Warning lights: which ones can wait

Red means stop, amber means book in soon. A quick guide to the lights on your dashboard and what to do about each.

Dashboard lights follow a simple colour code, and it’s the colour that tells you how urgent it is.

Red: stop when it’s safe

Oil pressure, engine temperature, brakes, battery charging. Pull over when it’s safe, switch off and call us. Driving on with low oil pressure can ruin an engine in minutes.

Amber: book in soon

Engine management, tyre pressure, ABS, glow plugs. The car is usually safe to drive gently, but something needs looking at. A flashing engine light is the exception: it means a misfire that can damage the catalytic converter, so slow down and book in today.

Green and blue: just information

Lights on, cruise control, main beam. Nothing to worry about.

Not sure what a light means? Take a photo of the dashboard and send it to us.