Warning lights
Airbag light: the SRS readiness warning
The light showing a seated person with a circle in front, or the letters "SRS" or "Airbag", reports whether the airbag system is ready. If it stays on, assume the airbags may not work.
Can I keep driving with this light on?
Airbag light: stays on after start
High: limit driving, fix within days
The car drives normally, but the airbags or belt pretensioners may not work in a crash: repair soon.
- Do not let children ride in the front seat.
- Have the restraint codes read: seat connectors and clock springs are common causes.
49 CFR 571.208 S4.5.2: an air bag system must have a readiness indicator that monitors its own readiness. Your owner's manual prevails for your car.
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 requires an air bag system to have a readiness indicator, visible to the driver, that monitors its own readiness (49 CFR 571.208). At start-up the light comes on for a few seconds while the airbag module checks its sensors, the inflators, the seat belt pretensioners and their wiring, then goes out. If it stays on, flashes, or comes on while driving, the module has found a fault and may have switched the system, or part of it, off. The car drives normally, but in a crash the airbags and pretensioners concerned may not deploy, or may deploy when they should not. The most frequent causes are a connector under a front seat disturbed by moving the seat or cleaning, the clock spring in the steering column whose ribbon cable has worn, a seat occupant sensor, and a weak battery during start-up. Have it checked soon, and keep children in the rear seat in the right restraint meanwhile.
Codes, rules and labor data checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Why the seat connectors come first
Front seats carry side airbags, belt pretensioners and, on the passenger side, a sensor that decides whether the seat is occupied by an adult. Their wiring runs through connectors under the seat. Sliding a seat fully back, an object pushed under it or a vacuum cleaner can loosen a connector, and the module sees an open circuit at once. A shop disconnects the battery and follows the maker's safety procedure before reseating or repairing it.
The clock spring
The driver's airbag sits in the steering wheel, which turns, so its wiring passes through a coiled ribbon cable in the column, often called the clock spring. Over many years of steering it wears, and the airbag light may come with a horn or steering wheel buttons that stop working. Replacing it is a common repair that requires removing the airbag, which should be done by a trained technician.
Codes from the airbag module
The airbag module stores its own codes, usually starting with the letter B for body, and a basic engine code reader does not see them. The code lookup explains how a B code is built; most of their meanings are specific to each maker, so a scanner that reads the airbag module is needed.
The light and the federal table
The symbol is listed in FMVSS 101, which sets the common telltales; the standard leaves the color of this one open, and most makers use red. Some cars also show a "passenger airbag off" indicator, which is not a fault: it tells you the occupant sensor has switched the passenger front airbag off, for example for a child seat. The symbol finder compares the shapes.