What Would You Do?
What Would You Do?
So you’re driving along the Thruway or in your neighborhood on your way to work. Lights start appearing on the dash. At first you think that it’s just the sun catching the dash the right way, then the light comes back on and stays on. What do you do now?
Take a look at the dash of your car. Do you have an assortment of gauges that you don’t understand or just some lights that you’re not sure of? All of you should take the time to read the manual, you know that little book that collects dust in your glove box. The book is full of good information that can help you to know what to do. For those of you that through the book away, because you didn’t have enough room for your favorite CD’s, I’ll help you to get a clue.
Start by putting the key in the ignition and turning it to the “on” position. All warning lights that are provided to you should be “ON” including the “check engine” light or “service engine soon” light. All systems should be covered generally by the warning lights or dash gauges or both. Crank up the engine and watch as the lights go out, this will indicate that the system has checked and cleared such vital functions as oil pressure and alternator output. The gauges should all go to a “normal’ range.
Gauges are great because they allow you to monitor systems that otherwise would only have a warning light and would indicate a full-blown failure. We all understand the acceptable range for fuel- that’s right, just above “E”. We all know how far we can drive after the low fuel light comes on. Seriously, you should never allow your tank to get much below ?. This prevents you from sucking dirt or moisture from the bottom of the tank and also keeps you from running out. Oil gauges should show at least 30psi and maybe as high as 60psi. Don’t worry if the gauge shows lower at idle, all specs for oil pressure are at higher RPM’s. Charging systems should read a minimum of 12.7volts and as high as 14.7volts. Any higher would be considered an overcharge and will cause battery failure, any lower and your battery is not going to stay charged. Engine temperature should be roughly 220 degrees F or should remain in the middle range of the gauge when fully warm. If the gauge stays on cold all the time than the engine may be running cold and will not operate to it’s full potential.
Generally lights that appear on your dash that are red in color indicate that there is a problem and the engine should be shut down. An oil light or temperature light will need immediate attention and should be addressed now, as in pull the car over and shut it off. Charge or Battery lights will mean that the charging system is not working and therefore you may want to drive to a safe place and call for help. Yellow lights like Check Engine lights indicate that a problem exists and should be checked soon. It does not mean that you have to stop the vehicle and walk home. The computer will set codes if a problem occurs, so even if the light goes out while you are driving, the computer can still be checked and diagnosed after the fact.
All of you have seen lights come on while you were driving. I hope this article helps to clarify what you should do. Any of you who have lights on there dash that they are not sure of should check your manual or e-mail me and I’ll find out what it means for you. Happy motoring.
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