Airbags are necessary for car drivers and their passengers. It is vital to see if these are working. You should also ensure they are in good shape as they are handy when accidents happen on the road. You can get airbags checked and repaired. It is not common to get airbags checked and repaired. People, however, do come in to see if theirs need fixing.
Now, what does airbag light flashing exactly mean? In this article, we will talk about airbag and their function. We will also talk about the airbag light. Lastly, we will share several reasons why the airbag light is on or flashing.
What Does An Airbag Light Look Like?
In cars, the airbag light is on the dashboard. It could also be on your car’s computer display. It is the icon with the person sitting sideways with his seatbelt. In front of the person in the seat is a circle. This circle is the airbag.
In older vehicles, “AIRBAG” is the icon for the airbag system. You can find the word flash in the dashboard sometimes. It could also be SRS for some.
This icon does not light up when the airbags are in good condition as you have yet to be in an accident. When it’s on, however, this means that your airbags are deactivated. In cases like this, your airbag will not work if you get into an accident. And this only means one thing: you need to get your airbags checked and fixed.
You can get your airbags replaced and fixed once you have used them up in an accident. You can also get them checked in the car shops if they are not working well.
6 Reasons Your Airbag Light Is On Or Flashing
There are several reasons why your airbag light is on or flashing. Here are 6 of them:
1. Depleted Airbag Backup Battery
If your car ran out of battery power, you could also have depleted the backup battery that powers your airbags.
Charging your car’s battery can fix this problem. If you have recharged your battery and the problem with the airbags persists, you should get the backup battery recharged. It is also vital to reset your sensors to fix your airbag light problem.
2. Faulty Sensors
Cars have many parts connected to sensors. These parts and sensors are, in turn, connected to the central computer screen or dashboard. The computer or dashboard then tells you if one part is faulty through the sensors that detect their working condition.
Faulty sensors can cause your airbag warning light to illuminate. To fix this, you should bring your car to the shop. Your sensors need resetting.
3. Damaged Clock Spring
The airbag clock spring keeps the continuity between the car’s electrical wiring and the driver’s airbag. The airbag clock spring coils in and out as you turn or use the steering wheel. Over time, the airbag clock spring can get naturally worn out.
The worn-out airbag clock spring can cause a poor connection with the sensors. They can also cause the failure of your airbag’s deployment when in accidents. You should have the parts of your car checked, especially the airbag clock spring, if your airbag warning light is flashing.
4. Wet Airbag Module
Water damage to cars during floods or torrential rain can cause some parts of them to malfunction. The airbag modules are under the seats. Floodwaters can easily reach these places. You risk getting your airbags’ modules wet if you drive your vehicles around areas with high floodwater levels.
Wet airbag modules can corrode or get shorted. This causes your airbags to malfunction and your airbag warning light to flash. If your vehicle has water damage, it is vital to get it checked and fixed in the car shop.
5. Used Up Airbag in an Accident
Replace used airbags after accidents. Keep in mind that airbags are for one-time use only. Aside from replacing them, reset your sensors, too. Be sure you have new airbags installed to keep your airbag warning light from flashing.
Airbag warning lights in secondhand cars flash because they have been used up in accidents before by their previous owners. You can have the airbag system in your secondhand car checked and replaced by your trusted car shop.
6. Airbag is Damaged
You should completely replace your airbag system in cases like this. Get your airbags checked before getting them installed into your vehicle. Make sure there is no damage to your airbags. The other parts of the system should also not be damaged. Drivers and their passengers cannot have faulty airbags as they are necessary for accidents.
Airbag Tips
Airbags are necessary to protect yourself and your passengers from accidents. The seatbelts are just as vital, of course. The airbags and seatbelts must be working well to ensure drivers’ and passengers’ safety in vehicles.
If you have a secondhand car, make sure your airbag system is new. Your sensors should also be working well. Your airbags should deploy successfully in accidents. Double-check if every part of the airbag system is working.
If you need any of them replaced, you can do the replacement yourself if you’re good with vehicles. You can always send your car to the shop if you aren’t good at fixing car problems like the airbag system and seatbelts.
Conclusion
The best course of action when the safety system of a car is faulty is to check every part of the system. People should feel safe at all costs in their vehicles. It doesn’t matter if the vehicles are new or secondhand.
Get your old airbag system checked especially if your car is secondhand. The used-up system may need replacing with a new one. Most airbags are for one-time use, after all.