Expert Tips

Dash warning light on? What does it mean?

Warning lights usually have two different colors - red and yellow.

Red lights usually mean something needs to be tended to immediately, yellow lights that something needs servicing as soon as possible.

Brake Warning Light

There are two common happenings that will set off this light. One is that the brake fluid level is too low. This can be caused by a leak or a failure of a brake system part. This could be a dangerous condition. The other time this light will be set off is when your parking brake is activated.

Oil Warning Light

This light is triggered when the engine oil pressure is too low. This could be caused by the oil level being too low or a failure of an internal engine part.

Coolant Temp Light

This light is triggered when the engine coolant temperature is too high. This could be caused by the engine coolant level being too low or by a component failure.

Battery Light

This light comes on when the battery voltage is too low or too high. This could be caused by a failing battery or other charging system components. Depending upon battery usage such as lights, wipers or the heater, you may be able to drive a ways before the voltage gets too low to keep the engine running.

If any of the aforementioned lights come on while driving, we recommend pulling the vehicle over as soon as it is safe and have the vehicle towed to a repair facility. If the vehicle is driven with any of these lights on, major engine damage could occur. Play it safe, have it towed. A tow bill is usually a lot cheaper than major component replacement.

Service Engine Soon or Check Engine Light

All modern vehicles have a computer or ECM (Electronic Control Module) that controls the engine operation. It also performs on board diagnostics which is referred to as OBDII. The main purpose of this module is to keep the engine running at top efficiency with the lowest possible emissions. Today's strict emission regulations are not very easy to achieve - to keep it in compliance, the engine needs to be constantly and precisely adjusted according to various conditions such as speed, load, engine temperature, gasoline quality, ambient air temperature, road conditions, etc. When the computer sees a monitored system outside of a specified range, it will turn on the Check Engine or Service Engine Soon light.

ABS Light:

1. This light indicates that something is wrong with your antilock brake system. You may have diminished braking capability. Make an appointment with your repair facility as soon as possible.

2. There are many things that can trigger these lights. There are three different stages to these lights: on and then off again, constant on and constant flashing.

3. When these lights come and then go off again it usually means that there was a bad reading from one of the many sensors that give input to the computerized control system. Depending upon the circumstance, the vehicle may operate normally without any noticeable problems. We recommend getting the vehicle checked out as soon as possible.

4. When these lights stay on steadily, it usually means that there is a total failure of one or more of the sensors. You may or may not notice any drivability problems. We recommend getting the vehicle repaired as soon as possible to avoid damaging any other parts.

5. When these lights are flashing constantly, it usually means a severe failure. Pull the vehicle over as soon as it is safe and have it towed to a repair facility.

Jump start your car the right way:

1. Make sure the battery is not damaged.

2. Clean any corrosion or residue from the battery terminals.

3. Make sure the cars aren’t touching and that the ignition is off on both.

4. Verify both cars’ batteries are the same voltage.

5.Connect the positive (+) terminal of the starting battery to the positive terminal of the dead battery. Connect the negative (-) terminal of the starting battery to an unpainted metal surface of the dead car’s frame, away from the battery.

6. Start the car with the dead battery.

7. If it does not start, start the car with the good battery, run it for five minutes, shut it off and try again. Never start and run the starting car’s engine with the cables connected for more than five minutes. You run the risk of ruining the good car’s alternator.

8. Disconnect the cables in reverse order: from the jumped car’s frame, the starting car’s negative battery terminal, the jumped car’s positive terminal and the starting car’s positive terminal.

Reserve jump starts for dire emergencies:

Many people make the mistake of driving their car around after a jump start to "recharge" the battery. This could seriously overheat and destroy your alternator altogether. Running your car for a few minutes after a jump should fully recharge your battery safely.

Replace the battery according to manufacturers specifications:

CCA stands for "Cold Cranking Amps." This rating indicates its power and is a good measure to assess for how much time your car's accessories like a dvd player would stay alive on the battery while the battery still has enough charge inside to rev up the engine.

Be prepared for a dead battery:

Get your own set of 100% copper, heavy (4 to 8 gauge) jumper cables at least 10 feet long and keep them in the car. You'll make back your investment the first time that you're stuck with a dead battery.

Use a trickle charger at the first sign of a weak battery:

Buying a trickle charger is worth the expense—they don’t cost much and they recharge your battery fully overnight. Shut down the engine, position the red charger clip to the positive and black/green charger clip to the negative terminal. Keep the connector clips away from anything that could create a dangerous spark. Turn it on and let it charge overnight. Take it away when the meter shows less than one amp of charge. If your battery is still weak, get a new one

As these tips are very generic, please refer to your owners manual specifics about your car or truck.