Know your dashboard warning lights (No, don't just tape it over...)

It might be tempting to just throw a bit of black tape over that 'check engine' light in the dash, but if you'd rather know what it all means, here's your guide to your car's warning lights

If you're a little behind on maintenance, you've probably noticed your car’s dashboard will have a veritable Christmas tree of icons light up to let you know something has gone wrong.

The average car has around 25 dashboard icons, while feature-packed cars will have upwards of 40. The more complex the car, the more potential there is for mechanical or electronic carnage.

While many of these 'annunciator lights' are easily recognisable, some icons are specific to certain car and engine types, such as diesels and hybrids or four-wheel-drives. To add to the confusion, there are also many new icons that have been introduced with new technologies over the past decade – such as driver-assist safety functions.

What do the colours of my dashboard lights mean?

Think of it like traffic lights, where red means stop, orange is caution, and green is go.

🟥 Red light in dashboard

You can probably guess; red means something that requires immediate attention – ranging from something as easily addressed as a door being open, to more serious issues like low oil pressure, that can damage your car engine.

In any case, a red light means stop the car immediately and attend to the problem, even if it's simply to call roadside assist or an experienced friend.

🟧 Orange light in dashboard

An orange light usually signifies something that requires monitoring, such as low fuel or tyre pressure. The terrifying 'check engine' light may also appear orange or red, depending on the severity of the problem detected, but it will often be accompanied by a more specific light for extra context.

🟩 🟦 ⬜ Green, blue, white lights in dashboard

These aren't warnings so much as simple alerts to let you know that a particular feature is active, such as lights (driving, high-beam and fog), turning indicators, park brake, cruise control and driver-assist features like lane-keep assistant and active distance control.

Here's an extensive list of dashboard symbols, to go with the frightening image below

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Don't panic...