AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON OR OFF, WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Car manufacturers have incorporated a safety feature that deploys a bag inside a special compartment to help cushion the passengers from impact in case of an accident, this safety system is called an “Airbag Safety System”. It consists of impact sensors and a control module.
WHAT IS AN AIRBAG SAFETY SYSTEM?
All modern cars have an airbag warning light inside the instrument panel to make sure that this safety system operates properly. When you turn the starter key on, this light will illuminate to inform you that the system is now ready to be activated, once your car has started the light should be off to let you know that the system is working correctly. If the airbag warning light stays on, it means that the system has shut down and it is not working because the automatic self-check operation of the airbag program has detected a problem.
HOW TO FIX AND RESET THE SYSTEM CHECK LIGHT?
Depending on your car model, once repairs are made the system should be reset. The American cars will self-clear once the system detects no problems exist, (no Diagnostic Trouble Code Detected), However, the Japanese and European cars need to use a code reader (OBD Diagnostic Interface) to clear the codes and turn off the system warning light.
HOW TO FIND OUT WHAT’S WRONG?
All cars will have an OBD2 diagnostic interface under the driver’s dash which a code reader interface can plug into and gather what we call DTC codes or “Diagnostic Trouble Codes”.
COMMON TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
We all know that the driver’s airbag is in the steering wheel, therefore this system is connected through a spiral wire which is sometimes called a “clock spring” to make the connection between the control module and the airbag easy when the steering wheel is rotated. Most of the time, this spiral wire can lose the electrical connection which will disable the system and turn the airbag warning light on.
