If you see the circle with the exclamation mark warning light on your dashboard, this is most likely the brake warning light and there are problems with your brakes.
Don’t worry, the issue may just be with the parking brake that you forgot to release. But it’s necessary to stop driving and locate the reason. This is LIFE-SAVING!
What does it mean when you see the circle with the exclamation mark in your car?
In most cases, this will be all about the braking system. But in this article, I will also tell you about some other reasons.
Please note that some other warnings can also be considered the “circle with the exclamation mark inside it”, so I will tell you more about each of them later in this article.
The most common brake system warning light
In most cases, when people report the warning light which is the circle with the exclamation mark inside, they mean the brake system light. Just look at it in the picture and you will see if this is the case in your situation.
If you see the brake system light, it’s not recommended to drive further without understanding what’s wrong with your brakes. The brake system light can go on your dash in several situations:
- Low level of brake fluid. If the level of brake fluid is low, it’s most likely that the warning light showing the circle with the exclamation mark inside will show up on your dashboard. The solution for this problem is easy and straightforward just add some brake fluid into the reservoir under the hood of your car.
- Brake pads are worn out. In this case, you will have to just carefully drive further but your next destination should be the repair shop that we will repair your car – basically install the new brake shoes.
- Your parking brake is activated. If this is the case, you are very lucky because this is the cheapest and the fastest repair in your life. Just released the parking brake and the warning light will disappear.
- There is a problem with the ABS module. This is one more issue that can be the reason for the brake warning light to go on. But locating and repairing this problem is really complicated. You will need to have your car diagnosed by a professional in order to find and repair the problem with the ABS module.
- There is a problem with some sensors. Modern vehicles all have a lot of sensors. The braking system is not an exception. Once some sensors are broken the braking system can’t work effectively. Also, the warning light on your dashboard will show up to let you know that there is a problem with your brakes.
Of course, there can be other problems that can trigger this light but, in most cars, the mentioned issues will be the most common ones.
It’s vitally important that you check the entire braking system before you keep on driving. If you don’t do this, chances are you will have problems with braking.
Let’s see what other warning lights can resemble a “circle with the exlcamation mark”.
Low tire pressure warning light
This warning light is usually yellow and it’s not exactly a circle but sometimes people describe it like that.
This warning light means that the pressure in one or several of your tires is not enough to drive safely. The majority of modern vehicles are equipped with tire pressure monitors. The system can help you immediately understand that the tire pressure is not optimal.
If you see this light, the solution to the problem is pretty easy and straightforward. You just need to add some air into the tires. If you have a special wheel compressor, you can do this on your own. But if you don’t, you can go to the nearest tire service and have this problem solved.
This type of warning light may not disappear immediately after you add pressure to your tires. It may need some time to reset the sensors. Or the manual reset is one of the possible options.
Transmission warning light
Some cars will have a special transmission warning light. It looks more like a gear with the exclamation mark inside. Usually, it’s yellow in color.
If you see this light on your dashboard, you better stop your vehicle until you understand what’s going on with your transmission. The most common reason for this is the low transmission fluid level. But sometimes mechanical problems with the transmission can trigger this light.
In most cases, your vehicle will go to the limp mode when you see this light. But if there are no error messages, you can still drive at a slow speed. Make sure you don’t drive for a long time with this warning light on. The best solution is to arrange a visit to the repair shop as soon as possible.
‘Lamp out’ warning light
In this case, you will see a warning light in the shape of a light bulb with an exclamation mark inside. It’s also usually yellow and it doesn’t require immediate actions from the driver. You can keep on driving until you can safely stop and check whether all important lights are working properly.
But if the ‘lamp out’ warning light is on because one of the headlights is broken or one of the stoplights is not working properly, you should take some action. The best solution is to find someone who can easily and quickly change the light bulb for you. But in some cars, you can also buy the lamp in one of the gas stations or nearby shops and just replace it on your own.
Other warning lights
I am pretty sure that there are some more lights that can resemble a circle with the exclamation mark inside it.
So, what do you need to do when you see these lights? The first thing is to check whether this light is yellow or red. Red lights are usually more important and they are telling us that there is a problem that can’t be ignored. Like your brakes, engine problems, or serious safety system issues.
Yellow lights usually just warn us that there is a problem with the car but it’s not that urgent.
It’s recommended that you check the meaning of the warning light you see in the driver’s manual. Different brands and models of cars can have different types of warning lights. Unfortunately, I can’t describe them all in this article because this will just take a lot of your time for reading.