Alerts, those light and audible signals, play a key role not only in protecting the engine and other components, but also in providing greater safety for the occupants. As its name indicates, every time they are activated they are notifying the driver of a possible failure or damage that must be reviewed.
These are preventive and corrective and are also known as lights or dashboard indicators that are distinguished by images or symbols that vary depending on the origin or manufacturer of the vehicle.The colors of the alert lights resemble those of a traffic light: Yellow, caution – risk; red, immediate attention; and green, informative.
parking brake light
Illuminates when the parking or parking brake is applied. When it comes on without the brake being applied, it may be that the brake fluid level is below that indicated or that the brake pads need to be replaced. If it lights up when the car is moving, it is recommended to have it checked.
brake pad
Comes on when the brake pads have excessive wear, the light will stay on until the pads are replaced.
oil
Normally it comes on when you open the switch without starting the engine, but it should go off when it is running, if this does not happen it is indicating that the oil pressure in the engine is below normal.
coolant
On some models it works in tandem with the engine temperature sensor. When this exceeds the normal range, (above 100°C), it will light because there may be ‘overheating’ in the engine which can cause damage to the head gaskets or cylinder heads.
battery charge
When the switch is opened, it should light up to indicate that it is working properly, that the light is not burnt out and that the circuit that feeds it is in good condition. The problem occurs when the engine is running and the warning light comes on, this indicates a deficiency in the charging system.
address
It will come on when the switch is opened without starting the engine. (What happens in these cases is that like other alerts, it is doing a system check). Once the engine is running it turns off, if so the system works correctly. If it continues to light when starting, there is a fault in the steering system.
ABS system
The anti-lock wheel system, from the German Antiblockiersystem (ABS), prevents the wheels from slipping when braking. When this light comes on it is because there is a fault in the system. When the ABS fails, the ESP system or stability control and the electronic brake distribution can also stop working.
Maintenance or Service
Some models have these alerts that indicate that the time for maintenance such as oil and filter change, brake pads, etc. is approaching, calculated by kilometers traveled. It only turns off when the service is done and when the next one is reprogrammed.
tire pressure
TPMS stands for Tire-Pressure Monitoring System or “tire pressure monitoring system”. It is an active safety system that tells the driver when there is a lack of inflation pressure in the tires.
check engine
When the light stays on after driving, there is usually a fault with the engine or injection system, sometimes those faults may be noticeable to the driver and other times they may not.
Stability control
When the light flashes, it means that the system is working. If the indicator stays on the system has problems or is disconnected.
seat belt
It is activated when the driver or an occupant is not wearing a seat belt.
Lane Departure Warning
Also known as LDW (Lane Departure Warning), it is an active safety system that detects and corrects the involuntary change in the trajectory that the car is taking to avoid collisions.
fuel reserve indicator
When the fuel level reaches the reserve is when this light comes on, usually that amount of gasoline left in the tank is enough for about 50 kilometers.
