You’re driving your car on the way to work and suddenly a light called “SRS” appears on your instrument cluster.
What does it mean and is it dangerous to drive with? Will my car stop or be damaged if I continue driving? How much will the repair cost?
Many questions come to mind when a light appears on your instrument cluster, but don’t worry. In this article, I will explain everything you need to know about this light and how it works.
What does the SRS light mean?
SRS stands for Supplemental Restraint System. In other words, it’s part of your airbag system. Some manufacturers use an airbag light and some use the SRS light. It’s the same thing with different names. When your SRS light comes on, it means you have an error stored in your airbag system and you need to fix it as soon as possible.
Your airbag system contains an airbag control unit, several crash sensors, and multiple airbags. The crash sensors are located at the front and side of your car, although some cars have more crash sensors. When a sensor detects a collision, it sends a signal to your airbag control unit to trigger the airbags. When the airbag control unit receives this information, it sends a signal to your airbags, which are mounted in several locations in your car. All of this happens within milliseconds.
What are the possible causes of my SRS light?
There could be several possible causes for an SRS light. The easiest way to find out is to read the error code memory with a good OBD2 scanner. Cheaper OBD2 scanners only read the engine control unit. So to read the airbag system, you may need to spend a bit more money on a good reader compatible with your car. You can also drive it to your mechanic’s garage, who will read it for a few dollars. The error codes in an SRS light are quite precise and often describe the problem well.
SEE NEXT: Is it safe to drive with the airbag light on?
The most common causes of an SRS light are bad connections and plugs. Control units carefully measure the airbags and often monitor them between 2 and 5 ohms. When a bad connection occurs in a wiring connector, the resistance exceeds 5 ohms and the SRS light comes on. You can often spray some electrical cleaner into these connectors, then clear the error code memory.
An SRS light will not turn off by itself after fixing the problem for safety reasons. You need to clear the error codes manually with an OBD2 scanner so the SRS light doesn’t stay on after repair. Always remove the battery connection when working with an SRS system.
Possible causes
- Faulty crash sensors
- Faulty airbags
- Faulty acceleration sensors
- Bad connections in wiring plugs
- Wiring damage
- Faulty airbag control unit
A very common case is the connections under your front seats. The connectors of an airbag system are often yellow. If you move the seats forward and backward, the connectors move a little each time and bad connections between the airbag control unit and the airbags/seatbelt airbags can occur and cause an error code. Normally, you can spray electrical cleaner into the connection and delete the error codes and the error should be fixed.
Is it safe to repair the airbag system myself?
As long as the SRS light is on and an error code is stored, the airbags are not triggered by the control unit. The dangerous part is if you short-circuit something and apply power to the airbags, causing them to deploy. A common cause of this is when people measure airbags with a multimeter. A multimeter emits microvolts and could cause an airbag to deploy. Always remove battery connections and never measure airbags with a multimeter when working with an SRS system.
When repairing an SRS system, always repair it according to the repair manual instructions and never use inappropriate solutions. This can cause the airbags to deploy while driving, which you really wouldn’t want, as it can seriously injure you.
To remove the airbag light, you need to manually delete the error codes using an OBD2 scanner. Always maintain a safe distance when clearing codes, as faulty repair can cause the airbag to deploy when codes are cleared.
Conclusion
- An SRS light means an error is stored in your airbag system
- Your airbag system will not work if your SRS light is on and will not deploy in case of an accident.
- Always fix your airbag system as soon as possible.
- Always remove the battery connection and never use a multimeter to measure airbags when working with your SRS system
- You need to delete error codes after a repair for the SRS light to turn off.
- One of the common reasons for the SRS light is a bad connection under your front seats
- Always repair your SRS system according to the repair manual and never perform incorrect repairs, as this could cause your airbag to deploy.