Don’t ignore those warning lights in the dash when you pull out of your Wonder Lake driveway

When you pull out of your Wonder Lake

driveway and a warning light comes on,
do you know what it means? Might be a
good idea if you do.

Bing! Bing! Bing! Your door is ajar. You go out to your car in your Wonder Lake driveway, put the key in the ignition and turn the key. Before the engine even starts, an array of colored lights shine out at you from the dashboard. And every single light is telling you something.

Of course, most of those lights go off once the car starts, or at least they’re supposed to. But if a light stays on, there’s probably a reason.

Many are used to driving with the engine light blazing nonstop in the dashboard. It’s an indication that something needs to be checked with the engine or the emissions system. And while we can often drive for miles with the light on, we really should have it checked out.

When the engine light is on, there could be a serious problem that it’s trying to warn us about. Continuing to drive with the engine light on could, depending on the problem, cause serious damage to the engine over time.

Auto designers have tried to make the lights somewhat self-explanatory. For instance, if you see a light that looks like an oil can, it’s probably telling you that you’re low on oil or are due for an oil change.

Other lights will tell you when a tire is low on air pressure. Then you have lights that remind you to put your seatbelt on while driving. Some will let you know if the airbags are operational. But many of the lights are more mechanical in nature.

We have flashing lights that are coordinated with the flashers. If they stop flashing in the dashboard, or flash rapidly, you could have a problem with one of the bulbs.

If you’re on an icy road, and hit the brakes hard, you’re liable to see the ABS light come on. This is indicating that the Anti-Lock Braking System is operating.

A light that looks like a battery indicates that you have a problem with the charging system or battery. Ignore this light and you’re liable to find everything shutting down when the battery is drained.

We have cooling temperature lights that look like thermometers. You don’t want to ignore this light either of you could find your car overheating.

There are lights that let you know when you’re low on window washer solvent, power steering fluid and fuel. You also have a light that tells you when your high beams are on.

One page on the internet claims that there are 89 warning lights common in cars today. Thankfully, you don’t have all of them in your dashboard. But, when you pull out of your Wonder Lake driveway, you should still pay attention to any warning lights that are on.

Comments

Is your antifreeze safe from freezing this Richmond winter

You still have time to have it checked Well, there’s no denying it – winter tends to get chilly here in Richmond. We have to deal with snow and ice on the roads, scraping the same off our windows and windshield, and staying warm while we drive. Of course, you had your antifreeze checked before winter rolled into town. What?! You didn’t have your antifreeze checked before winter clamped down on Richmond? So, how’s your antifreeze doing? If you haven’t had it checked, there’s really no way of knowing, is there? This car has overheated in the middle of a Richmond winter. But, on the other end of the spectrum, the antifreeze can also freeze if it's not up to its job. Hopefully, you haven’t had a serious problem with your antifreeze already. If you did, you’d probably know. When antifreeze fails, it’s a potentially catastrophic condition for your vehicle’s engine. You could have hoses that have burst because of freezing antifreeze. Worse than that, your engine block may have crac...

Blocks of ice falling from cars in McHenry could cause accidents or damage

We’ve all seen those blocks of snow falling from behind the rear tires of a car when the snow rolls into McHenry . Fortunately, they’re just packed snow that will disintegrate under your vehicle’s tires as you simply drive right through them, right? Don’t count on it. Those blocks of snow are often packed so tight, condensed by the thaw-and-freeze cycle, that they’re anything but oversized snowballs . They’re often more like boulders. Hit one of those blocks and the collision between the block and one of your tires could send you careening off the road or into oncoming traffic. In some cases, they’re so solid you could pound them with a sledgehammer with little effect. They truly can represent a serious road hazard. The problem is that it’s difficult to tell how solidly they’re packed when you see them on the road, left their unwittingly by another driver. Either way, your best bet is to try to avoid them. But you want to be careful dodging blocks of ice in the road, too. You need...

Timely maintenance is even more important with your Johnsburg Electric Vehicle

Even if you have an electric vehicle in your Johnsburg driveway, maintenance is still critical. You pull out of your Johnsburg driveway and you watch the gas stations go by as you smile from behind the wheel of your EV – Electric Vehicle. Of course, at some point, you will have to stop and charge the battery but you still take some comfort that you’re not standing next to your car as the fuel pumps into your tank. One of the true comforts you take with your EV is that the mechanics of your vehicle are simplified. You don’t have to worry about the engine breaking down anymore, and we all know how costly that can be. But there’s more to your EV vehicle than you may have considered when you first parked it in your Johnsburg driveway. Many of the parts found on gasoline-driven vehicles are also present on your EV. These require the same maintenance as your gasoline-powered vehicle. For instance, you EV still has: Tires and Wheels Brakes Steering and Suspension Windshield Wipers and So...

Performance Unlimited Blog

Search This Blog