A red warning light pops up on your dashboard when riding your Kia vehicle on the road? You may be panicked about it and have no idea whether to continue or stop. You’re not alone. Many Kia owners have suffered from this daunting situation. In this guide, we’ll simply cover common Kia warning light symbols and meanings to help you make the correct response to these dashboard warning lights.
What Are Kia Dashboard Warning Lights?
Dashboard warning lights are your Kia’s way of telling you something is going wrong or some features are on. It can be for something small like a seat belt not buckled, a door ajar, or a faulty wire. But it can also be a more complex issue like a seized engine due to lack of oil, a blown head gasket, or lack of hydraulic pressure on your brakes. Understanding these Kia dashboard symbols and meanings could save you from unnecessary expenses and even unexpected accidents. Every vehicle has slightly different dashboard warning lights but there are shared warning lights for most Kia vehicles. Let’s explore the common symbols and meanings of Kia dashboard warning lights.
Kia Warning Lights Symbols by Color
Like the dashboard warning lights on vehicles of other brands, Kia has a similar color code for these lights, which tells you whether they require quick attention or not.
- A red warning light indicates urgent issues that need to be solved immediately.
- A yellow warning light shows a safety concern that requires attention when it’s safe to check.
- A green light simply signals the status of a feature or element of your vehicle.
Common Kia Warning Light Symbols and Meanings
In this part, we’ll dive into common Kia warning light symbols and meanings as well as how to fix or turn off each light in a simple way.
Kia Red Warning Lights
Check Engine Light
- Symbols: Engine icon or the words “CHECK ENGINE”
- Meaning: A fault in the engine or emission system
- How to fix:
- Check for a loose or damaged fuel cap and tighten it securely if it is loose; replace the fuel cap with a new one if it is damaged
- Turn to a professional mechanic for diagnosis if the light stays on, or starts flashing
Low Battery Warning Light
- Symbols: Battery icon or the word “ALT” or “GEN”
- Meaning: The charging system isn’t working properly
- How to fix:
- Turn off any unnecessary electrical accessories, such as the air conditioner, radio, or heated seats, to reduce the load on the charging system
- Inspect the alternator belt for signs of wear or damage and replace the belt if it is loose or damaged
- Check the battery terminals for signs of corrosion or a loose connection
- If the problem persists, please take your vehicle to a service center for a professional mechanic to carry out a thorough inspection and diagnosis of your charging system
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light
- Symbols: A thermometer floating in liquid or a temperature gauge icon with an exclamation point
- Meaning: The engine coolant temperature is too high.
- How to fix:
- Immediately pull over to a safe location and turn off the engine to prevent further damage
- Wait for the engine to cool down completely before checking the coolant level and adding more coolant
- If the coolant level is sufficient, there may be a problem with the cooling system, such as a malfunctioning thermostat, a leak in the cooling system, or a broken fan belt.
- In this case, you will need to contact a professional mechanic for assistance
Oil Pressure Warning Symbol
- Symbol: Oil can icon
- Meaning: Low oil pressure or insufficient oil level
- How to fix:
- Immediately pull over to a safe location and turn off the engine to prevent further damage
- Check the engine oil level and add more oil if necessary
- If the oil level is sufficient, there may be a problem with the oil pressure sensor or the oil pump.
- In this case, you would need to contact a professional mechanic for assistance.
Seat Belt Warning Light
- Symbols: A person with a seat belt on or as the words “SEAT BELT”
- Meaning: One or more seat belts in the vehicle are not fastened
- How to fix:
- Stop driving and fasten the seat belt
Kia Yellow Warning Lights
Tire Pressure Warning Light
- Symbols: Horseshoe shape with an exclamation mark
- Meaning: One or more tires have low pressure
- How to fix:
- Inflate tires to the recommended PSI
ABS Warning Light Symbol
- Symbols: “ABS” letters inside a circle
- Meaning: A fault in the anti-lock braking system
- How to fix:
- Check the brake fluid level and top it up
- If the brake fluid level is fine, you may have a faulty ABS sensor or the ABS module
- Have a professional mechanic identify and fix the faulty sensor.
Low Fuel Warning Light
- Symbols: A fuel pump icon or the letters “FUEL” or “F”
- Meaning: the fuel level is low
- How to fix: refuel your vehicle as soon as possible
Low Washer Fluid Level
- Symbols: A windshield with wiper blades or the letters “WW” or “WASHER”
- Meaning: the windshield washer fluid level is low
- How to fix:
- Refill the washer fluid as soon as possible
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Warning Light
- Symbols: a vehicle icon with two curved lines behind it, or the letters “ESC” or “ESP
- Meaning: ESC system active or malfunctioning.
- How to fix:
- If the light comes on momentarily and then turns off, no action is required
- If the light stays on constantly, it may indicate a malfunction in the ESC system. In some cases, turning off the engine and restarting it can reset the system and turn off the light
- If the light remains on after restarting the engine, though, please contact a professional mechanic for assistance
Kia Green Warning Lights
Cruise Control (ACC) Indicator
- Symbols: A vehicle icon with a gap in front of it, sometimes accompanied by a speedometer or the letters “ACC.”
- Meaning: The Adaptive Cruise Control system is active and functioning correctly.
- How to fix:
- Find the Adaptive Cruise Control button on your steering wheel or dashboard
- Press the button to deactivate the system until the light turns off
Low/High Beam Indicator
- Symbols: An icon of a headlight with horizontal lines emanating from it or as the letters “HB” or “HIGH BEAM”; an icon of a headlight or as the letters “LOW”
- Meaning: The high-beam headlights are turned on or the low-beam headlights are turned on
- How to fix:
- The High/ Low Beam Indicator is not a warning light and you don’t need extra action
Wrapping up
Kia warning light symbols are your vehicle’s way of telling you something may go wrong with your vehicle. Understanding these dashboard warning light symbols can help you determine whether to take immediate action. If you encounter a red warning light, you have to pull over your vehicle and call for a pro to deal with it. If you have a yellow warning light, you can get it inspected later to find where the problem is and fix it. At FridayParts, you can acquire more knowledge about your vehicle’s troubleshooting, maintenance and repairs. Besides, we also provide a vast range of quality Kia replacement parts to ensure your vehicle running at its optimal performance again. Stay tuned to our blogs for more!
FAQs about Kia Dashboard Warning Lights
How do you reset your check engine light?
The check engine light indicates there’s a fault in your engine or emissions system. If you’ve decided resetting is the correct way, follow the steps: 1. Turn off your ignition; 2. Wear safety glasses and gloves; 3. Locate the negative terminal; 4. Loosen the negative terminal with a wrench; 5. Pull the connector from the battery and keep it to the side for about 60 seconds; 6. Reconnect the cable and tighten with your wrench; 7. If it doesn’t do the trick, check your gas cap for cracks or looseness; 8. Just remove the gas cap and then screw it securely back on; 9. If the light doesn’t turn off, you can follow steps 1-6 and everything will be ok.
Can I drive with a triangle light with an exclamation mark?
You can usually continue to drive for a few miles to a trusted mechanic nearby if the light is steady and your Kia feels normal. Avoid long trips, high speeds and towing with the “!” light on, as it can cause extra stress to the compromised system.
What are common engine problems of a Kia vehicle?
The common problems of Kia engines involve connecting-rod bearing failure, excessive oil consumption, defective piston rings, seized engine, reduced power and even studdern stalling.
