Editorial Policy

1. Purpose and accountability

DWL was founded by Joshua Lee to help everyday drivers understand their dashboard. Our role is to explain possible meanings, relevant context and the limits of what can be learned from a symbol. We must not present an article as a vehicle inspection, proof of a fault or a guarantee that driving is safe.

Bylines and contributor descriptions must reflect who prepared the work and their actual experience. Ownership of a car does not establish a professional qualification. We do not describe material as mechanic-reviewed, manufacturer-approved or independently tested unless that review or testing occurred and can be substantiated.

2. Evidence and source standards

For vehicle-specific claims, the preferred sources are the owner’s manual for the relevant model and market, manufacturer technical information, official recall notices and recognised transport or safety authorities. Qualified technical explanations may add context, but a forum post, search snippet or generated answer is not sufficient evidence for a safety-critical assertion.

Writers should record the source and vehicle scope of important claims and link to accessible primary material where useful. When sources conflict, identify the difference or narrow the claim; do not invent a confident resolution. We distinguish first-hand ownership experience, researched information, opinion and illustration.

Unverified component diagnoses, repair prices, mileage thresholds and service intervals must not be stated as universal facts. Fault-code meanings need vehicle context and do not by themselves justify replacing a part.

3. Model years, markets and equipment

Guides must account for differences in model year, generation, country, trim, powertrain and fitted equipment. A model-wide article may show symbols absent from an individual vehicle. “All models” is a coverage description, not a promise that every illustrated light applies to every configuration.

We should identify limitations in broad guides and avoid transferring a meaning from one manufacturer or generation without verification. Symbol shape, colour, flashing behaviour, accompanying text and operating conditions can all matter. A general colour guide must not override the manual or imply that every amber warning permits continued driving.

4. Safety-sensitive publishing

Safety takes priority over a catchy headline or a simplified explanation. Content must not offer blanket permission to keep driving, dismiss abnormal braking or steering, or imply that clearing a code repairs its cause. Distinguish an indicator that reports an operating feature from a warning that needs investigation, and state uncertainty where necessary.

Instructions involving brakes, airbags, fuel, immobilisers, emissions controls or high-voltage systems require particular care. We must not encourage bypassing safety protections or unlawful modifications. Readers should be directed to their vehicle’s instructions and qualified assistance, not led to assume a generic guide is a workshop procedure.

Reported dangerous inaccuracies should be prioritised for assessment. Where an important claim cannot be supported, remove or qualify it while the issue is investigated. The contact channel is for editorial feedback and is not an emergency service.

5. Independence and commercial relationships

Advertising must be distinguishable from editorial content. Payment, free products or another benefit must not buy an undisclosed endorsement or a promised positive conclusion. Relevant sponsorship, gifts, ownership interests and other material connections must be disclosed clearly alongside the affected material.

Any future compensated referral links must be identified before or near the recommendation; a general policy page alone is not sufficient disclosure. A display advertisement does not mean DWL recommends the advertised product or has checked that it fits your car. Editorial conclusions should remain grounded in evidence.

6. AI assistance and human responsibility

AI tools may assist with research organisation, drafting, editing, coding or illustrations. Anyone preparing or approving material remains responsible for verifying factual claims, citations, quotations and vehicle-specific explanations. Generated text is not a technical source and cannot substitute for a qualified assessment where one is required.

Do not invent experience, tests, interviews, credentials, quotations or sources. Generated or materially altered imagery must not be presented as documentary evidence. Disclose its use when it could affect a reader’s understanding of what is real, tested or observed. Ordinary resizing or formatting does not carry the same implication.

This policy sets standards for AI-assisted work; it does not imply that every historical article has already received a new human technical review.

7. Images, symbols and attribution

Use owned, licensed or otherwise lawfully reusable images and retain source and licence records. Public availability does not establish public-domain status. Credit creators where required. A stock photograph must not imply a personal test, ownership or an exact model-year match that has not been verified.

Warning-symbol illustrations must preserve the identifying shape and relevant colour. Converting a PNG to an SVG is a presentation change, not evidence that the symbol is technically accurate. Replacement artwork should be checked against the original and the supported vehicle context. Collages should identify representative generations where an exact match cannot be implied.

8. Corrections, updates and complaints

Report concerns to dashboardwarninglights@protonmail.com or our contact page. Include the article URL, disputed wording or image, relevant model year and market, and a supporting manual page or other source if available. Do not send unnecessary personal or vehicle identifiers.

Assess a correction against evidence rather than the complainant’s commercial interests. Correct substantiated factual errors; record significant changes in a reader-visible note explaining the issue and revision. Minor spelling or formatting fixes do not normally require a correction notice. A safety-relevant change should not be concealed as routine proofreading.

Distinguish a substantive technical review from a design change, link repair or automated date refresh. Do not change an “updated” date merely to suggest new reporting. Where an old claim cannot be verified, qualify it or withdraw it rather than presenting it as newly checked.

If you disagree with a response, reply with “Editorial review” and explain the unresolved issue for further consideration. We cannot promise an immediate response or individual vehicle troubleshooting.

9. Applying these standards to the archive

Some older articles predate these standards and may cover a wide span of model years. This policy does not certify that the entire archive is fully sourced or technically current. Apply the standards when preparing new material and reviewing existing guides, prioritising reported errors, safety implications and important vehicle changes.

We revise this policy when publishing practices change. Readers should continue to check the manual for their exact vehicle and seek qualified help for a specific fault.