Checking Your Dashboard Lights

Checking your lights is one of those things that is such an easy thing to do that it's actually hard to do. Not necessarily hard to physically perform, but hard to remember to perform. We can easily tell when our headlights or taillights stop working; after all it is pretty easy to see when they don't come on when they are supposed to. Fixing those lights is almost as easy as it is to check them. The lights that can actually be more problematic are those found on the dashboard.

Many people might not think that dashboard lights are an important safety feature, but before that thought get's too firmly implanted in your head take a little time to stop and think. First of all, those lights were placed on your dashboard for a reason. These lights are designed to let us know when there is something wrong with the engine. What do you think would happen if and when something goes wrong, and you don't know about it? Think of your engine oil light or gas gauge light, and what would happen if they didn't come on when there was a problem. At worst, you are looking at needing some extremely expensive repairs and at best you are going to need some someone to help you out of an embarrassing situation.

You can examine your lights by simply following this simple how-to. In the long run doing this is going to help you save some serious money, as well as any possible embarrassment.

1. Owner's manual. The very first thing that you are going to need to do is check your owner's manual to see what type of lights your dashboard is supposed to have. All owner's manuals come with this information inside it, but if you don't have one anymore then you can simply take a look at many repair manuals.
2. Turn on. Turn your car's engine on and check to make sure that the lights that are supposed to come on actually do. Again, your owner's manual should have a list of what lights are supposed to come on and for how long.
3. Run. Allow your car to run for a while simply to make sure that the lights that are supposed to turn off do so. All lights that are supposed to turn off, should do so within roughly five minutes.
4. Turn off. Turn your car off, and make note of any and all lights that came on and refused to turn off when they were supposed to. At the same time make not of any lights that are still on after you have turned the car off.
5. Repair. Take your car and list of problematic lights to your local mechanic. Give the list to your mechanic and allow him or her to fix them. This repair job should not take very long at all, and should cost no more than $100.00 for parts and labor.