Why You Shouldn't Ignore Warning Lights
Never ignore your car's warning lights. Diagnose the lights and fix the faults they indicate. Otherwise, the following consequences might ensue.
Costly Car Damage
Some warning lights indicate emerging faults that can lead to costly damages. Diagnosing such warning lights allow you to repair your car before the faults worsen. Below are a few examples of such warning lights.
Oil Pressure
Low oil pressure means the car's engine is not getting the needed oil. That might be the case if the car doesn't have enough oil or if the oil is not circulating. The car engine uses oil for lubrication and cooling. Thus, low oil pressure means overheating and friction damage. Costly engine damage might ensue if you continue to operate the car under those conditions.
Temperature
Some car parts, such as transmission and engine, work best within specific temperature ranges. The high-temperature warning alerts you that the car is operating above safe temperatures. Again, engine and transmission damage will ensue if you don't correct the fault.
Increased Environmental Pollution
Cars that burn fossil fuels emit exhaust gases that affect the environment. Car manufacturers design engines and exhaust systems to limit dangerous gas emissions. However, damage to the engine might produce more dangerous gases than normal.
The check engine light is the premier warning for engine problems. Thus, driving a car with the check engine light might release unusual amounts of gases into the environment.
Increased Risk of Accidents and Injuries
Some warning lights alert you to dangerous situations that increase your accident risk. Others increase your risk of severe injuries in accidents. Below are a few examples.
Brake
The brake warning light may mean a fluid, electrical, or mechanical problem with the brake system. Any of these issues can affect your braking system and cause an accident in an emergency.
Traction Control
The traction control system ensures the car's tires don't lose grip on the road, even in difficult situations like wet roads. A brief appearance of the warning might not mean much – it may just mean the traction control is working. However, persistent traction control warning lights might mean a fault with the system that can lead to loss of traction and an accident.
Airbag
The airbag absorbs the car's impact during an accident, reducing your risk of severe injuries. An airbag warning light means the airbag system is faulty. Such an airbag might deploy without warning, deploy too slowly, or fail to deploy during an accident. Such malfunctions may lead to more injuries than you would otherwise sustain with functional airbags.
Reach out to an auto repair service near you to learn more.
