According to JDPower.com, there are at least 18 standard warning lights on a car’s dashboard, and the airbag warning light, like the check engine light, is not one to be ignored. The airbag warning light may light up briefly each time you start your vehicle, and then go off. But if it stays on, flashes while you drive, or comes on while you’re driving, it indicates a problem with your airbags or some other part of the SRS (Supplementary Restraint System) which includes airbags, seatbelts, and sensors.
Why is this warning light so important?
When the airbag warning light is on, chances are that your airbags are not going to deploy in an accident. When the system detects a fault, it deactivates the airbags for your protection against them deploying randomly. But deactivation leaves you and your passengers without one of your car’s most important safety features—airbags that “soften the blow” in an accident and protect from serious injury or death.
Depending on your car’s make and model, the warning light can take the form of:
· A red or amber light of a person with a seatbelt and an inflated airbag in front of them
· An “SRS” dashboard light
· An “AIR BAG” dashboard light
The best thing you can do is to have your car’s SRS airbag system checked as soon as possible by a qualified, trusted automotive professional who can let you know both the problem and the solution to get you safely back on the road.
What can trigger the airbag warning light to come on?
If there is a fault anywhere in the system, the car will let you know by illuminating the airbag warning light on the dashboard.
The SRS computer can produce an error code that can aid in the diagnosis of the problem, which is likely to be one, or a combination of, the following:
· Bad sensors: If one of the sensors is bad the system detects a fault, and the light comes on. You will need to have the sensors checked and the system needs a reset to work properly again.
· Seatbelt problems: A seat belt tensioner is the device that pulls a seat belt tight if there is a sudden movement or stop. A faulty seat belt tensioner might not hold the occupant in place in the event of a crash. Since the seatbelt tensioners work in tandem with your car's airbags, the airbag warning light could indicate a seatbelt that isn't working properly.
· Faulty SRS airbag module: The SRS module, or diagnostic module, is the heart of the whole SRS system. It receives information and checks every part of the airbag system so if the module itself is faulty, the airbag warning light will come on. Also, if the airbag has been deployed recently, the module must be reset or replaced along with a new airbag.
· Dead backup battery: The airbag operates with the help of a backup battery and if this battery power gets too low, you’ll see the warning light. If your car’s battery is weak or dead, the power to the backup battery may be impacted. Once you charge the car battery, the backup should start working again and the light go off. Otherwise, it needs to be replaced and the sensors need to be reset
· Electrical fault: The SRS uses many sensors and connectors and, just as any wire, they can become loose or broken. Read the error code and check the wiring for the relevant part and see if everything is in proper working order.
· Damaged clock spring: Your airbag clock spring is an electrical connector in your steering wheel airbag that maintains electrical contact between the driver’s airbag and the SRS computer as you turn the wheel back and forth. A bad connection can lead to airbag failure. If the warning light is on and your horn doesn’t work, you can likely blame a faulty clock spring.
· Water damage: If your vehicle has become the victim of water damage from interior spills or driving in flood conditions, any electrical SRS-related components could be damaged, including the airbag module, located below the seats. If it becomes corroded or shorts out, it will stop working and the warning light will come on.
· Undeployed airbags after an accident: If you had a minor accident and the airbags didn't deploy, the airbag warning light may come on. The crash sensors that fire the airbags may have been triggered, but the force of the accident wasn't severe enough to trigger the airbags themselves. To ensure your airbags will deploy in the event of a more significant crash, have the crash sensors tested and/or replaced.
· Passenger airbag caution light: This amber colored light comes on and stays on when there is not an adult in the passenger seat to indicate that the airbag will not deploy in an accident, making it safe to install a rear-facing child seat. If the light does not go off when an adult sits in the seat, the weight sensor may have gone bad making deployment unreliable, so it should be checked.
Is it safe (or legal) to drive with the airbag light on?
While there is no federal law that forbids driving a car that is not equipped with functional air bags, it certainly is not safe to drive with the warning light on, indicating a possible problem with deployment capability. Bad or deactivated airbags may not impact the ability to drive the car, but keeping your airbags primed and ready is important to the safety of everyone in your vehicle.
There are additional advantages to maintaining airbag integrity, including:
· No problem with annual auto registration. Some states require working airbags under safety inspection standards and a car cannot pass a safety inspection without functional, technician-tested airbags.
· Sell your car with full disclosure. Any used car buyer has a right to know that the airbags are functional. In Alabama a seller must inform a buyer if the air bags are not working. Without functioning, reliable airbags, you could quickly lose a sale.
· Keep your auto insurance company happy. Insurance rates and terms are based on, among other things, a vehicle's safety features, including airbags. If yours are no longer working, it could impact your coverage in an accident.
LKQ Online can help with the costs of replacement airbags by offering genuine OEM, non-deployed, used airbags at significant savings over dealership prices. Search by your car’s year, make, and model to find steering wheel airbags, side airbags, and knee airbags, as well as airbag control modules to keep your car or truck safer for you and your passengers in the event of an accident.