Do you know what to do if you start your car and your airbag light suddenly lights up?
Can you drive in such a situation?
Should you encounter an accident, will the airbag work even if the airbag light is on?
This post will tell you everything you need to know in such a situation.
You will know how airbags generally work.
After reading this post, you will be able to easily determine when an airbag issue can be easily fixed at home, and when it already needs the help of professional mechanics.
Is it safe for you to keep on driving if the airbag light is on?
NO, it is not safe for you to drive if your car’s airbag light is on.
If your airbag’s light system is on, it means that your airbag system is having a problem.
In such a situation, this means that your airbag will not deploy should you encounter an accident while driving.
In short, you will not be in a safe and secure position should you encounter an accident while driving.
When such a warning light appears, it means that your airbags will not be functional if you encounter a crash.
Such a demise can cause serious injuries and even death.
An airbag warning light is an extra layer of protection placed by car manufacturers to ensure that the airbag system is fully functioning.
When it blinks or fires up, this means that you have to deal with a problem involving your airbag system.
This means that you could have broken wires, a faulty control system, bad connections, or even a damaged airbag.
You can easily check the exact meaning of the trouble code by using an OBD2 scanner.
What the warning light is basically saying is: your airbag will not work if you’d encounter an accident.
This is because the whole airbag system is shut off when an airbag warning light is on.
This is to secure your safety as the system is not stable and reliable.
In such a sensitive situation, your airbag can easily blow in your face even if there is no accident.
This is very dangerous as it can cause an accident if you happen to be driving.
If you keep on driving while the airbag system light is on, your airbag system or any part of your car, will not be damaged.
However, you will be prone to accidents that can cause injuries or even death, as your airbag will not properly deploy when necessary or may blow in instances where there is no accident at all.
Hence, it is not safe to keep on driving when your airbag light is on. It will be very irresponsible of you.
You need to do something about it in an instant as it is a matter of life and death, seriously.
How do airbags determine that an accident is taking place?
Your airbag system is composed of crash sensors, a control unit, and the airbags themselves.
Crash sensors are usually placed on the sides and in front of a car.
Some models have more sensors places. Crash sensors are part of the system that triggers a safety protocol. When it is triggered, it automatically sends a signal to the control unit.
The control unit then automatically triggers the airbags to explode to instantly protect you.
Such an automated system of warning takes place in just milliseconds.
It is a pretty neat work of science!
What is the common problem when a car’s airbag light is on?
The most common reason that causes airbag warning lights to activate is a bad connection within any of your airbag system’s connector.
This is usually caused by plug connectors placed under the front seats.
The plug connectors under the front seats can move slightly forward or backward when you move your car seats often.
Such constant movement results in damaged plugs. In such a case, you can opt to spray your plug with an electric cleaner.
Can you fix your airbag system by yourself?
Yes, you can fix your airbag system at home.
However, do take note that you need to remove the battery connection first, before working on it.
It’s best to follow your car’s owner’s manual in such a case as it will have a repair guide.
Will the airbag light or SRS light disappear once the problem is fixed?
No, you need to erase the trouble cold manually.
Such design is effected to ensure your optimum security and safety. You could use an OBD2 scanner to delete the trouble code.
If you don’t have an OBD2 scanner, you can ask a mechanic to do it for you.
Removing the trouble code is easy as it will just take a minute or two.
Always Remember
When it comes to your airbag light, please take note of the following:
- When your airbag light is activated, this means that your airbag system is not functioning.
- Such an error is often caused by bad connections.
- The plug connectors under your two front seats usually cause such a problem.
- You can fix an airbag light error by yourself by following your car’s owner’s manual.
- When fixing your airbag system by yourself, always remember to remove the battery.
- You need to manually erase the trouble codes after fixing the problem. Your airbag light warning will not automatically disappear.