Is it normal for dashboard lights to be on when ignition is off?
On some cars the lights stay on for like 30 seconds after the ignition is off. But if they are on all the time even when the light switch is fully off, something is wrong, that is NOT normal.That happens sometimes due to somebody wiring some accessory to the nearest hot wire, which might be the dash lights wire. That’s fine unless there is another source of power to the device, and that feeds back up the dash lights wire.The old Audi’s had this bug— if you held the high-beams flash switch, that would feed power back into the accessory circuit, even when the key was out. They considered that a “feature” not a “bug”, as it let you close the sunroof without the key.Anyway, if someone has done some wiring lately, that’s probably the problem. Has someone added a security system, a radio, an amplifier, or something else electrical? That’s probably it.If nothing has been messed with lately, then it’s likely that there is a short in the module that controls the lights. In the olden days the lights had a regular plain old switch, those very rarely failed. Today they use transistors to do the switching and they do sometimes fail, usually shorting out. They can be helped along toward shorting out if someone accidentally shorts out the cigar-lighter power outlet, with like a bad charger cord.
Battery light just came on in my car and steering wheel tightened up...?
I waS on my way home and my battery light came on so i turned off the air and the radio (thought maybe it would conserve some of the energy if the battery was dying. everytime i tried to turn a corner the steering wheel was sooo tight i had to force it to turn. I got home and turned the car off and back on a few times, turned the radio and the air back on to see if they still worked...everything was still working but the battery light was still on and the wheel was still locking up...does anyone know what would cause both of those things to happen at the same time?
Why is my car shaking and the check engine light flashing?
A shaking vehicle AND flashing MIL ("check engine light") sound like the vehicle is misfiring on at least one cylinder. As @Anna Nguyen, @Brendan Sinclair, @Antoun Nabhan and others have said, it could be an ignition related problem. It could also be fuel-related. If one or more fuel injectors are clogged or dead, that would also cause a misfire in the affected cylinder(s). These are relatively cheap/easy things to check and fix.Other causes (which could be more complicated and more expensive) to fix include contaminated fuel, a bent intake or exhaust valve, a broken valve spring, a damaged piston/connecting rod, and on and on.I recommend getting a scan tool and checking the codes which are causing the MIL to light/flash and I also strongly recommend NOT driving the vehicle until the problem is fixed. If you continue to drive the vehicle as is, you will exacerbate the problem. Dumping unburned fuel into the exhaust due to a misfire will overheat and kill your catalytic converter. A more serious problem like a bent valve can eventually cause you to crater your engine (i.e.: completely destroy the engine).
2001 ford focus. Orange arrow keeps lighting up on my dash? Whats that mean?
I bought the car used and there was no manual. Whats the lit up arrow mean? Its orange and points up. My car is a manual and it doesnt have an RPM guage I am thinking it means I need to shift or something but it comes on at the oddest times so I really dont know. Its a 5 speed and my old car was a 4 speed so im having a difficult time w/ the transformation since I dont know when exactly I need to shift..and the motor is so quit its hard to tell.
Why do the dash lights in my car (and the lights for the clock, radio, etc.) dim when I turn on my headlights?
You are right that the dash lighting dims when headlights are on in order to enhance night vision. But every car I’ve driven has had a way to adjust the brightness of the dash lighting, since it varies by personal preference and whether you are using the headlights during the day, at night on a lighted street or on an unlighted road. Until recently most cars had a relay switch that you pulled out about 2 inches to turn on the headlights, and the knob rotated to adjust the dash lighting. Today cars have rocker switches on the dash or a knob to twist on the turn signal. So they have a separate knob or wheel to adjust the dash lighting located somewhere on the dash, often down low and obscurely marked. Look around for it.
My oil light comes on and off when i'm at a stop light. What's going on?
Check your oil level.
How can I fix the dashboard lights in a 2003 Ford Taurus?
It seems that some of my dashboard lights have burned out. I have one left working...behind the speedometer thankfully! Is there a fuse or an easy way that I can fix this on my own or is this something that a mechanic would need to do because of location or special tools? Thanks!
What happens if your car runs out of engine coolant?
If you run out of coolant, and continue to operate the engine for a significant period of time, it will cause serious harm to the engine.Among the first things damaged is typically the heads and head gaskets. If you really push it, you could damage the block, seize the engine, or melt a hole in a piston.Before you get to the catastrophic damage point, there are some tell tale signs that you've run out of coolant. 1) the heater stops working2) the temperature gauge drops from hot to cold (because it's no longer immersed in hot coolant)3) as the engine heat soaks without the cooling system doing its job, the heat gauge eventually rises into the hot zone and keeps going. 4)At this point the engine is/has exceeded its designed operating temperature, and the check engine light may come on. At this point you may have already damaged the heads/gaskets.At any point past warning #2, turn off the engine and let it cool. Adding cool water while the engine is hot could cause warping/cracking. Not to mention you may get burned when opening the cap.
What does it mean when the traction control light comes on?
It may mean you have a problem.All cars and light trucks since the 2012 model year have come with standard traction control, and many vehicles from earlier years that had antilock brakes also got traction control. That’s because traction control piggybacks on the antilock brake system and uses the same wheel-speed sensors to control wheel slip during acceleration. Traction control and ABS are the basis of the stability control systems the federal government has required since the 2012 model year.As with antilock systems, the wheel-speed sensors, wires, connectors, control module and other components can occasionally conk out or suffer intermittent problems. The sensors, wires and connectors at each wheel live in a hostile environment of potholes, water, snow, dirt, tar, stones, other debris and more, so they take a beating and can fail.A problem in the system will usually illuminate a dashboard warning light that traction control is disabled and, in some cases, ABS as well. (When ABS is disabled, you should still have normal braking ability, just without the antilock feature.) This is different from momentary illumination of the light; that warning light should always come on for a couple of seconds whenever you start the vehicle and when the system is doing its job. (Common Problems with Traction Control)Read more at Common Problems with Traction Control