Colors matter when it comes to dashboard lights! Green or blue lights indicate that a system is running. Orange/yellow warning lights typically indicate that your vehicle needs to be serviced or repaired soon. There is less urgency in these warnings than if you have a red and/or flashing light.

Red lights mean the action is needed right away! Red dashboard lights can be safety warnings (like seat belt reminders) or mechanical (like overheating engines). You should pull over as soon as possible if you see a red mechanical light. Check out these 5 common warning lights on your dashboard.

1. Oil Pressure Warning Light

Old-fashioned oil can indicate a problem with your car's oil pressure system. Either your engine has low oil, or your oil pump must circulate more fluid to lubricate the surfaces properly. (Note: Some dashboards display the word "OIL" instead of this symbol.)

2. Tire Pressure Warning Light

It is also known as the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) symbol and it indicates an issue with your tire pressure.

3. Engine Temperature Warning Light

Your engine is overheating if you see this symbol. Coolant (also known as antifreeze) is most likely to blame, but it can occur for various reasons.

4. Traction Control Light

It indicates that your vehicle's traction control system is active. The traction control system uses anti-lock brakes (ABS) to determine if one wheel is spinning faster than the others. When a wheel slips, the brakes are applied until traction is regained. When driving in rain or snow, this is especially helpful.

5. Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) Warning Light

During hard braking, like on slick roads, the ABS pulses the brakes to prevent your wheels from locking up. An illuminated ABS warning light indicates a malfunctioning ABS.

Warning lights are sometimes displayed on your dashboard. There are some that deal with vehicle features (like lights and cruise control) or safety (like blind-spot monitoring and lane departure warnings), or mechanical issues (like low tire pressure and engine temperature warnings)