The first kind of daily indicators are the most common turn signals, light indicators, seat belt indicators, cruise indicators, parking indicators, etc. Usually when driving, they all belong to this category. They only play the role of prompting the working state of various functions of vehicles. They are very common at ordinary times and are familiar to everyone, so I won't say much here.
The second kind of indicator light with warning function, such as fuel stock indicator light and window cleanliness indicator light, reminds the owner that it can be eliminated by adding the corresponding engine oil as soon as possible.
The third category is also the fault indicator light to be introduced this time, including engine (exhaust system) fault light, oil system fault light, battery and power generation system fault light. These fault indicators rarely light up, but as long as they light up, it means that the vehicle has a fault or abnormality, which may have a small impact on driving safety, or may cause extensive damage to the vehicle and need immediate maintenance, or contact the vehicle's 4S brand store for rescue.
Airbag fault light
Severity of failure: ★★
This light doesn't work when driving. If the indicator light is on or flashing during driving, it means that the airbag or seat belt pretensioner system is faulty and cannot work normally. The fault cannot be handled by itself, because it involves airbag sensors and circuits, and needs to be detected and repaired in 4S as soon as possible. Although the airbag failure affects the driving safety, it will not affect the normal driving of the vehicle. Therefore, under the premise of ensuring safety, the vehicle can be driven to a 4S shop for maintenance.
Brake pad wear indicator
Severity of failure: ★★
Most modern car brake pads are equipped with wear sensors. When the brake pads wear to a certain extent, the brake pad wear indicator light will be triggered, prompting the owner to replace the brake pads in time. Like the fuel gauge, the brake pad wear sensor has a certain margin. When the fault light is lit for a short time, it will not affect the normal operation of the braking system. You can drive yourself to the 4S shop for repair and replacement, but you can't feel that the brake pads have a surplus and delay the maintenance time. If the brake pads are used after excessive wear, the brake discs will be damaged. If the piston stroke of the caliper is too prominent, it will also make it difficult for the piston to return. In severe cases, it may cause the failure of the whole braking system, so it is enough to replace hundreds of brake pads. Therefore, in order to drive safely, brake pads must be replaced in time.
Brake fault light
Fault severity: ★★★★★
When the brake failure light is on, stop for maintenance immediately under any circumstances. There is no doubt about the importance of the braking system. Whenever there is a problem with the brakes, it needs to be solved immediately. Find a place to park first, and then check whether the brake fluid of the vehicle is sufficient. If the brake fluid level is too low (below the minimum scale), you can ask rescuers to bring some brake fluid to see if the problem can be solved.
However, if the brake fluid level is normal, it means that there is a mechanical failure in the brake system. Remember not to continue driving on the road! Parking the car on the side of the road, calling the service station to send someone to repair it, or letting the rescue car pull the car to the service station for repair is the only solution. Note that when braking fails, hard connection traction or flat car traction must be used.
And a battery generator fault light.
Severity of failure: ★★★☆.
Generally, the red battery shape indicator light will light up only when the key door is opened, indicating that the vehicle is now powered by the battery. After the engine is started, power is supplied to the generator. After the battery is fully charged, the battery indicator light goes out. If this light is on when the vehicle is running or the engine is running, it means that the generator of the vehicle is faulty or the battery itself is faulty. At this time, we should first turn off the unnecessary appliances in the car as much as possible, and then drive to the maintenance station for maintenance. At this time, because the generator system is out of order, the whole car has to rely on batteries to supply power, so it consumes a lot of batteries. Try to avoid turning off the vehicle during maintenance, so as to avoid driving again because of excessive battery consumption.
Anti-lock braking system fault lamp
Severity of failure: ★★★☆.
When the ignition switch is turned on, the anti-lock braking system indicator light will also light up for a few seconds, and it will automatically go out after the self-test. If this light goes out automatically after landing or lights up while driving, it means that the ABS system is out of order. At this time, the vehicle can still brake normally, but the anti-lock braking system does not work, so it needs to be repaired at the maintenance station as soon as possible. It should be noted that ABS is a part of the braking system. According to different vehicle models, ABS system will also integrate EDS (Electronic Differential System), ESP (Driving Stability Control System) and other functions, so ABS fault lights are usually lit together with these system fault lights, even brake system fault lights.
Don't panic when these lights are on at the same time. If the brake fault light comes on, it will be regarded as a brake system fault. If only the anti-lock braking system lights up, it means that the anti-lock braking system is faulty. At this time, the braking system can still work normally, but the ABS function no longer works, so you can drive to the maintenance service station for maintenance. Pay attention to keep the speed as low as possible and reduce the working times and load of the braking system.
Engine management system fault light
Fault severity: ★★★★
The EPC fault light is always on, indicating that there is a fault in the engine management system or electronic control, which is often accompanied by unstable idle speed of the vehicle or engine jitter during cold start. However, it is not uncommon for domestic car owners, especially Volkswagen car owners, to see EPC fault lights on. Generally, it is caused by domestic oil quality and dirty environment in the car. It can be solved by cleaning the throttle as soon as possible.
Engine (exhaust system) fault light
Fault severity: ★★★☆τ
This kind of fault light has different names in different brands of vehicles, some are called engine fault lights and some are called exhaust system fault lights, but the graphic signs are unified (as shown above); When this light is on, it indicates that the engine exhaust gas monitoring system has failed, commonly known as three-way catalyst poisoning. If the light is on or flashing while driving, please slow down immediately and drive to the nearest maintenance station for maintenance. This fault is mostly caused by the damage of the oxygen sensor of the three-way catalytic system or the poisoning of the three-way catalytic converter due to the quality problem of domestic engine oil. Although you can drive to the maintenance service station by yourself, you must also pay attention to this fault. If the oxygen sensor is damaged, replacing it can solve the problem and the cost is very low. But if the three-way catalytic converter is damaged and fails, it will be more troublesome. It costs thousands of dollars to repair the three-way catalytic converter. Don't be careless, or your wallet will hurt!
Power steering system fault light
Severity of failure: ★★★☆.
When the vehicle is running, the fault light of the steering assist system is on, indicating that the steering assist system is faulty. At this time, the steering force may be weakened or completely ineffective, and the resistance to turning the steering wheel will be several times greater than usual. This fault cannot be checked or repaired by itself. The best way is to drive to the nearest maintenance station for maintenance. It should be noted that when this system fails, the steering resistance of the steering wheel without power is very large, so the vehicle is very inflexible, so be extra careful when driving and slowing down!
Water temperature warning lamp
Fault severity: ★★★★★
The water temperature alarm indicates that the engine coolant temperature is too high or the coolant level is too low. At this time, stop the engine immediately, and check whether the coolant level is too low after the engine cools down. If the coolant level is too low, you can add coolant for first aid. If there is no coolant in the car, you can also use a small amount of purified water instead. Don't drive until the water temperature warning light goes out.
The appearance of water temperature alarm indicates that there is something wrong with the coolant temperature control system of the vehicle, which may be caused by the leakage of coolant pipe and the failure of water pump and cooling fan. In either case, it needs to be repaired immediately. Excessive working temperature will damage the engine!
Oil pressure fault lamp
Fault severity: ★★★★★
The oil fault light is one of the serious faults. When the fault light flashes, there is usually an alarm sound or text prompt on the multi-function LCD screen. At this time, you must stop the car immediately and turn off the engine! After the engine cools slightly, check the engine oil level with a dipstick. If the oil level is below the (minimum scale) line, you should replenish the oil first. If the fault light disappears after refueling, you can drive to the maintenance station for maintenance.
If the oil level is normal, but the alarm light is still on, it means that the oil circulation system is out of order; At this time, do not continue driving and do not restart the engine. Contact the nearest service station and ask them to send a car to rescue.