdBlue fluid is running out — a diesel needs it to neutralise nitrogen oxides. The car usual…Power steeringThe power assistance has switched off. The steering still works, but it takes noticeably more ef…
Green or blue — information only
These lamps are not about a fault: they say a system is switched on, or remind you of something simple to do.
Low fuelOnly the reserve is left in the tank. On most cars that is five to ten litres — the exact figure…A door or the boot is openOne of the doors, the bonnet or the boot is not properly closed. The symbol usually shows which …Seat beltThe driver's or a passenger's belt is not fastened. On some cars the lamp also comes on because …Start-stop systemThe system stops the engine at a standstill and restarts it when you release the brake. A green …Fog lightsThe fog lights are on: a green symbol means front, an amber one means rear. The lamp informs rat…Low washer fluidThe washer bottle is low. The lamp informs rather than warns, but in winter it matters more than…Low beam headlightsThe low beam is on. The lamp informs, it does not warn.…High beam headlightsThe high beam is on. This symbol is always blue — the only lamp of that colour on the dashboard.…Turn signalsA turn indicator is blinking. Both arrows at once means the hazard lights are on.…Cruise controlCruise control is on or already holding speed. The symbol differs by make: a speedometer with an…All-wheel driveAll-wheel drive or low range is engaged. Depending on the car it shows either the rear axle bein…Eco modeThe car is in economy mode: softer throttle, earlier shifts, weaker climate control. Sometimes t…
Symbols differ between makes: the same fault may be drawn differently on your dashboard. If yours is not here, read the codes with an adapter — the car always writes the fault down.