Little flashing lights may look great on your Christmas tree, but when you see those warning symbols lighting up your dashboard you’d better pay attention! After all, each one of those warning signs is there for a reason so read on for the explanation you’ve always wanted to know, but were too embarrassed to ask.

Oil Pressure Warning
When you see the oil pressure warning light glaring, this indicates that your vehicle’s oil pressure is at a significantly low level, possibly due to an oil leak. As soon as this warning light comes on, you should pull over and shut off your engine. Your engine could be damaged if you keep driving without the appropriate lubrication.
This could end up costing you thousands of dollars to repair. Instead of topping up your oil to prevent further engine damage as a short term solution, take your vehicle to the experts where it will get the attention it needs. GM engineers developed the GM Oil-Life System™ to provide owners with a continued hassle-free ownership experience and more environment-friendly vehicles. Instead of relying on fixed oil change schedules, this patented engine oil life monitoring technology involves computerized monitoring of engine revolutions, operating temperature and other factors to determine when a vehicle’s oil should be changed. A change engine oil soon warning alerts the driver that an oil change is required when the system senses a vehicle’s oil is nearing the end of its useful life. Once an oil change is completed, the system is reset to begin a new analysis cycle. By 2004, 90% of GM’s North American vehicles will feature the GM Oil-Life System, allowing drivers to potentially conserve nearly 37.8 million litres of oil annually.

Temperature Gauge
As your vehicle’s temperature gauge heads towards the red zone, don’t turn your cheek. If you have your air conditioner on, turn it off immediately as it is only adding to the problem. Also, if you are stranded in traffic be sure to leave a good distance between yourself and the car ahead of you – as your vehicle is taking in their hot exhaust fumes. If your temperature gauge is still being stubborn, turn on your heater and crank your heater fan. This will take heat away from the engine by blowing it into the passenger compartment. If the problem persists, safely pull to the side of the road, shut off your vehicle and call for assistance. You may be experiencing a problem with a leaky radiator hose, which is a fairly inexpensive repair – compared to a new engine if you let it go!

Brake Warning
When this exclamation mark lights up your dashboard, it’s signalling that your brakes are trying to tell you something. First, check your parking brake to see if you have it on or partly engaged. If not, you may have a brake fluid leak or worse – total brake failure. Go visit your automotive repair technician right away.

Check Engine
The “check engine” light can be set off for several different reasons, making it difficult for the driver to determine how severe the problem is. On one hand it could just be a loose fuel filler cap, but on the other hand it could be as severe as a speed sensor break down which can lead to serious damage to your transmission. The best way to determine exactly why this warning signal has come on, is to get your vehicle inspected at your ACDelco Automotive Repair Specialist. So you can pray for the best, but at least have an expert on hand should your worse case scenario become a reality.

Battery Icon/Alternator Gauge
In some vehicles you will be notified of a weak battery when the battery icon on your dashboard lights up. In other vehicles, however, a sagging alternator gauge is a warning for electrical trouble. A good battery does not work efficiently unless it is properly charged, which is the function of the alternator.

Dashboard Light Troubleshooting Tips:

• Refer to the section on dashboard warning lights in your owner’s manual to find out the specifics for your vehicle
• Do not continue to drive a vehicle that is overheating or low on oil
• Bring your vehicle in to your ACDelco Automotive Repair Specialist when you first start experiencing trouble – when small problems are ignored they can turn into bigger and more costly problems
• Although opting for a tow truck when your vehicle is still drivable is an expense, in the long run it may be the best decision