Why is my airbag light on? Many drivers don’t know the reasons behind it and ignorance can mean the difference between life and death, literally! A number of reasons could work behind an illuminated airbag light. The fact that you should worry about most is it means that the bag won’t deploy at the time of an accident.
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Why Is My Airbag Light on? The Top Three Reasons
The airbags are one of the prime safety features in a car. They protect you from head injuries when there is a serious accident. When the light starts flashing, you should immediately take action to resolve the problem. So, what causes airbag light to come on? Let’s find out:
Battery backup is drained
It’s the most common reason why your airbag light won’t turn off. It could happen when your car battery is low or has been drained for some reason. The problem will be gone once the battery is fully recharged. However, the battery could still be on. You have to use a scan tool and remove the soft-code error to switch it off.
Worn-out airbag clock spring
The spring does the job of maintaining the continuity between the driver seat’s airbag and electrical wiring. It has some thin circuit bands that may fray or be brittle after some time, causing the bag to send a soft-code error report to the airbag control module, which ends up with a flashing light.
In case of such a problem, you have to take it to the repair shop for the replacement of the spring. Worn-out airbag clock spring not only is one of the common reasons why the airbag light turns on, but it is also one of the most expensive to repair.
Read more:
The wet or corroded control module
This is the third reason why is my airbag light on the query. In most cars, you will find the control module underneath the seat of either the driver or the front passenger. So, it will corrode if those parts are exposed to water. The module in question will generate an immediate diagnostic trouble code, which will cause the airbag indicator light to come on.
Sensor problems
The airbag system consists of many components with sensors located in different locations on the vehicle. All of them connect to the ECU to detect and notify the driver of any potential problems. Sensors may be faulty or bumped causing the airbag warning to light up. In some cases, the airbag sensor works – activating suddenly and for no apparent reason. They can also be damaged and turn on the airbag indicator light if the vehicle is exposed to water. There are also situations where the airbag control unit may be damaged. When any of these occur, replacing sensors, controllers or components can solve the problem.
Seat belt fault
Not wearing a seat belt or wearing it incorrectly can also cause the airbag light to come on. If the seat belt is fastened but the indicator light is still flashing, then there may be a problem with the buckle, or the seat belt is not securely fastened to the buckle. Another scenario is that the sensors in the lock fail and they do not correctly notify the ECU that the seat belt is fastened.
Other cases such as: changing parts causing the seat belt sensor to fail, water spilling or something stuck between the sensor and the buckle, etc. At that time, the sensor may not recognize that the seat belt is fastened and will trigger the airbag light to illuminate to give a warning.
Therefore, when the airbag indicator light is on, the occupants need to check that they have fastened their seat belts and fastened them correctly. Along with that, check and clean if there is water or objects stuck in the lock.
Airbags are an important passive safety system in a vehicle. It helps to minimize the injury and impact of the occupants in the event of an unexpected collision. Therefore, it is not safe to drive with the airbag light on. Whenever the airbag light is on, it is a signal of a problem in the airbag system, and the driver when detected needs to be checked and corrected immediately.
How to Reset Airbag Light
Sometimes, we need to do it when working on the electrical components in the dashboard. After putting everything back together, it’s necessary to reset the light too. It’s a really simple task and won’t take more than a couple of minutes. Before starting the process, make sure that all the dash components have been plugged correctly.
Turn off and restart your car
The first step is to turn the ignition switch on, which will make the airbag light come on. The light will flash for exactly seven seconds. Once it is off, you have to turn off the ignition within a second. Turn the ignition on again after three seconds. Repeat this process two or three times and the airbag light will stop flashing. This is the time you’ll know that it is reset.
Restart the car and drive
The driver takes this step if the airbag light blinks or stays on for a short time only. This is like recharging a car with an energy cycle. The driver restarts the engine, then drives the vehicle for a short distance.
Note: Before restarting the vehicle, check the wiring under the driver and passenger seats. Look for loose or rusty wires in the connection plug to replace. If not, spray the connector plugs with an electronic cleaner.
Check the passenger airbag switch
The passenger seat airbag on/off button (only available in some cars) is also one of the things to check when dealing with the airbag warning light. It is possible that during use, this button is accidentally turned off, causing the airbag light to come on. The button is usually located on the dashboard on the passenger side but can also sometimes be installed in the storage compartments or the rear door.
My air bag is ever on have tried some of procedures that u have mentioned above no no change model probox
Thanks a lot. Followed your procedure. Tightened the connections underneath the drivers seat and yes the airbag sign on the dash board disappeared.
I have to express my thanks. God bless you more. Your tips (on the video) fixed my srs airbag light on issue. Have a blessed day.
I have Nissan Armadale pathfinder Le 2004, the airbag light continue flashing or blinking each time I start my truck.
And this have being going on since 4 months now.
Airbag light won’t show on dash when i start mitsubishi pejero sport has failed m o t because of this any idea how to solve it
Good Evening. My airbag light comes on as soon as i connect the battery and it will not go off, It doesnt blink, just stays on. I have a 1993 Toyota Corolla. I checked all the fuses and the wire under the seat is connected.
I a Subaru Legacy 2008 but the airbag lights is always on what could be the problem
I have had it with Nissan !! I have a 2008 Nissan Versa SL my transmission when out at a little over 120,000 miles. I went online to see if there was other problems with other Nissan owners and I was surprised at how many people had complaints. Most of the complaints were with Nissans in my year range and of car and with the CVT transmission with so many complaints Nissan raised the warranty mileage to 10 yr 120,000 the normal warranty mileage 5 yrs 60,000, Since mine was over by 5,000 miles Nissan North America would not honor the warranty. It cost me almost 4,000 dollars for a rebuilt CVT; Next I had a recall on my airbags which took over 5 months to get an appt to exchange them. One month after getting my car back my Airbag light on my dashboard started blinking. I called Nissan North America again and asked them to please help me with the airbag light that I was just out 4000 dollars well I got a sorry we cannot help you and they told me that I would have to take it to a Nissan dealership and pay to have it looked at and then if they figured out that it was their fault they would fix it but if not I would have to pay. Is the word NO AND PAY THE ONLY WORDS NISSAN KNOWS. ?? RIGHT NOW I HAVE MY NISSAN UP FOR SALE IF ANYONE WANTS TO BUY IT. IT HAS A REBUILT CVT NOW AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS STILL FLASHING.
I tried this but it went off but came back permanently . That procedure does not work any more
my friend said his car (Outlander Sport, maybe around 2010-2013) got these airbag sensor light on the dashboard on after a light impact, from a collision with another car, located at the left bumper corner. His car is parked, another car hits at about 3-5kph. Its not touching the wheel, but the bumper is damaged.. lamp is also derailed abit, about 3-4cms from the original position.. Any leads would be appreciated, thankyou 😊
My 2017 dodge Daytona has been in the shop 5 times now for the air bag warning light. First they said something under the seat was coming unplugged then they replaced the wiring harness then 2 weeks later it’s back on. Mostly morning times on my way to work. Only a few times some days but 15 times on another. It’s in the shop again.
My air bag light just stays on and does not blink. What does that mean?
I did change out the battery. Does that make a difference? How to fix
Top man, it has turned off my airbag light. Not sure how long for but it has certainly worked for now, Thanks!!!!!
I have a 2008 Mazda Tribute, no accidents. I have checked fuses and connections and it just stays on. No flashing just stays on. No seatbelt problems that I can tell either. Any ideas?
I have managed to turn my airbag light off how do I tell if it is faulty or not will it come back on when driving??
If this helps anyone. I had the same airbag light flashing problem. Nissan centre asked for £100 just to diagnose the issue. After searching on internet, I have found that there is the issue was inside my gloves box on the passenger side. There was a panel at the top which came down. All I had to do it push it upward until it fitted to something. I had to still reset the light by turning key on and off as this article suggests (And many more on the internet). Also worth checking all the wire connections under your seats.
I have nothing but problems with my Subaru Outback since having the airbags replaced
Dash clock not working seatbelt lights flashing air conditioner blowing hot air and then my car stalled and the alarm and locks not working this all happened after airbags replaced ? Dealership Subaru Newton NJ giving me a hard time about this saying it’s not related telling me my car is old it’s a 2011 I also own a 1993 legacy and a Subaru Impreza 2010 so the newest car is sitting at the dealers shop for a week now .and I have not been offered a loaner even ,
Spent $200 at the toyota repair place to find out the clockspring no longer functions and is causing the airbag light to remain on in our 1996 Toyota Corolla. It apparently keeps a connection for the airbag even when the steering is turning. The replacement is $750.