Does your car show one or more warning lights on its dashboard?
Have you noticed that with increasing computer-supported car features, there are more Dashboard Warning lights? Often, no additional noise, smell, or other noticeable changes in drivability appears when a warning light comes on. Although understandable, the first instinct of ignoring the light and waiting until the car shows malfunction signs is not recommended.
For this reason, we've made a set of articles to empower car and truck owners like you to understand better what might be affecting your vehicle. By reading through the articles, you'll get familiar with the following:
If you're far from your trusted shop or driving somewhere unfamiliar, check out our list of AutoTechIQ-certified auto repair shops. This list includes experienced shops in your current area that helped drivers like you in the past. These shops perform a free vehicle health inspection to diagnose your car's issues on a first visit.
Depending on the warning light, the issue can advance quickly. For example, a steering power loss on sharp turns might be discounted, and the power steering fluid might need regular refills. However, what is going on is that the steering pump is disintegrating, leading to a loss of steering power permanently.
Find Nearest car repair shopsRegardless of the problem's complexity, you'll always receive a vehicle health inspection to make the best decision matching your budget and goals. Note that safety-related items are always high-priority topics to discuss.
Typical testing procedures and a vehicle health inspection tell the likely diagnosis, listing what fixes should take care of the warning light. In addition, ask your trusted automotive repair or service advisor for the best inspection interval based on your driving habits.
These are the most common causes of warning lights on your dashboard.
First of all, any trusted auto repair shop should perform a comprehensive vehicle health inspection regardless of the situation.
In addition, this inspection reveals only what the shop needs to fix. No unnecessary repairs will occur. We recommend sticking to the same trusted automotive repair shop you use for car maintenance or, as it is often referred to, an "oil change."
Plus, performing this inspection twice a year allows you to see trends of wear and tear. Also, you'll grow confident that the cost of regular maintenance is a good investment in increasing the lifespan of your car or truck.
The details you provide help the shop save testing time, which also saves you money. For example, if your car's dashboard shows warning lights, the critical questions are:
To ensure that the auto repair shop performs the proper fixes, please share your goals for vehicle longevity with the service advisor.
Specific goals might be:
Does the information on this page help you take the next step, be confident in interacting with your auto repair shop and guide you to the best course of action?