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When you notice Honda dashboard warning lights, symbols can cause worry and confusion about a potential issue with your car. Luckily, this guide will show you what they mean and what could be the cause. The good news is that some of them are not signs of trouble at all; instead, they're symbols that show you that a specific system is functioning as intended. Others are signs to keep an eye on a certain part of your vehicle and are not cause for major concern.
But it's best to keep in mind that many Honda dashboard warning lights, symbols, and icons on your gauge cluster indicate that urgent vehicle care is required. Check the guide below to see what your Honda dashboard icons are trying to tell you, and schedule your service today at Phil Hughes Honda.
When it comes to Honda dashboard warning lights, symbols can vary in color. Some appear green, and some are red. This color coding can be thought of as a traffic light. The colors mean the following things:
Some red Honda dashboard warning lights, symbols, and indicators are more serious than others. To see which ones are the cause for the most concern, read on; the guide below covers the main Honda dashboard warning lights that you'll encounter during car ownership. For help with fixing your issue, contact our service center and arrange a diagnosis and repair service.
The check engine light, also known as the Honda engine warning light, is an alert that can point to one or more issues within your vehicle's engine. However, malfunctions within many interconnected systems, such as the exhaust, can also activate the check engine light. There are too many possible causes to list here. Proper check engine light diagnosis will require genuine Honda diagnostic tools, so have a service center inspect your car as soon as possible.
The Honda emission system warning uses a similar symbol to the check engine light but will say either "check emission system" or "emissions system problem" beneath it. This light can be caused by one of several issues, such as a bad or stolen catalytic converter, and should not be ignored. Driving with this light can lead to engine damage; have your vehicle inspected at a Honda repair facility first.
Both the check engine and check emissions system lights can be caused by a loose gas cap. However, some vehicles are equipped with a Honda fuel cap check warning light, which will both alert you to a loose gas cap and potentially disqualify the loose gas cap as a cause for the check engine light.
The Honda check oil level warning light indicates that your car's oil level or oil pressure is low. This is an extremely dangerous situation for your car's engine; it needs oil to run and can, essentially, self-destruct if it does not receive proper lubrication. If you see this warning light, pull over immediately and have your car towed to a Honda service center. Continuing to drive is not worth risking engine damage.
Your car's coolant temperature is too high, and the engine is overheating. You can consider this as one of the Honda "do not drive" warning lights, as continuing to drive the vehicle when this warning light is active will result in catastrophic engine damage. If this light appears, pull over immediately and have your car towed to the nearest service center for repairs.
Conversely to the previous example of the Honda dashboard warning lights/symbols, this coolant temperature indicator means that your car's coolant is too cold and that you should let the engine warm up before driving.
The Honda brake warning light can indicate a malfunction within your vehicle's braking system, which is a situation you never want to leave as is. This brake warning light can also mean that your vehicle's brake fluid level is low, which is even more dangerous. In either case, always pull over and have your vehicle towed to a trustworthy repair center so that your brakes can be diagnosed and fixed.
Your parking/emergency brake is engaged. Make sure that you disengage it before you drive. However, on many older models, if the emergency brake has been disengaged and this light remains illuminated, it can mean the same thing as the brake warning light mentioned above.
This warning light symbol indicates a malfunction within the anti-lock braking system (ABS). The brake warning light may also activate alongside this light if there is an ABS malfunction or sensor damage. ABS is designed to help you safely stop without skidding in emergency or low-traction situations. Maintaining the system's functionality is crucial for safety on the road, so have the system inspected as soon as you possibly can.
One of the many exclamation point Honda warning lights, this warning is a serious sign of trouble. It indicates a malfunction in the electric power steering (EPS) system. As this system is responsible for helping you maintain vehicle control, you'll want to exercise extreme caution if this light appears. Have your car inspected and repaired as soon as possible.
This can be considered the Honda low battery warning light. However, it mostly means that your car's alternator is not properly charging the battery, which is a dangerous situation that can leave you stranded by the side of the road. Pull over whenever you can and call roadside assistance.
Also known as the airbag light, this light means that the airbags have an issue and may not deploy in a collision. Airbag malfunctions are extremely dangerous, so if you see the supplemental restraint system warning light, Honda service should be scheduled immediately. Ignoring this light is never worth the risk of driving with a faulty airbag.
Your gas tank is nearly empty. While some drivers like to see how far they can drive with the Honda CR-V low fuel warning light present, it's always best to fill up before the low fuel light appears.
This icon indicates that your windshield washer fluid reservoir is nearly empty. While this is one of the less severe dashboard signs, Honda drivers should always fill their washer fluid reservoirs for safety: a clean and clear windshield is an important safety measure.
If this light appears, your vehicle's keyless entry system (Honda Smart Key) may be malfunctioning. This issue requires diagnosis with proprietary tools. Our service center can help with the Honda Smart Key system warning light reset.
This icon means that an alert will be present in your vehicle's instrument cluster information display. The notification will contain full details, so check the screen.
This is the wrench symbol on dashboard Honda displays. The Maintenance Minder system uses the factory maintenance schedules and advanced computer algorithms to calculate your vehicle's maintenance needs; the wrench icon appears when your vehicle is due for a maintenance service, so contact an authorized Honda service center when it appears.
As its name suggests, this Honda dashboard light means that one or more brake lamps in your tail lights have gone out. In our great state of Georgia, it's a legal requirement to have all of your brake lights functioning whenever you drive, so if this warning comes on, be sure to fix the brake lamps ASAP.
Another one of the Honda dashboard warning lights/symbols that points to a broken bulb; this light means that one or more DRLs have malfunctioned or are broken. Your daytime running lights help make your car more visible during the day, especially in low-visibility situations like a sudden downpour.
The Honda VSA warning light has two meanings. The most common cause for it to come on is that the VSA system has activated and is working to correct a skid or another loss-of-control situation. However, the light will turn off automatically once the system turns off (i.e., you regain traction). If it stays illuminated, this means that there's an issue within the system. Schedule a service to fix this critical safety system.
The Honda tire pressure warning light alerts you to low pressure in one or more tires. Fill your tires with the right amount of air as soon as you can. However, while a less common cause for this Honda warning light, TPMS sensors may be damaged. If this is the case, the TPMS warning light will not turn off after you have correctly added air.
This light indicates that the Auto Idle Stop function is active and has turned off your car's engine. The engine will turn back on once you begin driving again.
Simply put, the Honda radar obstructed warning indicates that the radar sensors on your car have been blocked and cannot function. These sensors make advanced features like Adaptive Cruise Control possible and are typically located on the front of your car, usually in the grille or bumper. Clean off the sensor before driving.
Your vehicle's Adaptive Cruise Control is active, and the vehicle will maintain a preset speed. It will also slow down automatically to maintain a preset distance between it and the car ahead. No action is required.
Cruise control is active. This is another one of the Honda dashboard warning lights/symbols that requires no action on your part. If you did not mean to turn cruise control on, you can simply turn it off.
Your vehicle's headlights are turned on. Ensure you always turn on your headlights at night and turn them off once you've parked to prevent unnecessary battery drainage.
The Lane-Keeping Assist System (LKAS) warning light means that the system is active and will maintain your vehicle's position within the lane. Be aware that the vehicle may steer against your inputs if you try to change lanes without using the appropriate turn signal.
The Lane Departure Warning Honda vehicles come equipped with is a system that alerts you if your car crosses lane markings when you haven't used your turn signals. The Lane Departure Warning light is how it alerts you of this.
The Road Departure Mitigation System helps keep you safe; this light indicates that there's a problem with the system, and it may not function in an emergency. Schedule a service as soon as you can.
A part of the Forward Collision Warning Honda vehicles are equipped with, the Collision Mitigation Braking System will automatically apply the brakes if a collision-causing situation is detected up ahead. This light indicates that the system has engaged the brakes to help you avoid a collision.
A normal function of your car's Blind-Spot Monitoring System, this light simply indicates that a vehicle is currently in your car's blind spot. However, if you thoroughly scan around your car and another vehicle isn't in your blind spot, but this light stays on, the system may be malfunctioning.
One or more occupants are not wearing their seat belts. Always buckle up before driving.
One or more vehicle doors are open. Shut all doors before driving.
The vehicle's trunk is open. Ensure it is closed before you drive.
Your turn signal is active. If you have already made the turn or lane change, make sure you switch off the turn signal.
Your high beams are on. Ensure you turn off the high beams when other cars are ahead of you.
The Auto High Beam system is active and will automatically turn the high beams on and off.
Your fog lights are illuminated.
Your vehicle's engine immobilizer has been activated. The system does not detect the correct key and may not allow you to start the engine. Contact us for help.
Don't hesitate to contact the Phil Hughes Honda team for help with any other symbol, Honda dashboard lights meaning, or maintenance and repair services that will solve the relevant issue. Then, to get a professional diagnosis and fix the issue, schedule Honda service and repair at our dealership today.
All or multiple warning lights will come on in your Honda vehicle's dashboard as you start the car, but they should immediately disappear once the engine is running. Seeing multiple warning lights on your vehicle's dashboard can be caused by a wide range of severe issues, and a professional inspection and diagnosis are required. Visit the Phil Hughes Honda service center if this happens to your car.
The wrench symbol is a warning light that means your Honda is due for a scheduled maintenance service. This wrench symbol is known as the Honda Maintenance Minder, and it calculates your car's maintenance needs with advanced algorithms that factor in driving habits and more. Like many other Honda dashboard warning lights, symbols like the wrench icon should not be ignored.
Several Honda dashboard lights include an exclamation mark, but the most common reason to see an exclamation mark on your Honda's dashboard is because of the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). When this system detects abnormal air pressure in the tires, it will display this symbol (a flat tire icon with an exclamation mark) to warn you that a tire or tires have an issue.
The emission system warning light on a Honda Pilot means that there are one or more issues with your vehicle's emissions (exhaust) system, including the following:
The best course of action is to bring your car to a service center for an inspection.
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