Every year, French garages carry out thousands of interventions at the request of drivers who have observed that one of the warning lights on their car's dashboard lights up. A warning light that illuminates does not necessarily indicate something serious, but it can become so if you ignore the warning and keep driving.
Cars are equipped with warning lights that light up when the car has a problem.
When the indicator is yellow or orange, it means you have to be aware of a potential problem. Stop the car, determine the problem it might be and go to your garage in the near future.
A red warning light informs you that you must stop immediately and call for your roadside assistance.
Listen to your car
Saying that "all the red lights have come on" or that "he has neglected all the warning lights" is never a good sign when it comes to your car.
A warning light can sometimes indicate a problem without consequence, but it is a risky bet to keep driving knowing that your car can break down at any time.
The majority of drivers are conscientious enough to go to the garage and have their cars examined, but it appears that a relatively large number of drivers knowingly choose to ignore warning lights.
If you are in the latter category, it may end up costing you a lot of money. Garage owners are unanimous: when a warning light comes on, stop your car before it is too late.
The most important witnesses are the most dangerous
Not all warning lights in your car are of the same importance. The oil indicator and engine indicator are very important and are among the indicators that should make you react immediately. If you choose to ignore these warnings, you are taking the risk that the entire engine will fail, for example because of a lack of oil.
Car garages report that they are regularly visited by motorists whose engine lights have come on. When the engine light is orange, it indicates a serious problem, because it means that the engine has been in a state of emergency. As a motorist, you must therefore take this warning seriously.
If you have ignored a warning light and your engine subsequently fails, do not expect to be covered by the vehicle's warranty, as it is you, as the driver, who caused the damage.
So it is not only warning lights that can turn red. Your bank account could also be in the red if you have to pay a horribly expensive garage bill as a result of such a problem.
Refractory conductors
Currently, new cars have a myriad of warning lights that tell the driver that a door is not properly closed, that the rain sensor is not working properly or that the driver should check the tire pressure.
Some vehicles have more than 30 warning lights, and these many lights undoubtedly contribute to improving road safety.
But this high number does not simplify the task of drivers, who may have difficulty remembering all these witnesses. A British study showed that 98% of the drivers surveyed do not even know the meaning of the most common warning signs. Although this study was conducted in England, it is very likely that a similar trend can be observed among French motorists, not to mention that all these witnesses can be very confusing for young drivers.
At the same time, these many warning lights can also give motorists a sense of immunity, as a number of them do not necessarily indicate a serious problem. Even if a light comes on, it is often possible to keep driving, which means that there is a tendency to give less and less importance to the lights on. And when, in the end, a light comes on to report a serious problem, it is too late to act.
Not knowing the meaning of the warning lights can have catastrophic consequences. Therefore, when a warning light comes on, it is recommended to check the meaning of the light symbol in the car's owner's manual before continuing to drive, and if the light is red, it is always better to stop the car as soon as possible.