Should I be concerned that my *air bag* light is on?

Question

On my cars information panel, the light *air bag* is on. It is a old car with over 250k miles. Is it important, or is it just a loose wire or something minor like that? Any ideas?

I went to AutoZone yesterday and they told us that they could not check for *air bag* light. :-(

You all did a fine job with your advice and I am considering all of your suggestions. I am unable to choose a *best answer* so I am putting it up for a vote. Thank you all for your time and answers.

Answer 1

It's typically a sensor malfunction, time to change the air bag or it may be a problem with another safety area. In my Beetle, the seatbelt sensor was faulty so the airbag light came on as the warning. It was inspection time and would not pass state inspection until replaced.

Remember the life you save, may be your own . . . it makes the bill easier to digest.

Answer 2

Know this - when your 'air bag' light is on, the system that operates it is not. This means that if you get inot an accident, you have no protection aside from the car's chassis and the seat-belt. If you feel safe driving a vehicle that has an inoperative safety system, then happy motoring. However, if you are concerned about this (and since you have posted this question, I'd say you are) then it's worth calling the dealership's service department and asking them how much diagnostic time is alloted in their service guide to diagnose an air bag system. They should be able to, in the specified time (which varies greatly depending on the complexity of the system) figure out what you need to have repaired on your car and they should be able to provide a detailed estimate. I think it is worth spending a little to find out what is wrong - it may be something relativley small or it could be substantial but you'll be better able to decide what to do once you know for sure either way.

Answer 3

It is VERY important. This indicates a problem with the airbag. Do NOT, under ANY circumstances try to work on this yourself...it CAN be fatal. Airbags are "set off" by an electrical charge stored in a capacitor. Even disconnecting the battery will not help. If you are the original owner of this car, and are sure that the airbag has never been set off, take it to a shop. They are the only ones capable of disarming these things...MOST of the time, without incident. Good luck

Answer 4

Lots of dumb answers out there, i.e; 'TOM I'. (don't let this guy work on your car). SRS (supplemental restraint system) or airbag is just what the name implies, it is a SUPPLEMENTAL restraint system to be used in conjunction with your seatbelts. For the record, you should have this checked out. Older cars tend to have these issues crop from time to time as the SRS self-checks every time you start the car. If one of several safety prameters don't check 'ok' with the computer then the system defaults to 'off'. This could be as complex as a faulty arming module or as simple as a corroded wire on a sensor. If you are properly belted in, you are most likley as safe without airbags as with. These systems are not magic -- repair shops remove and install them thousands of times each day at mechanical and body shops. An accidental 'deployment' is so remote it is almost beyond calculation when compared with the sheer number of airbag bombs staring us in the face everywhere we drive. Disconnecting the battery WILL disarm the unit though it is recommended you wait for about fifteen min before removal of any components. Be warned -- there IS a chance of deployment if you start screwing around with the sensors and wiring, so don't go break your neck. Pull out the SRS fuse and drive it to a qualified mechanic.

Answer 5

I recently had problems with my air bag light coming on, it is a newer model, I had it checked out, and it was due to the fact that I had something laying in the seat, the computer knew it was not heavy enough to be a grown adult. The air bag light was on to let me know the air bag, if deployed would hurt the child im my seat...go figure.

Answer 6

that light should turn off within 10 seconds of turning on your car. when the light is on, it means your airbag is turned off. the only reason it turns on when you turn on your car is to show you that it is active and because it is checking the car's computer for programming. you should definately get that checked out by a mechanic. it might be a loose wire, but it might also be a misreading by the computer, and if you get in an accident and the air bag goes off, you'll be sorry.

Answer 7

first thing... forget taking it to a dealer or a mechanic, only at first.
auto zone does free diagnostic checks. just talk to one of the clerks and they'll hook you up. that will tell you exactly if it is a sensor or something else. they can also reset your warning lights with their little computer scanner. if it isn't something that you can fix yourself, then take it to a mechanic. i assume since it iso old that you have no warranty so it's not going to make a difference if you did it yourself... or not. just keep in mind some places won't work on it if you got a part from a different source.

Answer 8

It probably means your airbag is not working properly, or at all. With the number of miles on your car, this shouldn't come as a surprise, especially if you haven't had it checked regularly (I haven't!).
I'd check with your garage as to how much it would cost to run a check on it. Then - you can make the next decision if you want to pay to get it fixed.
If you trust your garage man - go with what he suggests.
Good Luck!!

Answer 9

I'm not a mechanic but I'd tend to think it's just wiring. Mine used to do that on and off but now it's stopped for quite sometime. I used to get scared it would slam out at me and malfunction or something. My husband told me to not worry about it and, like I said, I haven't seen it in a long time. Mine is a 1995 Blazer with I think about the same mileage.

Answer 10

You probably bought a used car that was a salvage title. That means the car was in a wreck and the airbag was deployed and the dealer has tried to fix it up and sell it again. You're car has already had it's airbag deployed, that's why the light is on.