Red or amber: what your dashboard warning lights are telling you

Every warning light on the dashboard follows the same colour rule. Red means stop when it is safe: oil pressure, brakes, charging and engine temperature. Amber means the car can still be driven, but something needs checking soon.

If a red light comes on, pull over where it is safe, switch off and call us. Driving on with low oil pressure can ruin an engine in minutes.

An amber engine light that stays on can wait a few days. One that flashes means the engine is misfiring: slow down and book a check the same day.