Airbag warning light is on on the dashboard a lot
A while back when my 2007 GMC Sierra had around 70,000 miles on it, the service airbag lights came on on the dashboard and I brought it in to have it serviced. They said it was something with the sensor and the light was back off. Then a month or two later I was in a high-speed accident and my airbags did NOT go off! I am very lucky the seatbelts must have been made by someone else! How can I ensure this does not happen with my next vehicle?
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
The first thing I would do is find out why they did not go off in the accident. If you were in a high speed front end collision, the airbags should have deployed. I cannot speculate if the prior repairs were the cause of the airbags not deploying. I did not see any recalls or bulletins pertaining to your airbags. You can verify your airbags are ready to deploy every time you start your vehicle-your airbag light will light up and then go out. This indicates the system powered on and the light goes out after a self test. If light does not come on and go out, or comes on and stays on, then you need to have system checked.
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When this light comes on, it indicates that a problem has been detected in the system, and one or more airbags may not inflate in the event of a collision. While it`s possible that all the airbags could work as intended even with an SRS warning light, a failure in the airbags is a significant safety concern.
Turn the ignition on and off.
The ignition switch should first be turned on. Next, watch for the airbag light to illuminate; it typically does so after seven seconds and stays on until it automatically turns off. After that, turn off the ignition switch right away and wait three seconds.
The bottom line is that, when your airbag light comes on, it`s vital that you don`t drive any further and have your car checked by a mechanic as soon as possible. Until the problem is diagnosed and fixed, your airbags will not deploy.
The airbag light will always reset when the vehicle shuts off. If the light does not reset within a few seconds after turning the car off, it is because the problem is more serious.
Airbag crash sensors are not cheap, to say the least, with parts alone costing approximately $70-$350 a piece. Once additional labor costs of $50-$100 are factored in, one can expect to pay between $120-$450 in total for replacement.
Where are the airbag sensors on a car? The front of the car typically has an impact sensor installed because this is where collisions are most likely to happen. A comparable safety sensor is placed inside the vehicle`s passenger area, and the sensor is situated inside the engine.
Blown fuses can definitely cause the airbag light to come on.
Number 1 — Reset Airbag Light
You`ll need to hire a professional to come in and examine the airbags before you continue to drive the car. This process can take several hours of time and usually costs a few hundred dollars, although depending upon the type of car it may be up to about $600.
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Ignoring the airbag light (or removing the bulb that illuminates it) isn`t recommended. Car manufacturers stress that drivers should bring their vehicles to a dealer as soon as possible if the light comes on.
The clockspring and any impact sensors that melted or were damaged in the collision will need to be replaced. This is in order for the airbag module to reset and work properly for the future.
Even if an airbag looks fully deployed, it may be capable of a second deployment. Disabling the restraint systems is commonly done by disconnecting and isolating the negative battery cable.
On average, a mechanic may take 1 to 2 hours to replace an airbag.
The B1912 code is a standard OBD-II trouble code that notes an airbag diagnostic monitor circuit issue. The airbag diagnostic monitor, which is often referred to as the airbag control module, is responsible for receiving input data from the airbag crash sensors if the car is experiencing extreme contact.
Faulty Sensors
These include sensors in the seats, seat belts, on the body, etc. Even if one of these sensors malfunctions, the airbag light will turn on. This is one of the most common reasons for the light showing up on the dashboard.
The airbag light or ABS light (and even the check engine light) will all blink the codes when the OBD-II connector is properly bridged. For example if it blinks 5 time slow and 1 time fast you have a 51 code. All you`ll need is a paper clip. This video below will demonstrate how to do it.
Activating and deactivating the passenger airbag
But the passenger airbag can be deactivated if the car is equipped with a Passenger Airbag Cut Off Switch (PACOS). In most cases, to disable the airbag you need to have the ignition switched off to avoid any possible malfunctions.
All airbag control modules can be reset and reprogrammed, except modules that were damaged by a flood, fire, or some other kind of damage that impacted the hardware. Airbag control modules store hard and soft codes caused by accidents.
When this light is on, that means your airbags are deactivated. It means they will not deploy properly if you get into an accident. If your car`s battery has drained recently, it may have also depleted the backup battery that powers the airbags.
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Read Full Q/A … : Airbag warning light is on on the dashboard a lot
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