WARNING LIGHTS
Battery Light
When your battery light comes on while driving it means your battery is no longer charging 99% of the time it means the alternator has a problem, It may be that the alternator has failed and is no longer able to charge the battery or the belt may have come off, or another electronic failure, Sometimes you can limp the car home but modern cars need power to run its computers, Batteries are 12 volts when not in use, when the alternator is working correctly they charge the battery at around 13.8 volts and 14.2 volts. If you drive with this light on your only running on the 12 volts from the battery, As you drive your running your battery flat and once it drops below 9 volts the vehicles computers shut down and the car will stop.
Oil Light
If this light is on it means you have NO oil pressure, First thing to do is pull over and pop your bonnet, Look around the engine for any major oil leaks including under the car, if nothing is visible you need to remove the oil dip stick and wipe it clean, reinsert the dip stick and then remove it again, You should have oil on this stick between the high mark and the low mark shown on the stick by a dot, line or hole. If you have oil on the stick its best to call a mechanic as you may have a major issue, If no oil os on the stick you need to add some oil, Only add 0.5lt at a time and recheck the oil level with the dip stick, keep adding oil untill the oil is shown on the stick, sometimes dipping the stick a few times is required to get a good reading. once you have refilled the engine refit the dip stick and oil cap and restart the engine, Make sure the oil light is not on and your safe to drive again.
Temperature Light
Some newer cars do not have a temperature gauge they have a light, When the car is started you should see this light and it should be blue or green, when the light turns off it means the engine is at operating temperature, If you see the RED light come on while driving pull over and STOP! Turn the engine off, hop out of the car and check for steam or coolant leaks (BE CAREFUL COOLANT WILL BURN YOU, NEVER OPEN THE RADIATOR CAP WHEN HOT!) When you have a over heated engine its best to get a mechanic to check the cooling system as it will have a fault. Do not make the mistake that the red light come on then went out, This is when the coolant sensor is no longer under water and is reading steam, Steam does not give the correct reading on temperature gauges or lights. People that drive after the light goes out often will cook the engine and it will cost thousands to repair.
Brake Warning Light
This light can come on for a few reasons, If you see this light carefully pull over and check the following items, First thing to check is that the hand brake is completely off, Second thing to check is that the brake fluid is full in the master cylinder, If it needs topping up you may have a leak in the system or your brake pads may be low, Only top up with the labeled brake fluid on the cap DOT 3 or DOT 4. If all these items are ok but the light is still on it is not recommended that you do not drive the vehicle as you have a brake system malfunction.
Engine Light
The engine warning light is a warning that a sensor or another component of the engines EFI (efficient fuel injection system) Has failed or not responded as per normal, Most cases the engine will n and feel normal to drive, But sometimes the problem can cause the engine to run rough or stop. The light can sometimes go out again. It is still recommended that you get the vehicle scanned for faults as the computer in the vehicle still holds a fault code log even if the light is off. Driving with a engine light on your vehicle can use more fuel or it can even go in to limp mode where you have limited power. Being a ORANGE light its only a warning that you have a issue and to get it checked ASAP.
Air Bag Warning Light
The air bag warning or SRS warning light is a warning that the SRS system has been disabled, If you have this light on your air bag system is deactivated. Its best to get this checked ASAP and repair the fault for you and your passengers safety. This being a ORANGE light its a warning that you have a problem but the vehicle is still ok to drive. Sometimes this light can come on because you have items under the seat and it gets caught on the wires for the seat belt or seat air bag, Getting the system checked for fault codes is the only to know what caused the light to come on best to get it to a mechanic. Remember while this light is on the whole SRS/Airbag system will not work if you are in a crash.