10 car warning lights you shouldn't ignore

Dashboard lights are colour-coded and not all of them are things you need to worry about. If they’re green or blue it’s usually for information only.

But you do need to pay attention to yellow or amber warning lights which usually indicate there is a problem that you should get checked as soon as possible.

The most serious is a red warning light. If this appears you should stop driving and seek assistance from your breakdown provider.

Here are 10 of the most common warning lights for petrol and diesel cars, which you shouldn’t ignore. The symbols can vary depending on your car’s make and model so it’s important to also refer to your car’s manual.

1. Airbag warning light

An airbag warning light could mean there is a problem with one of your car’s airbags, the entire airbag system or the seat belt pretensioner.

You should get your car checked at a garage as soon as possible or you risk the airbag system not working during a collision or deploying unexpectedly.

2. Battery warning light

Battery failure is one of the most common causes of a vehicle breakdown and the battery warning light will illuminate when the battery isn’t charging.

If your battery drains completely then nothing in your car will work so try to get to your nearest garage before that happens.

For more information on what to do with a flat or faulty battery, you can check out MoneySuperMarket's guide to common car issues and solutions.

3. Brake warning light

If the brake warning light comes on the first thing to check is that your handbrake is fully released. If the light stays on check the brake fluid level, following the guidance in your owner’s manual. If it’s below the minimum mark there may be a leak in the brake system.

The brake warning light could also mean there’s a sensor fault or your brake pads need replacing so it’s best to go to a garage.

4. Coolant temperature warning light

The coolant temperature warning light (also known as the engine temperature warning light) means that your car’s engine is too hot. It could simply be that the coolant levels are low and you need to pull over and top up (once you’ve waited for the engine to cool down).

But if the warning light remains on afterwards it suggests there’s a more serious issue and you should get your car checked.

5. Diesel particulate filter (DPF) warning light

The DPF traps and removes harmful particulate matter from the exhaust gases to reduce emissions. But if you do a lot of stop-start driving your DPF could get blocked with soot and can’t self-clean. You may be able to clear it by driving above 40mph for about 10 minutes.

If the DPF warning light stays on you’ll need to go to a garage as soon as possible in case it needs replacing.

6. Engine management warning light

If the engine management warning light (also called the check engine warning light) is red or flashes amber it means there is a problem with your engine.

Lots of things can trigger it to come on but if you ignore it and it’s a serious fault then you risk irreparable damage to your engine.

7. Electronic stability programme (ESP) warning light

ESP, also known as electronic stability control (ESC), reduces the risk of your car skidding. The ESP warning light may flash when you’re driving on a wet or slippery road surface but if it stays on or if you’re driving in normal conditions then there could be a fault with the system and you should get it checked at the garage.

8. Oil pressure warning light

If the oil pressure warning light comes on you should pull over, turn the engine off and check your car’s oil level using the dipstick. Assuming it’s low, the light may go off when you top up the oil but if it doesn’t it could be a problem with the oil pump or the oil filter so you should contact your breakdown provider.

9. Power steering warning light

The power steering warning light (also known as the electric power steering or EPS warning light) will come on when the system isn’t operating correctly. You may find your car is much harder to steer, which increases the risk of an accident, so you should get it checked immediately.

10. Tyre pressure warning light

The tyre pressure warning light is part of the TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring system) and comes on when the air pressure is low in one or more of your tyres (some systems will show you on the dashboard which tyre it is).

Driving on an underinflated tyre could eventually lead to a tyre blow out. You should pump up the tyre(s) at the nearest garage. If the warning light comes back on when you continue driving it could mean you have a slow puncture and you’ll need to get the tyre repaired or replaced.