What Are Your Dashboard Lights Trying To Tell You?

If you’ve ever found yourself confronted with a dashboard light you didn’t recognize, you’re not alone. There’s a certain sinking feeling that comes with the sight of an unintelligible wingding glowing beyond the steering wheel that can fill a driver with dread. Is your car overheating? Is there something wrong with the headlights? Does the appearance of the check engine light mean you need to visit a mechanic right away?

But there’s no reason to be anxious about dashboard lights. They are just the way your car communicates. Though many of the lights are merely notifications, warning lights in particular can deliver important information about vehicle maintenance. Understanding the meaning of your dashboard lights and symbols can determine what action to take. Paying attention to these alerts and knowing what they mean can help you get more good years out of your car.

Different Types of Dashboard Lights

There are basically three grades of dash indicator lights: Green or Blue, Yellow or Orange and Red.

• Green or blue dashboard lights are notification lights, telling you that a feature of your car is active. They do not signal a fault or problem. Rather, they are an indication that these parts of your car are functioning exactly how you want them to function.
• Yellow or orange dashboard lights are low-grade warning lights. There is a problem in your car that you should address in the very near future. Your car can usually still be driven a few miles, or the fix is a simple one, like closing your car door or pulling up to a gas station to fill your fuel tank.
• Red dashboard lights are serious warning lights. You should stop immediately, or risk damage to the car (or worse, yourself). If you are out driving when you see a red warning light, pull over and deal with the problem. If your car requires immediate attention from a professional, don’t drive it to the shop, contact AAA Roadside Assistance for a tow. The exception to the red warning rule is of course the hazard light symbol, which simply reminds the driver that they have engaged the hazard lights and is not an issue in itself.

Dashboard Lights Decoded

The infographic above highlights some of the most common – and sometimes most confusing – dashboard lights and symbols. One of the difficulties with deciphering dashboard lights is that the symbols vary between different makes and models of cars. Though the variation is often very slight, it is important to keep in mind that the symbols in your own car might look a little different than the ones seen here.

Listen to Our Podcast

Get expert tips on car care in Episode 6 of our podcast, Merging Into Life: Everything You Need To Know about Car Repair.

Tune In

Many dashboard symbols use a sort of pictograph-style code to help the driver decipher them. The head lamp symbol, for example, is usually illustrated as an illuminated light bulb. While most of the images are pretty straightforward, like the low fuel symbol or the battery symbol, some can be confusing. The tire pressure symbol is ostensibly supposed to be a cross-section of a car tire with an exclamation point in the middle, and treads on the bottom; however, it looks more like an exclamation point in parenthesis, floating over a stout fence. The brake system dashboard light isn’t representative at all, deviating profoundly from the style of the other more illustrative symbols. The only way to instantly be able to recognize this symbol is simply by memorizing what it looks like. Some dash indicator lights blink when the driver’s attention is especially urgent, though this is not the case for all vehicles.

If you’re still unsure about what certain dashboard lights or symbols mean, you can always check your owner’s manual. If you have an iPhone running with iOS 17, you can also use the Visual Look Up feature, which has a “Look Up Auto Symbol” button.

If your dashboard lights are telling you that your car needs maintenance, be sure to use a shop you can trust. Search for a AAA Approved Auto Repair Facility near you.

This article has been updated and republished from a previous version.