Rule
Red vs yellow
Red means critical, pull over as soon as safely possible. Yellow means fix soon, drive carefully to the nearest workshop. A flashing yellow light is more urgent than a steady one.
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Lesson7 min
Dashboard warning lights
What each critical symbol means — and what to do when it lights up.
You will learn, among other things:
Exam trap
Red oil-can symbol
Engine oil pressure is too low. Stop immediately and turn off the engine, continuing to drive can destroy the engine within minutes. This is NOT the same as the service-due lamp (yellow, informational).
Scenario
Red battery symbol lights up while driving
Charging isn't working, the engine is running on battery reserve. Turn off everything unnecessary (radio, fan, defroster, extra lights) and drive directly to the nearest workshop. You typically have 20-60 minutes before the battery dies.
Tip
Yellow check-engine light
The engine management has detected a fault, not immediately critical. Drive carefully to a workshop soon. If the light is flashing, the fault is more serious, avoid heavy load (steep hills, high speeds) and stop if possible.
Exam trap
Airbag light on
The airbag system has a fault. In a crash, airbags may NOT deploy, or may deploy incorrectly in a non-crash situation. Fix as soon as possible. Do NOT drive with a child in the front seat while this light is on.