Dashboard warning lights: what each colour means and what to do
A warning light has appeared on your dashboard and you want to know whether you can keep driving. This overview lists the most common warning lights with their colour, their meaning and what to do now. For most lights you will find a link to our detailed explanation in English.
By the team at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug, RDW-approved APK (MOT) test station since 1979 · Updated 8 November 2026
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The short answer
The colour of a warning light tells you how urgent it is. According to the ANWB, the Dutch motoring organisation, red means stop and pull over straight away, and yellow or orange means you can usually drive on for a while, but have the cause checked soon. Green and blue lights are for information, for example that the main beam is on. The red airbag light is an exception: you do not need to stop at once, but have the system checked as soon as possible.
What do red, orange, green and blue warning lights mean?
The colour tells you how quickly you need to act. Most manufacturers use the same colours, even though the symbols differ slightly between makes. According to the ANWB (page in Dutch), you stop straight away when a red light comes on. With a yellow or orange light you can usually drive on for a while at a reduced speed.
| Colour | What it means | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Red | A serious problem. Driving on can be dangerous or can damage the engine. | Stop the car in a safe place and switch off the engine. Do not drive on until you know what is wrong. |
| Yellow or orange | A system is not working properly or needs attention. | Reduce your speed and have the car checked as soon as possible. If the car starts to drive differently, stop. |
| Green | A system is switched on and working, for example the dipped headlights, the indicators or cruise control. | Nothing. This is for information only. |
| Blue | The main beam (high beam) is on. On some cars a blue thermometer light means the coolant is still cold. | Nothing. Switch off the main beam for oncoming traffic. The blue temperature light goes out once the engine is warm. |
Source: ANWB (red and yellow or orange) and Kassa, BNNVARA (green and blue). Check the owner’s manual of your car to see which symbol belongs to which light.
Is there a light you do not recognise? Look in the owner’s manual first. It explains each symbol and what the manufacturer advises.
Which warning light is on? Overview per light
The table below shows the most common warning lights. The last column shows where you can read more. The column about driving on is a first guideline. If the car feels different, or you smell or hear something unusual, it is better to stop sooner rather than later.
| Light and symbol | Colour | What it means | Drive on? | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brake warning light: exclamation mark in a circle, sometimes (P) or BRAKE | Red | The handbrake is on, the brake fluid level is too low, on some cars the brake pads are nearly worn, or the brake system reports a fault | No, unless the handbrake was still on and the light goes out as soon as you release it. Otherwise stop safely, switch off the engine and call your breakdown service | Brake warning light on |
| Oil warning light: oil can with a drop | Red | The oil pressure is too low, often because there is too little oil | No. Stop in a safe place, switch off the engine and call your breakdown service. Do not drive on, even if you top up the oil | Oil warning light on |
| Coolant temperature light: thermometer above wavy lines | Red | The cooling system has a problem and the engine may overheat, often because of too little coolant | No. Stop safely, switch off the engine and call your breakdown service. Do not open the coolant cap while the engine is hot | Engine overheating |
| Battery light: rectangle with plus and minus | Red | The battery is no longer being charged, for example because of the alternator, the cables or the auxiliary belt | No. According to the ANWB, stop in a safe place. The car is running on the battery only | Battery warning light on |
| Airbag light: seated person with a circle | Red | The airbag system or the seat belt pretensioners have a fault and may not work in a collision | Limited. According to the ANWB you do not need to stop at once, but have it checked as soon as possible | Airbag light and the APK |
| Engine warning light: engine outline | Yellow or orange | A fault in the engine, the fuel injection or the ignition | Limited. Drive carefully to a garage. If the light flashes, stop | Engine warning light on |
| ABS light: ABS in a circle | Yellow or orange | The anti-lock braking system is not working. The car still brakes, but the wheels can lock in an emergency stop | Yes, at a reduced speed and with extra distance. If the red brake warning light is also on, stop | ABS light on |
| ESP or ESC light: car with skid marks | Yellow or orange | The stability control is not working or has been switched off. If it flashes briefly while driving, the system is intervening | Yes, at a reduced speed. If it stays on, have the codes read | ABS and ESP light |
| Tyre pressure light: tyre cross-section with exclamation mark | Yellow or orange | One or more tyres are under-inflated, possibly because of a puncture | Limited. First check the tyres in a safe place | Tyre pressure and the warning light |
| Parking brake light: (P) in a circle, sometimes flashing | Yellow or red | A fault in the electric parking brake. A red (P) that stays on steadily usually means the parking brake is on | Limited. If the brake does not release or the light stays on, have it read | Handbrake or parking brake problems |
| Gearbox light: gear wheel with exclamation mark | Yellow, orange or red | A fault in the automatic gearbox. The gearbox can go into limp mode (a safety mode with limited gears) | Limited. In limp mode or with a red light, stop safely and call your breakdown service | Automatic gearbox in limp mode |
| AdBlue light: drop or text message | Yellow or orange | The AdBlue tank is nearly empty or the AdBlue system has a fault | Yes, but top up in time. With an empty tank the engine will not restart once you switch it off | AdBlue fault (in Dutch) |
| DPF light: rectangle with dots | Yellow or orange | The diesel particulate filter (DPF) may be clogged or faulty | Limited. A longer motorway drive can burn the filter clean. If the car clearly loses power, stop | DPF and the APK particle test |
| Glow plug light: yellow coil (diesel) | Yellow or orange | Comes on briefly with a cold engine while the glow plugs warm up the combustion chamber | Yes. Start once the light is off. If it stays on when the engine is warm, or flashes while driving, have it checked | Diesel hard to start |
| Bulb failure light: bulb with exclamation mark | Yellow or orange | A bulb is not working, for example a brake light | Yes. Have the bulb replaced soon | Lights and the APK |
Source: ANWB, Kassa (BNNVARA) and our own pages. Symbols and colours differ by make and year. When in doubt, follow your car’s owner’s manual.
Can you keep driving with a warning light on?
Not with a red light, apart from the airbag light and the seat belt light. With a yellow or orange light you usually can, at a reduced speed, to get home or to a garage. Also pay attention to what the car itself is doing. A warning light on a car that drives normally is different from a light with smoke, a strange noise or loss of power. Go through these steps:
- Look at the colour. Red means stop, apart from the airbag light and the seat belt light. Yellow or orange means drive on carefully and have it checked soon.
- Check whether the light is flashing. According to the ANWB, a flashing engine warning light points to a more serious problem than a light that stays on steadily. Stop in a safe place.
- Pay attention to what you feel, hear and smell. If the brake pedal sinks, the steering becomes heavy, the temperature gauge rises or the engine loses power, do not drive on. If you smell burning or fuel, stop as soon as it is safe, switch off the engine and get out of the car.
- Check what you can check yourself. Is the handbrake off? Is the oil level correct? Is there enough coolant? Only do this with the engine off and, for coolant, with a cooled-down engine.
- Have the cause found. A light that goes out can come back. The fault code often stays in the memory and can be read out.
Not sure whether you can still drive? Call us on +31 10 479 00 00 and tell us which light is on and what you notice. We then help you decide whether you can come to us or should call roadside assistance.
Which other warning lights do you often see?
A few lights do not have their own page in English on our site. Here is what they mean in brief:
Why do warning lights come on when you start the car and then go out?
When you switch on the ignition, most lights come on briefly. The car is testing whether the lights work. After the engine starts, they should go out. The ANWB gives the battery light as an example: it should go out after starting. If a light stays on, that system is reporting a fault.
If a light comes on while driving and later goes out again, the problem has not gone away. Many faults are intermittent, for example a sensor that sometimes gives a wrong value. The control unit usually stores the fault code. When we read the fault codes, we connect a diagnostic tool to the car’s computer and retrieve the stored codes. We can often see the code even when the light is off.
Clearing a light with your own OBD scanner (a plug-in code reader for the car’s diagnostic socket) removes the message, not the cause. If the fault comes back, the light comes on again. Clearing codes shortly before the APK (MOT), the compulsory periodic vehicle inspection in the Netherlands, can also work against you. You can read why in engine warning light and the APK.
Which warning lights count at the APK?
Since 20 May 2018 the inspector checks the warning lights of a number of safety systems. According to the ANWB (page in Dutch), these are the airbags, the seat belt pretensioners, tyre pressure monitoring (TPMS), electronic power steering and braking systems, and the stability and anti-lock braking systems.
For the engine light at the test, see the engine warning light and the APK. For the airbag light, see airbag or seat belt light and the APK. Preparing for the test? See how to prepare your car for the APK.
Where can you have a warning light checked in Rotterdam?
We first read the fault codes and then look for the cause. A fault code points in a direction, but it is not yet a diagnosis. A code about a sensor can also come from a connector, a cable or a part that makes the sensor measure a wrong value. That is why we measure and check further before we recommend a part. You can read more about how we work on our page about car diagnostics in Rotterdam.
Do you drive a lease car? Ask your lease company first whether you may choose your own garage. If you may, you are welcome. If the car belongs to you or your company, you choose your own garage.