Know the warning signs on your car’s dashboard

If the only light you recognise or do anything about on your dashboard is a warning that you are low on fuel, it may be time to brush up on your car’s other warning signs.

Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA) chairperson Dewald Ranft said vehicles are complex by design, made up of a myriad sensors and components, which all perform a particular function, which is why motorists should know what the warning lights on their dashboards mean.

The average car today has over two dozen computer modules working behind the scenes, a vast network of sensors and hundreds of electrical wires, linking all these components together.

With this complexity, a lot can go wrong with the vehicle and the first indication is often a warning light on the dashboard.

“Although the majority of motorists do not know exactly how a car functions, most know there are basic things that need to be checked and maintained regularly to keep the car on the road – petrol, oil and water, for starters.

“Looking after the basics and ensuring you have regular services are all very important, but the reality is a lot can go wrong with a car over its lifespan,” said Ranft.

He said the warning lights on a dashboard are similar to the human body – when a “component” of our body malfunctions there are warning signs.

The difference is humans don’t have a dashboard on which we can see exactly what the root of the problem is, which often leaves us scrambling for answers from medical professionals.

Dashboard lights in a car tell us what the problem is (or at least which component is at fault) and different-coloured lights indicate the urgency of the issue, which means there is no excuse for ignoring a warning about a malfunction in your car.

The rule of thumb is that red warning lights need immediate action and amber, orange and other colour lights often mean something needs checking out at a garage.

Ranft added it is normal for dashboard lights to come on when you start your car but if one or more stay on while you are driving you need to pay attention and look into it.