Reasons You Should Never Ignore Your Car’s Warning Lights
If you see a warning light, it is time to address the problem immediately. Ignoring warning lights can lead to serious vehicle issues and expensive repairs. They may also compromise your safety on roads. Although some lights may be more important than others, such as your check engine light, even simple lights such as tire pressure can mean issues. It is almost important to take notice of dashboard lights, and here are 4 reasons you should never ignore your car’s warning lights.
Your car is telling you something simple
When your dashboard warning light comes on, you may immediately begin to panic. You might envision an expensive repair, or worse: total car breakdown. But before you make any snap judgments, you need to determine what the dashboard warning light indicates. Could it be as simple as a loose gas cap or possibly something more serious? You can usually find this information within your Owner’s Manual that should be in your glove compartment at all times. This can help you determine if it is something that has to be dealt with immediately, or if it can wait until you arrive at your destination.
You could get stranded
While it is unlikely, the chance of an emergency situation occurring is not zero. Your starter or battery dying could lead to you not being able to start your car and being stuck where you are. Most of the time, your car will warn you before you are in a situation that could leave you stranded – pay attention and seek regular car maintenance before you are stuck on the side of a highway or unable to leave your office at the end of the day due to something that could have been avoided.
It could end up costing you more
Running a poorly kept car can cost you money. Not only does it lead to higher fuel consumption, but it can also cause the car to wear out faster and require more maintenance. Maintaining good car care habits is when you take notice of even small problems and fix them early, before they become larger issues that cost more money to solve. If you wait to correct a simple issue, it could turn into something that costs double the price to fix it.
Imagine your tire pressure light comes on your dashboard. You could be thinking “I’ll take care of it when I get home”, right? However, sometimes people leave their dashboard lights on for a elongated period of time and that low tire pressure can turn into a flat on the highway. Instead of costing you a few minutes to put air in your tires, it could cost you hundred to have your car towed if you do not have the means to fix it.
Your safety could be at risk
Visual reminders are always a good idea, which is why we’ve created the Airbag Warning Light Sensor. With an ultra-bright LED that flashes when your airbag warning lights are on, it’s sure to catch your attention. The same goes for the brake warning light or hood/door ajar lights – even better, with this sensor there will be a visual reminder to tell you about them even if the driver fails to notice! Some lights come with things you can physically feel, like a jolt or shaking, but other can be silent warnings. Things such as overheating, breakdowns, and other issues can occur if your warning lights are not properly investigated right away.
There are plenty of reasons you should never ignore your car’s warning lights. Because of this, it is important to stay up-to-date on your regular maintanence. Do you have a warning light on your dashboard right now? Are you due for regular maintenance? Looking for more car maintenance tips? Contact us and/or check out more about how we can help you at C&G Auto and Truck.