Check Engine Light

The dreaded Check Engine Light. This can be caused by anything from a $2 vacuum hose that's rubbed through, to an internal engine problem.

What do I do if Check Engine Light comes on?

First and foremost, assess how it's running. If it's running rough or poorly, get it to a safe place to pull over and park. Think of what just happened with the car. Did you just fill the tank, was it running a bit rough the past few days? Also make note of whether or not the check engine light was flashing, or if it just remained on.

This is all good information to pass along to a BMW repair facility or a specialty BMW mechanic. If the Check Engine Light is Flashing, that means the engine is actively misfiring on one or more cylinders. Generally you can tell if your engine is misfiring, because it will start to vibrate or feel like it's "chugging."

If it's running very poorly, reach out to us here at North State Auto,

If it just remains on, it may be caused by some emissions equipment, a sensor of some sort, lean fuel mixture, boost control problem, etc. If it seems to be running okay, it is likely safe to drive minimally until you can have the check engine light diagnostics performed.

Tire Pressure Warning Light - TPMS

This warning light will come on when the vehicle detects a problem with one or more tire pressures. In some vehicles, this light can come on in either red or yellow. Red meaning a more serious problem than yellow.

What do I do if I get a Tire Pressure TPMS Light?

As soon as you safely can, check all your tire pressures. It helps to keep a cheap tire pressure gauge in your car for this. It's also a good opportunity to check your tires overall condition, look at the tread, etc.

If you find one or more tires low, inflate them to the vehicle specification. You will find the correct tire pressure for your vehicle on the inside of the driver door jamb near a vehicle info placard. The tire pressure info is typically white with black text.

You can then go into your vehicle's menu and reset the tire pressure monitoring system. It normally takes a few miles of driving for it to relearn itself.

Brake Warning Light

There are a number of things this may mean, but they all have to do with your car brakes. This is another warning light that may come on in yellow or red. Red being a more serious problem than yellow.

What do I do if I get a Brake Warning Light?

First, give the brakes a gentle test to ensure they're operating normally. If this light is yellow, it could mean your brake fluid level is low.

The brake fluid level in the reservoir will slowly go down as your brake pads wear, and as the fluid capacity in the brake caliper pistons increases, so this condition may just be an effect of having minimal brake life remaining. However, it may also mean there's a brake hydraulic leak, which will lead to your brakes failing in a matter of time.

If this light comes on in red, it may mean that your brake pad sensor has grounded onto the rotor, indicating that your front and/or rear brakes need replacement. It could also mean there's an electronic malfunction in your anti-lock brake, traction control, (ABS/DSC System). You May also see a light that simply says "ABS."

Regardless which color this warning light illuminates, it's best to have the vehicle looked at by a competent BMW Mechanic.

Coolant Temperature Light

Taking this light seriously can potentially save you many thousands of dollars. This is the Coolant temperature warning light. This essentially means your engine cooling system is overheating. That could be caused by a few things.

What do I do if my Engine Starts to Overheat?

Stop the Engine as quickly as you can safely do. Pull over or get to a safe place to park. Letting the engine cool off is needed. Don't open the hood if there's any steam coming out, you may potentially be burned.

If you see steam, or a lot of engine coolant leaking out, the overheating was likely due to a leak. When the cooling system gets low, it can't keep up with the demand of the engine cooling requirements.

If there are no leaks, you may have an electric cooling fan that has failed, or possibly an electric water pump failure.

Regardless of the reason, take your car to a BMW specialist asap to avoid engine damage from overheating.

Oil Warning Light

The oil warning light can come on for a few reasons. Either your CBS system is calling for an oil change, your oil level is low, or you have an oil pressure problem.

What do I do if my Oil Warning Light comes on?

If you see the oil can icon come on when you start the engine, and it has a date and mileage number under it, and it goes away after a few seconds, this is just your car's way of asking for an oil change. Get the oil change performed by a specialist who knows how to reset the service indicator.

If the oil warning light comes on in yellow while driving, it's like y due to low engine oil level. There may even be a message displayed confirming this. It may be caused by an oil leak, or even by the engine burning a bit of oil. There is a function in the display system and instrument cluster which will check the oil level. This is the only way to check the engine oil level, since there is no dipstick. Check the level, and add oil accordingly.

If this light comes on in red while driving, it generally means the engine oil pressure is too low. This can be catastrophic to an engine. Pull over and stop the engine immediately, especially if it sounds or runs funny. This can mean either you have an oil pressure switch that's gone bad, or you've got an internal engine oil supply problem.

Battery Warning Light

This is what's known as the battery warning light, although it can also indicate a charging system problem.

What do I do if my Battery Warning Light comes on?

Much of the time, on BMW vehicles, if the battery warning light comes on when you first start your vehicle, or right after you've had the accessory or ignition turned on for a few minutes, it indicates that your battery voltage has fallen below the threshold for critical starting. If your BMW or Mini is 4-6 years old, and you sometimes see this warning upon starting, it means your battery may be due for replacement.

If you see this light come on out of the blue while driving along, it may mean there's a charging system problem. This may be caused by an alternator failure, or even a serpentine belt or crankshaft pulley failure. 

If your AC stopped blowing cold at the same time as your battery light came on, and possibly your vehicle became very hard to steer, this problem is likely caused by a belt or crankshaft pulley failure.