Nobody wants to have their car breaking down in the middle of the road. While being unsure about the condition of our cars can be acceptable for older cars, modern cars are equipped with a myriad of lights and warnings that tell the car owner if something is wrong.

The idea is pretty simple. When the low fuel light goes on, it means you need to top off as soon as possible if you want to keep your car running. But what if something so random light up? Like let’s say, your airbag warning light. What should you do and what does it mean? We will be discussing what the airbag warning light is for, why it lights up, and what you can do to solve this problem.

Understanding the Airbag Warning Light

When your airbag warning light is on for more than 10 seconds – there’s no mistaking it. Something is wrong with the airbag mechanism. While it may not be quite clear why it’s on, you can assume that it may not work properly when you need it to.

Depending on your car, the airbag light is the SRS (supplemental restraint system) light. Normally, the SRS light along with other dashboard lights light up for around 5 seconds when you start the car. This is some sort of “self-checking” diagnostic to make sure everything is working fine. However, if the light stays on for more than 10 seconds and persists as you drive then it might have failed the self-test and is showing an error.

There are two main reasons why the srs/airbag warning light stays on: a worn-out airbag clock spring, or a faulty module. Let’s discuss each and find out how we can address the issues.

Worn Out Airbag Spring

The airbag mechanism inside your car is made up of the airbag, a module, electrical wiring, and a clock spring. Somewhere between the electrical wiring and clock spring are circuit bands that get damaged over time. This damage can send an “error” to the module which ends up in the airbag warning light lighting up.

Faulty Control Module

Underneath the seat of your car, you can find the control module for the SRS. When this module gets exposed to water, it gets faulty and may send an error code to the central ECU.

Why and How To Fix Your Airbag Warning Light

When you have your airbag warning light one, you might not be automatically worried about anything. However, knowing that either the coil spring or module is damaged will make you realize one very important thing. That when an accident happens, your SRS/airbag may not work as intended. As we all know, the airbag/SRS exists to lessen any damage you might suffer in the event of an accident. When your module is faulty, the airbag might not deploy in time.

If the airbag warning light on your car lights up even after the self-test and you feel like something is wrong, go and visit your trusted mechanic right away. Most of the time, the cost of fixing problems like these are nothing to the damage a faulty airbag/SRS system will cause.

If your car has similar problems in Atlanta, go and visit T3 Atlanta right away. T3 Atlanta services all Lexus, Toyota, Nissan, and Infinity cars. Our mechanics can do a thorough check of your car to eliminate any issues that can cause problems in the future.