What Does the Light On My Dashboard Mean?

If you’re driving around Raleigh and you see a light on your dashboard, it’s not necessarily cause to panic. While some lights like Check Engine and Brake System Warning mean there’s an imminent problem with your car, other lights act as information or reminders. It’s a good idea to know what the most common–and some of the less common–symbols on your dashboard mean, and Hendrick Chevrolet Southpoint is here to help! Our service team has put together a guide to the various dashboard warning lights, so you can stay calm and informed on the road.

Common Dashboard Warning Lights

Engine Warning Lights:

• Coolant Temp Warning: Indicates a problem with your coolant levels, such as a leak or a malfunctioning fan.
• Service Vehicle: While this light indicates that your car needs general maintenance, it most commonly illuminates in the case of an electrical issue.
• Reduced Power Warning: This light means you need to bring your car in to have the engine looked at, since it’s not performing at full capacity.

Brake System Warning Lights:

• Brake System: Indicates that there’s a problem with your brakes, such as your brake fluid or ABS (anti-lock braking system). 

Safety & Informative Warning Lights:

• Security Alert: This multi-purpose light can indicate anything from a door left ajar to a problem with your ignition switch.
• Airbag Fault: This is an important light since it means that there’s a problem with your airbag system, which is cause for immediate repair.
• Washer Fluid Reminder: If your washer fluid levels are low and need to be replaced, you’ll see this light.

Tires Warning Lights: 

• Tire Pressure Warning Light: Your Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) is designed to keep tabs on your tire pressure and notify you if one of the tires has too much or too little air. If you see this light, bring your car to a gas station or a service center to have them checked out.

Non-Warning Lights on Chevy, Buick, and GMC Vehicles:

• Cruise Control: Indicates that the cruise control system is on; when you turn it off, the light will also turn off.
• Fog Lamp: Indicates that you have your brights turned on.
• Traction Control or ESP: This light means that your vehicle is engaging its electronic stability system.
• Shift Up: If you drive a vehicle with manual transmission, this light will illuminate as a suggestion to shift into a higher gear so as to optimize your fuel economy.
• Lane Keep Assist: On a Chevy, Buick, or GMC equipped with the Lane Keep Assist safety feature, this symbol will light up and make a chiming noise if you begin to drift out of your lane.

Select Chevy, Buick, and GMC vehicles also have dashboard lights that indicate when you enter or exit certain available driving modes on the Cary roads, such as Sport Mode, Snow Mode, 4-Wheel Drive, and Tow Mode. 

Learn More About Dashboard Warning Lights at Hendrick Chevrolet Southpoint

Now that we’ve answered the question “What does the light on my dashboard mean?”, the next question is: what do you do when you see one of these lights? If it falls under any of the warning light categories above, go ahead and schedule a service appointment on our website, and we’ll get you taken care of as soon as possible. If it’s an emergency, bring your car right to our service center near Chapel Hill so we can address the problem immediately. Feel free to contact us with any other service questions, like how often to change your oil!