Advice7 min read2 views
Updated 29 October 2026 · Written by the Wahanaya.lk team
Dashboard warning lights are colour-coded: red means stop safely and act now, amber/yellow means get it checked soon, and the colour matters more than the exact symbol. Never ignore a red light, and don't drive past an emission test with a check engine light on.
A dashboard warning light is your car telling you something needs attention, and the colour tells you how urgent it is. Red means stop as soon as it's safe and don't keep driving. Amber or yellow means get it checked soon, usually within a few days. Knowing the common symbols and acting on colour, not panic, will save you a breakdown on the Southern Expressway and a much bigger repair bill later.
Colour is the first thing to read, before you even work out the symbol. Red is urgent: stop driving as soon as you can do so safely, because it usually means brakes, oil pressure, engine temperature, or a steering/airbag fault. Amber or yellow is a "needs attention soon" signal, like a check engine light, low tyre pressure, or a service reminder. Green or blue lights (high beam, indicators, cruise control) are just confirming a function is on and aren't warnings at all.
It means the car's computer has found something outside normal range, anywhere from a loose fuel cap to a serious engine problem, and you can't tell which from the light alone. If it's on steady, drive gently and get it scanned at a garage within a few days. If it's flashing, that usually points to a misfire, and continuing to drive can push unburnt fuel into the catalytic converter and damage it, so pull over when safe and get it towed or scanned before you drive further. Always ask the mechanic for the actual fault code, not a guess.
This is one of the more serious ones. It means the engine isn't getting enough oil pressure, which could be low oil, a leak, or a failing oil pump. Keep driving on this and you risk the engine seizing, which on most cars means a very expensive rebuild or replacement. If this light comes on while you're driving, stop the car safely, turn off the engine, and check the oil level before you do anything else. Don't try to "limp home" on this one.
Despite the battery symbol, this light is usually about the charging system, not the battery itself; a worn alternator, a loose or corroded connection, or a snapped drive belt are common causes. You can often keep driving a short distance on battery power alone, but the car will eventually stall once the battery drains, and it may lose power steering or power brakes first. Get it looked at the same day if you can, especially before a long trip, for example if you're heading up to Kandy or down to Galle.
A brake warning light can mean low brake fluid, a worn-out handbrake, or a fault in the braking system, and it's not one to postpone. An ABS light on its own, with normal brake feel, usually means the anti-lock system has a fault but your regular brakes still work; even so, get it checked soon, since ABS matters most exactly when you need to stop fast on wet roads in the monsoon. If the brake light and ABS light come on together, treat it as urgent.
This means the engine is running hotter than it should, often from low coolant, a leak, or a failing radiator fan or thermostat. Continuing to drive on an overheating engine for even a few kilometres can warp the cylinder head or blow a gasket. Pull over, let the engine cool fully before opening anything, and don't open the radiator cap while it's hot.
Yes, indirectly. You need a valid Vehicle Emission Test (VET) certificate to renew your revenue licence, and testing centres have been moving to more sensitive equipment under new Euro 6-aligned standards, which is better at picking up engine and emission faults, as of October 2026 (motorguide.lk). A car with an unresolved check engine light tied to the emission system is more likely to fail. The Department of Motor Traffic has also said it will act against vehicles that repeatedly fail emission testing, as of October 2026 (Newswire), so it's worth sorting the fault out before, not after, your test date.
Insurance policies generally expect you to keep your vehicle in a roadworthy, reasonably maintained condition. If you knowingly ignore a serious warning light for a long time and that specific fault clearly causes or worsens the damage you later claim for, an insurer may raise questions about the claim. This isn't a reason to panic over every amber light, but it is a reason not to keep driving for months with a red light you've decided to live with. If you're ever unsure how a known fault might affect your cover, ask your insurer directly, and see our guide on /safety-tips for more on staying claim-ready.
The most common mistake is treating every light the same, either ignoring all of them or panicking over all of them. People also unplug the bulb or put tape over the light instead of fixing the cause, which just removes your early warning. Another common one is getting the car "cleared" at a garage without actually fixing the fault, so the light goes off for a while and comes back once the test or the sale is done. And a lot of owners wait for the next service instead of acting the same week, which turns a small, cheap fix into a big one.
Wash your car's underbody with fresh water often, clear door and sill drain holes, fix stone chips fast, and get a rubberised (not wax) underbody coating if you live or drive near the coast.
Wahanaya.lk team6 min read
CVT judder is almost always worn-out or overheated transmission fluid, made worse by Colombo-style stop-start traffic and tropical heat. Change the fluid at an experienced CVT specialist and insist on a pressure recalibration afterwards, or the shudder can come back worse.
Wahanaya.lk team7 min read
Most cars in Sri Lanka need an oil change every 5,000 to 10,000 km, whichever comes first, but never go past 6 months even if you haven't covered the distance. Heavy traffic, short trips and heat count as severe driving, so lean toward the shorter end unless you're on full synthetic.
Wahanaya.lk team6 min read
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