Volvo V40 Dashboard Warning Lights

Here we cover the dashboard warning lights for the latest Volvo V40 five door hatchback released from 2012 to present. The warning lights are applicable to all model versions of the Volvo V40 made from 2012 to present. Certain versions of the Volvo V40 may not display a warning light and instead display a warning message about a system fault.

Generic Warning Light

These warning lights are associated with a fault that has no specific warning light. They may illuminate independently or with another warning light and message.

Symbol	Warning Description and Action
	The Volvo V40 red warning triangle and exclamation mark will illuminate when a serious fault has been detected. This fault may affect the safety and/or driveability of the car. In the information display, a message will provide more information regarding the fault.
	The Volvo V40 yellow information symbol may illuminate alone or along with another warning light. The information warning light comes on when one of the car's systems has a fault. A message will also be shown in the driver information display.

Red Warning Lights

The Volvo V40 red warning lights are the most urgent and require immediate attention. They indicate an important function has been activated or that a serious fault has occurred.

Symbol	Warning Description and Action
	The Volvo V40 low oil pressure warning light requires that you safely pull off the road as quickly as possible and switch off the engine. Check the engine oil level and top up with oil if required. Important If the oil level is normal and doesn't require topping up, do not continue driving. This is a symptom of low oil pressure which means internal engine components may not be lubricated. Contact a Volvo workshop for assistance.
	The Volvo V40 parking brake symbol comes on when the parking brake is applied. An alternative parking brake symbol may display depending on whether your Volvo V40 has a digital or analogue display.
	If the Volvo V40 airbag warning light remains lit or comes on when driving, a fault has been detected in one of the car's safety systems. The airbags and/or seat belt pretensioner system may fail to activate in the event of an accident. Has system serviced by a Volvo workshop.

The battery warning light is the Volvo V40 electrical system fault light. If the warning comes on when driving, it means the alternator is not charging the battery. The fault may be a broken alternator, faulty battery or bad connection or other. It's probably that the engine may stall when power is depleted from the battery. Turn off any utilities that are not required to save battery power and have vehicle looked at immediately.

The Volvo V40 Brake warning coming when driving is a possible symptom of low brake fluid. Stop as soon as possible and check brake fluid level in the reservoir tank. Brake fluid levels may drop due to brake pad wear or a system leak. Brake and ABS If the ABS warning light illuminates along with the brake warning light there may be a fault in the brake force distribution system. This system regulates brake force on individual wheels. In this instance: • Stop the car safely, switch off the engine and restart - check to see if the warning lights have extinguished. • If the warning lights remain on, check brake fluid levels and top up if required. If the warning light remain on, you can carefully continue driving. Be aware that braking ability may be reduced.

Amber Fault and Other Information Warning Lights

Amber warning light indicate that a system has been switched on or off (when it’s on by default) or are used to indicate a maintenance or minor fault.

ABS - Anti-lock Braking System comes standard on most modern vehicles. The system prevents wheel lock during emergency braking. The Volvo V40 ABS warning light comes on when driving to indicate a fault with the system. This is often a fault with a connecting cable or sensor. Regular brakes will continue to work as usual. What to do Safely stop the car and switch off the engine. Now restart the engine and hopefully the error will have cleared. If the ABS warning light remains lit, you can continue driving but have the fault fixed as soon as possible. Important Due to ABS preventing wheel lock, avoid heavy braking as there's a higher risk of locking wheels.

The Volvo V40 ABL (Active Bending Lights) warning light indicating a fault with the system. You may recieve the warning message 'Headlight Failure Service Required'. Until the ABL system is fixed, you can temporarily disable the warning light and message by switching off ABL in the MY CAR menu options. This fault may be related to the ABS sensors which are used to measure wheel rotation speed in order to calculate the level and degree in which the headlights bend.

	The Volvo V40 check engine warning light illuminating after engine start is a fault with the car's emissions system. On the Volvo V40, the problem is often due to a faulty EGR valve (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) which is responsible in helping reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. It can also help to increase engine efficiency.
	ESC, or Electronic Stability Control helps the driver to avoid skidding and improves the car's traction. The Volvo V40 ESC warning light illuminates due to the following: Flashing light: this means the system is engaged in attempting to stabilize the vehicle. Constant light: a fault has been detected with the system. Due to the ESC system using the same sensors as ABS, the fault may be related. Restarting the engine may clear the fault.
	AdBlue is injected into the exhaust which then reacts with the nitrogen oxide gas produced by the combustion process, converting it into harmless nitrogen and oxygen. The Volvo V40 Adblue warning light comes on when the level becomes low. When you have your Volvo serviced, the workshop will often top up AdBlue, but depending on your style of driving, AdBlue may require topping up between service intervals. If the AdBlue tank runs empty, the car will no longer start. You can check the AdBlue level by pressing 'OK' on the left-side stalk switch and selecting AdBlue in the menu options.
	To help with fuel economy and environmental concerns, the Volvo V40 is equipped with automatic engine start / stop technology. This green 'A' symbol illuminates when the system is operational and has invoked engine shut down. There are many factors that determine whether the system will stop the engine. Check to see if the conditions are being met, see: Volvo V40 start / stop not working.
	The Volvo V40 tyre pressure warning light illuminates or flashes in yellow when: Illuminates: Pressure in one or more tyres is too low. Stop and check pressures or change wheel. Flashes: The tyre pressure monitor light flashes for 1 minute then illuminates constantly. This means there's a fault in the tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS). The tyre pressure monitoring system uses ABS sensors, so if the ABS warning light comes on, it's possible that it may affect the TPMS or ESC. Resetting the Volvo V40 tyre pressure system If tyre pressure values have be altered, the tyre pressure monitoring system must be reset. To so this: 1. Stop the engine and locate the correct tyre pressure values located on the inside of the driver's door. Inflate the tyres to the correct values. 2. Start the engine and allow the car to stand still. 4. Select the menu system MY CAR and navigate to Tyre monitor. 5. Select Start Calibration and press OK. 6. Drive the car. Calibration is performed when the car is driven at a speed of 22 mph (35 km/h) or more. Calibration is interrupted if the engine is switched off but will resume when the car is driven again. No confirmation is given when calibration is complete.

	When the lights switch is set to auto, the automatic high beam (AHB) symbol illuminates on the Volvo V40 dashboard. When high beam has been switched on, the blue high beam symbol also illuminates. On the digital version of the V40, the AHB symbol illuminates white and changes to blue. Automatic high beam fault If you receive a blocked sensor fault message, clean the windscreen at the top centre which is where the sensor is located.
	If you are having any problems with lane keeping aids, adaptive cruise control or distance warning systems, it could be due to the view of the camera or laser sensor is obstructed. This is located at the top centre of the windscreen and can become ineffective due to dirt obscuring the view. Cleaning the windscreen will enable operation of the system.
	A blocked radar sensor on the Volvo V40 may affect the following systems: • Distance warning • Adaptive cruise control • Collision Warning with Auto Brake and Pedestrian Detection The radar sensor is located on the grill at the front of the vehicle and can become blocked or its functionality temporarily impaired by heavy rain or slush, or if other objects have collected in front of the radar sensor. Always clean the radar surface.
	The Volvo V40 ECO function mode enables better fuel saving for automatic versions of the car by adapting: • Gearbox gearshift points. • Engine management and response from the accelerator pedal. • Start/Stop function - Autostop may active before the vehicle is stationary. • The Eco Coast freewheel function is activated – engine braking ceases. • Climate control system settings – to save fuel, some electricity consumers are deactivated or operate at reduced power.