Nissan Dashboard Warning Light Guide

When your dashboard warning light comes on, panic is a normal reaction. But you may not need to worry because not every warning light means your car has a major problem requiring immediate attention. In fact, sometimes, an illuminated symbol merely tells you that a certain system is in use. You may also notice that dashboard lights often vary from one vehicle to another. If you drive a Nissan vehicle, check out this helpful guide to gain a better understanding of the warning lights in your dashboard.

What Do the Warning Lights in Your Nissan’s Dashboard Mean?

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Auto manufacturers use several vehicle dashboard warning lights to convey critical information and warn drivers of potential dangers. The number and type of dashboard lights in your Nissan will depend on its model and features. Nonetheless, you’ll find some standard dashboard symbols in most Nissan vehicles, and they include the following:

• Check engine: The check engine light appears when your Nissan’s computer senses something unexpected, which can be anything from a loose fuel cap to a major engine problem. So to be safe, you should immediately get a diagnosis at your local Nissan service center.
• Coolant temperature: This symbol lights up when your vehicle’s running low on coolant, which usually means a cooling system leak. Ignoring this issue can lead to overheating, and you should schedule a service appointment as soon as possible to repair it.
• Service: When you see an illuminated service light, it’s time to take your car in for an oil change or other routine maintenance.
• Parking brake: This light comes on when you activate your parking brake. But if it stays on after you release the parking brake, it’s a sign that your car is low on brake fluid.
• Anti-lock brakes: If this light lingers on for more than six seconds after you start your Nissan, there may be something wrong with your anti-lock braking system.
• Cruise control: This symbol illuminates when you enable your car’s cruise control function.
• Security: The security light confirms when you’ve locked your ignition. You should notice it go off as soon as you unlock the system.
• Traction control: This alert will pop up when you’re driving in wet conditions and confirms that you’ve activated your traction control.
• Overdrive/sport: This signal lights up to confirm that your Nissan is in performance mode.
• Wiper fluid: This light will turn on as soon as your vehicle starts to run low on wiper fluid. To prevent this from happening, you should always top it up to maintain good visibility on the road.
• Air bag warning: This illuminated symbol is a sign that your air bag system is malfunctioning.
• Door ajar: When one or more of your Nissan’s doors is open, this indicator will light up to let you know.
• Headlight/taillight out: You’ll see this indication if one of these lights is faulty or may need replacement.
• Gas cap: This symbol will light up to warn you when your fuel cap isn’t properly secured.
• Electronic stability program (ESP) fault: The ESP fault light warns you that your vehicle’s electronic stability system or traction control has a problem that you should have a technician diagnose.
• Tire pressure monitoring system: When one or more of your tires are low on air, this light will come on.
• Reduced power warning: The reduced power warning light indicates that your engine isn’t producing as much power as it should. If it pops up, you should get a service technician to check your car’s central processing unit right away.
• Transmission overheating: This symbol means that you’ll need to go to the service center to have your transmission fluid or engine coolant replaced or topped up.
• Engine oil pressure warning: This light comes on when your engine has low oil pressure, making your vehicle unsafe to drive. You should pull over, turn off the engine, check the engine oil levels, and either add oil as needed or call a tow truck.
• Battery: When your car’s battery is running low or you need to replace it, the battery symbol will light up. If this happens, get your battery checked or replaced to avoid getting stranded on the side of the road.

What You Should Know About the Different Dashboard Light Colors

It’s essential that you understand the various colors of your dashboard lights, as it can help you determine whether your vehicle is functioning normally or experiencing any minor or major problems. Like all other vehicles, your Nissan has several dashboard lights that will come on regularly as you drive, such as the headlight and turn signal symbols. These lights are usually blue or green and remind you to turn them off when they’re no longer in use.

If you see a yellow light in your dashboard, it means that your vehicle is experiencing a minor issue that needs corrective action shortly. But the problem doesn’t jeopardize your safety, so you can still drive your car and have it checked later. Examples of yellow warning lights include the service reminder and low tire pressure indicator.

Red lights are warning signals that you mustn’t ignore. When they populate, they essentially mean that you should immediately look for a safe place to pull over. They can be a sign of a severe issue that’s potentially dangerous, such as an overheating engine, a dead battery, a brake problem, or low engine oil pressure.

Come to John Sinclair Nissan for Auto Services You Can Trust

If you reside in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and your Nissan’s dashboard warning lights are suggesting that you should seek professional assistance, consider coming to John Sinclair Nissan. Serving Cape Girardeau, McClure, Chaffee, Gordonville, Jackson, and Fruitland, our dealership features a state-of-the-art service center providing the full range of Nissan auto services. Along with cutting-edge equipment that enables us to accurately diagnose all kinds of car problems, we have a team of factory-certified technicians who know your vehicle inside out. So you can rest assured that your Nissan will be in good hands. Contact us today to make a service appointment.