Many motorists have no idea what certain warning lights mean on their car. However, these lights serve as important alerts to drivers of potential dangers. Everyone should at least be aware of the most important warnings, the ones that if not addressed immediately, will cause your engine serious damage.

Far too many of today’s average drivers ignore key warnings. They downplay them, or simply delay in reacting to them because they’re “busy” or don’t understand the consequences of ignoring them. Our direct customers see this firsthand in their machine shops- the engine damage that can happen when their engine repair customer neglected an important warning. Often, operating a vehicle unchecked for any length of time after a critical dashboard warning light has turned on, will add a lot of unplanned inconvenience and cost to the situation. We’re highlighting the most important ones for you and explaining how they significantly impact the health of your engine.

Just like in traffic, if the light is RED, stop and pay attention. Some red warning lights relating to your engine include:

Dashboard Oil Pressure Light

Oil Pressure Warning light

The dashboard oil light may appear as an oil can with a dripping spout, or as simply the word OIL. Many drivers interpret their oil light being on as merely a suggestion that they should maybe get their oil changed soon-ish. However, this is an incredibly unsafe assumption to make. Oil might not seem like a huge deal to the average joe, but in fact, a glowing oil light signals an engine malfunction that you should be treating as an engine emergency.

Why so serious? Well, the oil light is tied to the specific engine parameter of oil pressure. The oil light kicks on when oil levels are reading below a safe level. Once oil pressure has fallen to an unsafe level, and you continue to run your vehicle, the forces and wear on your engine can cause engine destruction from the inside out. Therefore, if you ignore this important emergency light, you’re opening the door for full engine failure.

Dashboard Battery Warning Light

Battery Warning Light

When you see this light in red, it means your battery is no longer charging. This means that the alternator, which charges the battery, is not getting the job done. This is serious. There is a drive belt responsible for turning the alternator, and if that is the issue, your engine will also be in danger of overheating. The drive belt also drives your engine’s cooling system, making this a sizable warning to heed.

Engine Overheating Warning light

Overheating Warning Light

This indicates that your engine is overheating, which means you should stop driving immediately and seek out a mechanic. Your radiator or radiator hose may be leaking, your water pump might need replacing, or your antifreeze level is too low. If you see coolant leaking from your engine, you should have your car towed to a mechanic that can help.

Now you have some idea about engine warning lights and what this can mean for your vehicle. Red engine lights serve as important alerts to motorists of potential dangers. Addressing a warning light immediately can save your engine from sustaining serious damage. If you find yourself looking for a mechanic to help with these warning lights, consider one that uses Enginetech parts. All Enginetech engine parts go through a pre-shipment inspection in addition to our own detailed in-house quality testing. Our parts qualify for our lifetime warranty when professionally installed in your vehicle.

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