Engine warning light on: will your car fail the APK (MOT)?

Your APK, the compulsory Dutch vehicle inspection, is booked and right now the orange engine warning light comes on. That raises questions: can the inspection still go ahead, and will the car fail? This article explains what the RDW rules say and what the inspector does when the engine warning light is on.

By the team at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug, RDW-approved APK (MOT) test station since 1979 · Updated 4 November 2026

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The short answer

An engine warning light that is on is not in itself a rejection point at the APK. On cars up to 3,500 kg first registered after 31 December 2005 with a petrol engine, a petrol hybrid drive or a diesel engine without a DPF, the inspector may read the on-board diagnostics system (EOBD) instead of measuring the exhaust gases. If the light is on or there are fault codes in the memory, the standard emissions test follows. According to the RDW, a car cannot fail on the reading alone: on emissions, the car only fails if the measurement is above the limit.

Is an engine warning light a rejection point at the APK?

No. The engine warning light itself is not a rejection point. A rejection point (in Dutch: afkeurpunt) is a defect on the inspection report that means the car has failed. The RDW list of inspection points (in Dutch: keuringsaspectenlijst) contains no rejection point for an engine warning light that is on. The RDW (Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer) is the Dutch vehicle authority that sets the APK requirements. The light does determine how the inspector (in Dutch: keurmeester) checks the emissions of your car.

In the APK manual of the RDW, the engine warning light is called the warning device (in Dutch: waarschuwingsinrichting). Its technical name is the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL). It is linked to the on-board diagnostics system EOBD, which stands for European On-Board Diagnostics. That system monitors parts that affect the exhaust gases, such as the lambda sensor, the catalytic converter and the ignition. If the system finds a fault, it stores a fault code and the light comes on.

On cars whose EOBD system can be read without faults, the inspector may skip the exhaust gas measurement. If the light is on, that exemption lapses and he measures the exhaust gases in the standard way. The RDW flowchart for the EOBD procedure states it literally: “A vehicle can no longer be failed by means of an EOBD reading alone.” (in Dutch: “Een voertuig kan niet meer worden afgekeurd d.m.v. alleen een EOBD uitlezing.”)

Would you like to know what your engine warning light means and how to have the cause found, apart from the APK? Read our page engine warning light on: meaning and diagnosis.

How does the inspector check the engine warning light and the EOBD?

The inspector follows a fixed RDW flowchart. Every step must be in order. If something is wrong at one step, the standard emissions test follows.

  1. He switches on the ignition. The engine warning light must then light up or give an audible signal.
  2. He connects the diagnostic reader to the diagnostic socket of the car and checks whether there is a connection.
  3. He checks whether the status of the light (on or off) matches what the diagnostic reader shows.
  4. He checks whether there are stored fault codes that start with the letter P. These are codes for the engine and powertrain.
  5. He checks whether the self-tests of the system have been completed. This is called the readiness test.
  6. If everything is in order, no emissions test is needed. If one step is not in order, he measures the exhaust gases.
Situation at the inspection What happens?
Light off, no P codes, readiness completed No emissions test needed
Light on or P codes in the memory Standard emissions test
Readiness test not completed Standard emissions test
Light does not come on when the ignition is switched on Standard emissions test
No connection with the diagnostic reader Standard emissions test
Car with an LPG or CNG system No EOBD route, standard emissions test

Source: RDW APK manual, noise and environment, and the RDW flowchart for the EOBD procedure

The EOBD route applies to passenger cars up to 3,500 kg first registered after 31 December 2005, with an engine that runs on petrol only, a hybrid drive (not a series hybrid) or a diesel engine without a DPF (diesel particulate filter). A diesel with a DPF has its own test, the particle counter test. You can read more about it in our article on the APK particle counter test.

When does a car with the engine warning light on still fail?

Your car fails if the emissions test does not stay within the limits, or if the inspector finds another defect. The fault behind the engine warning light can be the cause. A faulty lambda sensor or catalytic converter can lead to emissions that are too high.

Measurement on a petrol car first registered after 30 June 2002 Limit according to the RDW
Carbon monoxide (CO) at idling speed At most 0.3 per cent
Carbon monoxide (CO) at raised engine speed (2,000 to 3,200 revolutions per minute) At most 0.2 per cent
Lambda value at raised engine speed Between 0.97 and 1.03

Source: RDW APK manual, passenger cars, noise and environment. Other limits apply to older cars and LPG cars.

  • Emissions too high: the CO value or the lambda value is outside the limit.
  • Emission control system not complete: on a petrol car first registered after 31 December 1995, the catalytic converter and the lambda sensor must be present and work properly.
  • DPF clearly defective or particle counter test too high: on a diesel with a DPF, the limit is 1,000,000 particles per cm³ at idling speed.
  • Another defect: a fault can be connected to something the inspector checks separately, such as a leaking exhaust.

If the emissions are within the limit, your car does not fail on the engine warning light. The fault does remain, though. We advise you to have the cause found, because a small fault can lead to more expensive damage if you keep driving for longer.

Does it help to have the engine warning light cleared shortly before the APK?

No. Clearing the codes shortly before the inspection does not help. Anyone who clears the fault codes also resets the self-tests to not completed. The readiness test is then not completed. According to the RDW flowchart, the standard emissions test then follows anyway.

The self-tests are only completed again after you have driven for a while under different conditions. How long that takes differs from car to car. On top of that, the light comes back as long as the cause is still there. Clearing the codes without a repair therefore solves nothing.

If someone removes the light or disables it, it does not come on when the ignition is switched on. In that case too, the standard emissions test follows. You gain nothing by it and the fault goes unnoticed.

Which warning lights do lead to a failure?

According to the ANWB, the Dutch motoring organisation, since 20 May 2018 the inspector also checks the warning lights of several safety systems. These are the airbags, the seat belt pretensioners, the ABS, the electronic braking system, the stability control, the electronic power steering and the tyre pressure monitoring system. If the car was first registered after 31 December 2017, such a light must not indicate a defect according to the APK manual: a fault warning is then a rejection point. On a car first registered before 1 January 2018, the inspector records a repair advisory point (in Dutch: reparatieadviespunt). The car then passes, with a note on the report.

Warning light Car first registered after 31 December 2017 Car first registered before 1 January 2018
Airbag Rejection point Repair advisory point (RA1)
Seat belt pretensioner or seat belt force limiter Rejection point Repair advisory point (RA1)
ABS (anti-lock braking system) Rejection point Repair advisory point (RA6)
Electronic braking system Rejection point Repair advisory point (RA7)
ESC or ESP (stability control) Rejection point Repair advisory point (RA3)
Electronic power steering Rejection point Repair advisory point (RA5)
Tyre pressure monitoring system Rejection point Repair advisory point (RA4)
Engine warning light (MIL) No rejection point, but a standard emissions test No rejection point, but a standard emissions test

Source: Dutch vehicle regulations as amended from 20 May 2018 (Staatscourant 2017, 27126, in Dutch), RDW APK manual (articles 5.2.26, 5.2.27, 5.2.29, 5.2.31 and 5.2.47), RDW repair advisory points and ANWB. The codes RA1 to RA7 on the RDW list of inspection items apply only to cars first registered before 1 January 2018. On newer cars, a fault is a rejection point.

What a repair advisory point and the other points on the report mean is explained in our article on rejection points, repair points and advisory points. You can read more about the airbag light in airbag or seat belt warning light and the APK.

What should you do if the engine warning light is on and the APK is coming up?

Have the fault read and, if possible, repaired before the inspection. Then you know where you stand and you avoid the car failing on its emissions.

  • Is the light flashing or does the car clearly drive differently? Then check in the owner’s manual what the manufacturer advises and have the car checked as soon as possible.
  • Is the light on constantly? Book an appointment to have the fault read. Notice whether the car drives differently, has less pulling power or uses more fuel.
  • Have the fault code read. With car diagnostics we see which fault the system has stored. A fault code points to a circuit or a part. The mechanic then takes measurements to find out which part is actually at fault.
  • Combine it with the APK. If you have the APK done at our garage, you can have the fault read in the same appointment. We discuss with you beforehand what is needed. You receive a quote in advance and we only carry out repairs with your approval.

If your car fails at our garage and we carry out the repair, the retest is included. At our garage, the APK costs € 50 for petrol, petrol hybrid and electric cars and € 60 for a diesel with a factory-fitted DPF. For an LPG car or another diesel, we tell you the price in advance. You can read more about the inspection on our page about the APK for your car.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take my car to the APK with the engine warning light on?

Yes. The engine warning light is not a reason to refuse the inspection. The inspector then carries out a standard emissions test. Preferably have the fault read first, so you know whether the emissions will stay within the limit.

Does my electric car get an engine warning light check at the APK?

No. A fully electric car has no exhaust gases and therefore no emissions test. The inspector does check other warning lights, such as those of the airbag and braking systems. Read more in the APK for an electric or hybrid car.

Is an LPG car with the engine warning light on inspected differently?

Yes. On a car with an LPG or CNG system, the EOBD reading cannot replace the emissions test. The inspector therefore measures the exhaust gases in every case. LPG cars have their own limits.

What if the engine warning light comes on a day after the APK?

Your APK stays valid until the expiry date. The inspection reflects the condition of the car at the moment of the inspection. Do have the fault read soon, so that a small fault does not turn into bigger damage.

Does the inspector look at all fault codes in the car?

No. For the APK, he only looks at stored fault codes that start with a P. He does not read sporadic fault codes for the APK. That is set out in the RDW flowchart.

Can the inspector switch off the engine warning light for me?

No. That is not part of the inspection. Clearing the light without solving the cause does not help either, because the readiness test is then not completed. So have the fault found and repaired first.

Engine warning light on and APK coming up?

Call us on +31 10 479 00 00 or book your APK. We read the fault code and tell you beforehand what a repair costs.

You will find us at Boterdiep 11 in Rotterdam-IJsselmonde, close to Stadion Feijenoord (De Kuip). We work by appointment. For a quick question or check you can walk in without an appointment.

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