Skip to main content

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

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FOOT BRAKE AND HAND BRAKE

Motorists around the world know  how to use foot brake and hand brake, even non-motorists are aware of their operation but how many are actually aware of the working mechanisms of braking using the pedal and the handbrake? very few, i guess. So without wasting much time let's break down the difference Foot Brake and Handbrake: The Real Difference If you have always been looking for the answer to- “when should I use handbrake and foot brake,” then delve deeper into their mechanisms and find the appropriate answer? 1. Overview Commencing with the foot brake system, it is a pedal connected to vacuum booster, which is used to stop or slow down the vehicle’s motor. This is also known as the system of hydraulic brakes that multiplies the foot-force applied in order to stop a car weighing several tons. Whereas, the handbrake, also known as the parking brake, or emergency brake; is a straight pull handle near the steering column. This can also be a hand-operated lever...

CABIN AIR FILTER

On newer vehicles you are likely to find the cabin air filter, it's job is to clean the air that enters the passenger compartments and HVAC( heating, ventilation and air conditioning) unit In some cars you will find it located under a panel at the base of the windshield while in other cars you will find it behind the glovebox There are two kinds of designs or construction of cabin air filters and it's maintenance depends on the construction your vehicle is using i. Dust only-- should be replaced every 20,000 miles or two years ii. Dust and odor-- should be replaced every 12,000 miles Note that replacements often depends on operating condition

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT

Check Engine Light officially known as the Malfunction Indicator Lamp(MIL) informs you when there's an emission-related problem with your engine control system. Depending on how critical the problem is, your check engine light may stay on continuously or just flash. It will most likely stay so you don't forget it needs checking If no other warning lights are on, and the engine is running normally (no unusual noises, smells, vibrations, etc.), you can assume the fault that is causing the Check Engine Light to come on is probably minor and won't hinder your ability to continue driving. But if other warning lights are on, you should stop your vehicle, come down and investigate the problem OBD II - HOW IT WORKS When the On-board diagnostics(OBD) detects faults that may lead to an increase in emission, the OBD sets a pending code in the vehicle's memory and if the same problem occurs on a second trip, under same condition the OBD system will then set a diagnostic tr...