The Wrench light is your best friend when it comes to automobiles, especially cars. But did you know that it’s not just available on automobiles for no reason? And did you know what the different symbols mean? You’ll find out everything you need to know in this article.
What Is A Wrench Light
A wrench light is a signal that appears on your dashboard, and it typically means there is some kind of problem with one of your car’s systems.
The wrench emblem might be accompanied by other lights on the dashboard such as an engine warning light or a check engine warning light. For example, if the wrench light appears in addition to an engine warning light then this may indicate a problem with either the fuel system or the emission system.
If there are no other accompanying lights, then you should check your battery first because this can often lead to a wrench indicator appearing on the dashboard.
Sometimes these problems are easily fixed and they’ll disappear once they’re corrected; however, if none of these fixes work then it would be best to bring your car in for professional service so that they can diagnose what is wrong exactly.
Types of Wrench lights
Most vehicles are equipped with a wrench light, which can be either red or yellow. The color of the wrench light is an indicator of what’s going on with the vehicle. Red means there is a problem and the vehicle needs service, while yellow indicates that a minor repair could be done in-house.
Also, below are some other types of Wrench lights
- Monkey wrench lights
These will appear if the car’s battery has been drained. It will show as either a yellow or red light, depending on how long ago it was drained and how much power has been restored by jump-starting it. If the car doesn’t have enough power to run its computer, the wrench icon may not show up at all.
- Breaker bar lights
These indicate that there’s a brake issue, usually due to worn brake pads or discs.
- Gear wrench lights
A gear wrench appears when one of your gears isn’t engaging properly. There are also three different kinds of gear wrenches: neutral light, low-range lights, and high-range lights.
Neutral light occurs when you’re driving in first gear and see no other lights. Low-range lights occur when you’re driving in third gear, and high-range lights happen when you’re driving in fifth gear.
The Use of A Wrench Light
Below are some of the uses of Wrench light which are:
- It is extremely effective at highlighting damaged areas of a machine, but it can also be very beneficial in repairing these damaged areas.
- It gives users clear guidance on what needs fixing and where so they can get started with repairs straight away.
- It is not only highly efficient, but this type of lighting will last for many years.
- You will never have to worry about running out of power as you won’t have to plug anything into an outlet or battery pack; all you will need is your hands.
- They are eco-friendly because their batteries last up to 100 hours!
- They don’t contain mercury and unlike fluorescent lights that use long tubes, Wrench Lights take up less space, making them great for tight spaces.
Best of all, among the uses stated above Wrench Lights, provide natural colors without any glare whatsoever. You can see exactly what you’re doing without having to squint from harsh light or blurry colors from poor-quality bulbs.
Wrench indicator light
A wrench light is an indicator that the engine may be running rich, the wrench light will typically only come on when the vehicle is in gear and accelerating from a stop, but not when driving at highway speeds. It could also come on intermittently, as well things to note about Wrench indicator lights
- If the wrench light is on constantly, there may be a problem with the oxygen sensor or something else.
- If the wrench light is coming on and off, this could be an indication of a vacuum leak or air filter problem.
- If the wrench light comes on after warm-up, there might be an issue with fuel pressure.
What does the wrench service light mean?
A wrench service light means that your vehicle needs servicing and if the wrench icon is flashing, that means a fault has been detected and your engine is not running at its optimum performance. You should take your car in for service as soon as possible because this can cause damage if left unattended.
The wrench service light is not a fault in itself; however, if your car was equipped with one, a problem has been detected that requires attention. The problem could be as simple as a loose gas cap or something more serious like low oil pressure.
If your engine’s check engine light comes on, but nothing seems amiss and no other warning lights appear, you should still schedule an appointment with your mechanic.
What To Do When You See a Wrench Light on your Car?
If your car has a wrench light on, the best thing to do is call a tow truck. A wrench light can be caused by any number of things, but the most common cause is that your alternator belt is loose or broken and needs to be replaced.
If this is the case, then driving with the wrench light on will only make things worse as your battery continues to drain and eventually die.
What Causes a Wrench Light To Come On?
The wrench light means that the computer has detected an issue with your vehicle’s powertrain or four-wheel drive. It is a very important warning that needs to be addressed as soon as possible for the safety of your car and your family.
Common problems include transmission slipping, low oil pressure, and faulty wheel sensors and if left untreated these conditions can lead to more serious issues such as transmission failure, engine stalling, and accidents.
Fortunately, most of these problems are easily fixable by taking your car in for a check-up at the service center, but they should never be ignored, so if you see the wrench light come on, do not drive any further than necessary and make sure to pull over on a safe surface before turning off your engine.
Does the Wrench Light Mean An Oil Change?
Sometimes when the wrench light comes on, it means that it’s time to change your oil this is how it goes the light will come on when your car is hot and driving, but you should check at the next stop so you’ll know you’re in good shape if your dashboard doesn’t have any red lights beside the warning lights like a broken taillight or low tire.
How Long Can You Drive With a Wrench Light On?
You can drive as long as you want with the wrench light on. It means that there is something wrong with your car but you can still drive.
The wrench icon will stay on for about 10 minutes before turning off, so if you are close enough to a mechanic, stop by.
If not, keep driving and don’t worry about it too much, so long as you are driving safely and not using any of your breaks, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Does a Wrench Light Throw A Code?
Most times they don’t, the wrench symbol comes on when we drive at a high speed and long distance but goes off when we drive at lower speeds which makes the mechanic not get codes to read on the code reader.
It is a computer that turns this light on when there is a powertrain malfunction/electronic throttle body system malfunction, so when the Wrench lights come up for only one second, we should stop driving and call our mechanic immediately.
If your engine light flashes yellow before flashing red, have your car checked out as soon as possible! A yellow wrench will usually be followed by a flashing red wrench warning within 10 seconds if there are more than four errors in the engine.
Can I Drive My Car With The Wrench Light On?
It’s not so good to continue driving with the wrench light on, because if you do, your vehicle may not run at its optimal level and could lead to costly repairs. Also, driving with the wrench light on can be a distraction to other drivers who may not understand what the wrench light means.
If the wrench light is on and you believe your car needs service, it’s best to pull over and call for assistance or park somewhere safe until someone can come to help you. The wrench light usually goes off after the problem has been fixed.
So if it comes back on again, that could indicate another problem that needs addressing. In some cases, such as when the check engine light comes on or an oil pressure warning comes up, there may be an indication in your owner’s manual as to what the trouble code is and how much time remains before major damage occurs.
Also Read: Freeze Plug Leak (Causes & Fix)
FAQ
What is an orange wrench light?
The orange wrench light is a reminder for drivers that there is a problem with their vehicle, drivers will see this light if they have low tire pressure, or if one of their tires has gone flat.
If drivers are lucky, they may only need to add air, but if they are unlucky, they may have a puncture in the tire and will be required to replace it.
There are also cases where drivers forget to remove the spare tire when they change a flat tire, which will cause them to see orange wrench light. To avoid any confusion with this type of warning light, drivers should take note of what led up to seeing it and consult their car manual for help.
How do you clear an orange wrench light?
First, access the Oil Change setting on your touchscreen is Applications, check Vehicle Status Monitor, then, Change the oil, and tap Reset. Select this option and wait for a few minutes for the system to update with the current information, then your wrench light should now be cleared and everything will be back to normal.
Do I have to change my air filter every time I change my oil?
No, only if you experience driving issues or an orange wrench light in the dashboard display, this could indicate a dirty air filter. If you are not sure when your last oil change was, we recommend changing the filter every other oil change. Be sure to check your owner’s manual for more specific instructions on how often to replace your air filter.
What does a wrench icon mean?
If you have the System UI Tuner enabled, you will see a wrench icon in your status bar, this means that the System UI Tuner is enabled and there are settings available for tweaking. The wrench symbol will appear as long as the System UI Tuner is active.
When it’s not present on your screen, it means that the system UI tuner has been disabled or deleted. To enable this feature again, go into Settings > System > About phone > and tap on Build number 7 times or more, you will then get an activation notification on the top of your screen; just click on it to turn it back on.
Also Read: 10 Causes of Transmission Failure
Conclusion
Lastly, the wrench light has a wide variety of meanings. It can mean there is something wrong with the engine, that the vehicle needs an oil change or that it’s time for an alignment, however, the most common cause for a wrench light is a loose or unplugged connection, so stop assuming, if your wrench light comes on and you don’t understand why just take your car to a mechanic for inspection.