The modern car consists of tons of newly invented technologies. As time advances, the brands have introduced us to lots of excellent car models equipped with superb amenities. The modern car brands have not forgotten the hottest cake genre of the vehicle, which is the safety and security system of the vehicle. To add another layer to that security, they have discovered the airbags in the car. The airbags are the simple components that play a pivotal role in managing the passenger’s safety from any kind of bad accident. Sometimes the dashboard is illuminated with the sign of the airbag light. Many of us are inexperienced in handling this problem. So today, I have brought you some fantastic and effective guidelines on how to reset the airbag light immediately.
What is the Airbag system in the vehicle?
The airbag system is a unique invention for protecting the human body from accidents. It comprises sensors, seat belts, cushions or seat covers, and many more connectors. The airbag light occurs when your car faces some crashing, accident, or mismanagement of the sensors. So the airbag light denotes that there is something wrong with the SRS system, which is in charge of the airbag. The airbag system is a comfortable seating arrangement for passengers and protects them from every possible adversity.
How does the Airbag system Work?
The working module of the airbag is a little bit more complex than the other mechanism of the vehicle. It has numerous sensors situated at the front, rear, and sides of the vehicle. Each of the sensors controls the definitive parts. The SRS (supplemental restraint system) monitors the entire system, and the internal computer governs it. The crash sensors are organized at the front side crash bar as well as the doors and rear end. These sensors are responsible for activating the airbags when the car faces any collision or accident.
The SRS system deploys the airbag to the needed part of the car. Suppose the car has faced a collision from the front side, then the SRS may activate the frontal sensors to deploy the front side airbags. Overall, it is a magnificent system that can save us from severe injuries, and that was the overall mechanism of the airbags.
What are the reasons for turning the Airbag Light On?
The airbag system is one of the most crucial parts of the vehicle’s security. There could be tons of reasons that the airbag light may turn on. Here I will depict almost all the reasons with a brief description,
Electrical wiring issues
There is a complex net of wiring in the airbag portion. The airbag system may face an acute short circuit that will ruin all its mechanisms. The wiring and the connectors may be damaged due to unavoidable collision.
The Airbag clock spring may be damaged.
The clock spring is a spiral-shaped special rotary electrical connector that is responsible for maintaining the electrical communication between the rigorous steering wheel airbag, the horn of the vehicle, and other devices of the vehicle’s electrical systems. Damage in the spring may cause legitimate harm to the entire system of the airbag. A clock spring failure may misguide the airbag sensors if it is the time for activation. This mismanagement of the clock spring can cause more internal harm to the vehicle.
The airbag backup battery has been destroyed.
The main charge portion of the airbag is supplied from the battery, and if the battery is damaged, then there must be a chance that the entire system could collapse. But here is a thing I am not talking about: the main battery of the engine; it is the tiny little battery that is responsible for giving the supply of energy to the airbag. Make sure to repair this within the shortest possible time.
The problem with the crash sensor
The crash sensor is one of the key elements of the airbag system. The only thing that can destroy the overall airbag system. If the car was heated before or struck badly, it could cause severe harm to the crash sensor, and the check engine light may turn on.
Defected airbag module
A defect in the airbag module can cause CEL illumination. Generally, the airbag module is called the brain of the airbag system, and a failure in the airbag module can lead to the biggest inconvenience to the whole security system of the vehicle. A bad airbag can also generate the check engine light. An airbag must be replaced if it faces any type of inconvenience. Though the replacement of the airbag is costly, if you don’t replace this, it can cause havoc in your life.
How to Reset the Airbag Light?
Resetting the airbag light is an arduous procedure, and if you don’t have a scanner, then the difficulty increases a lot more. But do not worry. For the convenience of the readers, I will discuss both the resetting process, with and without a scanner. So let us see those tricks,
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Without a Scanner
If you don’t have an OBD scanner, then you can follow this procedure. At first, turn on the ignition and wait for the airbag light to come into the dashboard. After a few seconds, the airbag light would disappear. As soon as the airbag light is gone, turn off the engine. Repeat this process a few times. After doing that, the airbag light may blink for times, gradually diminishing slowly. Here is how you can dismiss the airbag light without the help of the OBD-II scanner.
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How to reset the airbag light with a scanner?
Owning an OBD-II always reduces the complexity of the diagnosis process. Eliminating the airbag light with the help of a scanner is far more manageable, and anybody can perform that. Attach the OBD2 device to the car and check the faults. Then open the vehicle’s main battery and disconnect the positive side terminal with the help of a wrench. After waiting for a few minutes, connect the positive terminal with the battery again. By this time, the airbag light may have been gone. If it still appears, then it needs proper troubleshooting.
Final Overview
In this article, we have attempted to cover almost all the aspects of the airbag system. We have elaborated on the root causes of the airbag light illumination and suggested some amazing tricks that could be proven handy in eliminating the airbag light. Resetting an airbag light should be done under the supervision of a professional, but if you are a DIYer, you must follow this article. I hope you have benefited from the writing. Terminate the airbag light as soon as possible as it can reduce the overall security system of the vehicle.
FAQs
How much money is needed to reset the airbag light?
The repairing of the airbag is proven to be costly. Different car models have various types of the airbag system. Suppose the airbag is completely destroyed and needs to be replaced. To replace the vehicle’s complete airbag package, you need to spend more than 600$.
Can you drive a car with an airbag light on?
An airbag simply increases the car’s security by adding more cushioning and covering inside the vehicle. But that does not certainly depict that you can’t drive with an airbag light on. But in that case, the probability of fatalities from an accident is higher than usual. So it is wise to repair the airbag system.
What causes the airbag light to come on?
There are lots of factors that can cause the airbag light to blink. Some of the common causes are Corroded sensors, destroyed batteries, seat belt issues, water damage, sensor issues, etc.