With years of driving experience on hand, many of us don’t think to refresh our knowledge on the Highway Code, hazard perception or even the vehicle maneuvers. A test from Lease Car quickly showed that it is easy to get even the simplest of things confused.
Within the quiz are twelve warning lights that were carefully selected by the team at Lease Car. It is perfect as a revision for drivers who need a quick touch up of their knowledge on what these lights mean when they light up on the dashboard.
Here were a few that I know get commonly mistaken for something else, as well as a note on what you should do if the sign appears on your dashboard:
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
According to the quiz, ABS, which stands for anti-lock braking system, can be easily confused between other similar terms like ‘auto-brake system’ or ‘accelerate barometer system. The ABS light on your dashboard serves a few extremely important purposes.
If your ABS light has come on, it may mean a few things. It could just be that the vehicle is testing the function or the bulb, which usually happens when you first switch your car on, or if the light suddenly comes on while you are driving, it is likely that a fault has occurred in the anti-lock brake system and requires further assessment of what needs to be done.
Some of the parts that may be involved in the fault may include: Standard bulb check; Low fluid; Faulty control unit; Bad speed sensor or wiring problem; Failed or failing pump or Solenoid malfunction. Under most circumstances, it is perfectly safe to continue driving and determine whether the ABS needs addressing by a repair shop when you are able to stop in a safe place.
Exclamation Warning Lights
Brake system warning light
There are two warning lights that look particularly similar to each other on the dashboard. The red warning light is the brake system warning light.
The brake system warning light can come on continuously or when you apply the breaks. This means that one side of the brake system has lost hydraulic pressure or that there is a leak somewhere in the brake system and the master cylinder has a dangerously low amount of fluid. In both scenarios, it is advised that you check the fluid levels in the master cylinder and add oil to see if this fixes the issue. If the problem persists, it means a leak is present and you will need to call for a tow.
Tyre Pressure Monitor warning system
Another warning light that looks rather similar is also an exclamation mark, but in yellow. This is the tyre pressure monitor warning system. The TPMS monitors how inflated your tyres are, should the warning light come on, it means one of your tyres have dropped below 25%.
If this light comes on when you are driving, you are not required to immediately pull over, however, you should find a safe place to stop and check which tyre it might be and what the state the tyre is in. It may just be that the tyre has lost air over time, which in this case you just need to top it up at a nearby petrol station. However, it may be a punctured tyre that you need to address immediately and can’t be fixed simply by topping air up, instead you will need to get to a garage to get it replaced.
There are a few more warning lights that you may not remember what they mean, check out the quiz and see how many you got right. Share how successful you were on social, using #WarningLightsTest and tag @LeaseCar_UK.