FIVE WARNING LIGHTS YOU SHOULD NEVER IGNORE

LOW TIRE WARNING LIGHT

This lights come on when there is an underinflated tire on your vehicle. Driving on low tire can cause uneven braking, uneven traction, tire blowout, increased fuel consumption and also leads to wearing out. Possible causes includes loss of air pressure due to puncture, a faulty valve stem, seepage(loosing 1 to 2 PSI per month due to seepage is normal for many tires), and inaccurate TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system)

WHAT TO DO : Using an accurate gauge, check the inflation pressure in each of your tires. When you find the deflated tire, add air as needed. See your owners manual for the recommended pressure value, although recommended value for passenger cars typically falls between 32PSI to 34PSI.

NOTE; Always check your tire pressure before embarking on any long road trip

BRAKE WARNING LIGHT

If you see this light on, it could mean that the parking brake is not fully released, brake fluid level is low or there is a loss of hydraulic pressure in your vehicle's brake circuit. If the problem turns out to be loss of fluid or brake pressure then your car is not suitable for driving as your brakes may not be able to stop your car when you step on the pedal. Loss of break fluid can be due to leakage in the master cylinder, wheel cylinder, hoses and calipers. Bring in the professionals for proper diagnosis and repair

OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT

This light is triggered when there is low oil pressure in your vehicle's engine. If you are already driving when you encounter this light, pull over once it's safe to do so, shut the engine off and check the level of oil on the dipstick. If it's low add oil to the full mark and see if the oil pressure warning light will go out. Also check for possible leakage

TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT

This happens when your engine is over heating, if you continue to drive while this light is on it could lead to serious damage to your engine. When this happens, pull over and shut your engine off. Allow vehicle to cool down( give it at least 40 minutes), then check( the radiator, heater hoses) for coolant leaks. If the issue is a low coolant level, add coolant
Other possible causes includes bad water pump, faulty radiator cooling fan, stuck thermostat, bad serpentine belt e.t.c

CHARGING SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT

This light comes on when the charging voltage in your car is low and once this happens, you have less than 25 minutes to decide where to pull over before your battery goes dead and your engine stops running. Possible causes for this light turning on includes corrosion in your battery cable, faulty charging control, broken V-belt

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HOW TO RECONGNISE A FAULTY CAR THERMOSTAT

A bad car thermostat can ruin the car’s engine if you’re not if it not properly diagnose and fixed immediately. Ignoring a faulty thermostat will lead to a much more expensive damage. Here are some of the ways you can recognize a defective thermostat 1. Overheating engine Once the thermostat becomes defective, it can cause over heating in your engine. This is usually the result of a stuck thermostat that won't allow antifreeze to flow from the radiator and so halts heat regulation in the engine as it begins to overheat. Before deciding on whether to replace your thermostat, check your hoses to make sure there is no leakage of coolant. 2. Under Heating engine This problem occurs when the thermostat allows continuous flow of coolant into the engine or has lost it's ability to regulate the flow of coolant into the engine. When this happen the engine will too cool and lose it's ability to function properly 3. Fluctuating temperature readings Once you start noticin

CHECKING ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS

The electrical system of a car is a closed circuit with an independent power source 'the battery' Apart from the main charging, starting and ignition circuits, there are other circuits that power lights, electric motors, the sensors and gauges of electrical instruments, heating elements, magnetically operated locks, the radio and so on All Circuits are opened and closed either by switches or by relays - remote switches operated by electromagnets Circuits have components connected to them, and to operate these components they require voltage so, no voltage no function' which makes the first order of business when diagnosing electrical problems is to check the circuit's load point(bulb, wiper motor, any element the circuit is suppose to power) for the presence of voltage. If you find no voltage at the load point, you just uncovered the first clue about what a problem might be. Then you can check the fuse, fuse link, circuit breaker and also the relay supplying volt

BRAKE WARNING LIGHT

When your brake warning light is on, it could mean a number of things, i. If the light is on all the time, it could mean you simply forgot to release the parking brake ii. If the brake warning light remains on when the parking brake is released, it could be that the switch on the parking brake pedal or lever is misadjusted, a simple adjustment should fix the problem iii. If the light is intermittent and seems to come on and off depending on whether the vehicle is turning, it may mean that the brake fluid level is getting low iv. If the brake warning light is on continuously, it means that hydraulic pressure has been lost in one side of the brake system or that the fluid level in the master cylinder is dangerously low most likely due to leakage. The fluid level in the master cylinder should be checked. Adding brake fluid to the master cylinder reservoir may temporarily solve the problem but if the culprit is as a result of leakage, the new fluid will soon be lost and the warni

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