Five Automotive Lights To Keep Your Eye On

When you first buy a car, it's like there can be nothing wrong. This is quite true for probably the first year of ownership. But in your second year and the years that follow, certain things can happen to your car and you will need to be prepared to handle the situation.

One way to know what is going on with your car is to keep your eye on the automotive light signals that are installed onto your dashboard. The lights are usually in the same area of your odometer and will start flashing when there are certain things that are wrong with your car.

Some cars will flash lights if you haven't put on your seatbelt. But the critical ones to pay attention to are the ones regarding your engine. Here are some of the lights that you should look at.

• Check Engine – This light will start to flash as soon as there is something wrong with the car's engine, the fuel tank, etc. The light is attached to sensors that are built around your car and when it starts to flash, you could be in trouble.

You should start looking for the cause of the problem by first checking your engine bay and all the other parts of your car, mostly mechanical. Remember that even a loose gas cap can trigger this light so check that as well.

• Electrical fault – This is the light that flashes in the shape of your car battery. When this starts to flash, it means that your electrical system is malfunctioning. You will usually see this flash a little when you are starting your car but that is just a test flash. It's when it remains flashing that you should start checking the car battery. Another reason for the flashing could be a faulty alternator but usually it's because your car has used up the battery's juice.

• Brake Warning – A lot of the newer cars have brake warning lights. These start to flash once sensors detect that there is something wrong with your brakes. The problem, however, could be anything and so it is therefore important that you check your brakes regularly. Brake dust can also trigger this light so keep dirt and grime out of your brakes.

• Oil Warning – When you see a little oil can light starting to flash in your dashboard, this is not good. This means that your car is experiencing low oil pressure and you should not drive at all once this happens. This means that your car needs more oil or it is starting to burn oil because the oil is now old. Make sure to have your engine checked or else your whole engine could collapse.

• Service Engine – If you have never had your engine checked or maintained, you don't need to worry too much. But once the Serve Engine light starts to flash then you know that you should do something about it. This indicator is more like a reminder for you to get your car to the shop so you can have a checkup. This is great for those who have trouble remembering when to have their cars serviced.