Warning lights are usually something that car owners do not want to see, and for good reason. They might mean a repair, which can get expensive, or at the very least that something is wrong. But there are plenty of warning lights you cannot afford to ignore or avoid. Here are just a few of them from Sullivan’s Auto Service & Tire Pros.
Brake Light
Your car’s brake light is one of the warning lights that you don’t want to misinterpret when you see it. If the parking brake is on, you’ll likely see the brake light to remind you. But if you’re driving along and see the brake light or a light that says “ABS,” that’s an indication that something is not right with your brakes. Try to safely stop and don’t wait to get your brakes inspected.
Tire Pressure Light
Proper tire pressure is crucial, both for your car’s engine and for the tires. Your car’s TPMS may not alert you to an issue until your tires have lost a significant amount of air pressure, so if you do see lights indicating a problem you have to take action. Check your tire pressure yourself every couple of weeks to help stay on target with proper tire pressure.
Alternator or Battery Light
The alternator and the battery work together to keep the car and the engine running. When either have issues, you’re likely to see the battery or alternator warning light. If you don’t pay attention to what that light is telling you, you’re likely to find yourself stranded because of a dead battery, faulty alternator, or both.
Temperature Warning Light
One of the worst things for your engine is to overheat or to run at a warmer temperature than it should for a long period of time. Keeping up with the engine’s temperature is vital, and the temperature gauge on the dash helps you to do that. But with all of the various things you’re keeping up with on the dashboard, it’s easy to overlook the gauge. What you cannot overlook is the temperature warning light. If you see that, you have to act fast.
Check Engine Light
Your car’s check engine light is definitely one you do not want to avoid if you see it. The check engine light is your indication that something is either impacting engine performance significantly right now or it’s going to very soon. The problem might be elsewhere, like in the fuel system or the transmission, but that’s going to affect how well the engine works ultimately.
Need to make sure the warning lights you’re seeing aren’t an emergency? Give us a call today at Sullivan’s Auto Service & Tire Pros in Seaside, CA. We’ll inspect your car and figure out what’s going on.