Warning lights for tyre pressure and brakes
How to respond correctly when the car warns about tyre pressure or brakes.
When the car shows a warning light for tyre pressure or brakes, you need to assess whether this is a monitoring fault, a maintenance need or a situation that requires an immediate stop. Your reaction matters.
What you need to know
- Some warnings allow you to drive a short distance to inspection, while others do not.
- Tyre pressure and brakes directly affect both steering and stopping distance.
- You need to know the difference between a warning and an acute danger signal.
Typical situations
| Situation | What you should do | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| TPMS light without any obvious change in the car | Find a safe place and check the tyres as soon as you can. | Ignoring the light for several days. |
| Red brake warning light while driving | Take the situation seriously and consider stopping immediately. | Hoping the light will disappear by itself. |
| Warning together with a changed pedal feel or sound | Abort the trip and get help quickly. | Continuing to drive even though the car behaves differently. |
Common mistakes
- Treating all warning lights as equally important.
- Resetting a warning without understanding the cause.
- Forgetting to make a visual inspection of the tyres and brakes when the light comes on.
How to practice
Link this with Gauges and warning lights , Tyre pressure and TPMS and The braking system .