Service airbag

What is the question? What have you done so far?

Are you referring to the digital instrument cluster? What did you do to try to reset something?

The airbag computer monitors a number of electrical circuits whenever the ignition switch is on. It starts with a self-test. That occurs while the airbag warning light turns on for six seconds when you turn on the ignition switch. During that self test, and again while you are driving, the computer keeps tabs on all those circuits and sensors. When it detects a problem, the computer turns the system off, sets a diagnostic fault code, and turns the warning light on to tell you. At that time, the air bags will not deploy in a crash.

The place to start is by having the fault code read and recorded. The people at many auto parts stores will read fault codes in the engine computer for you for free, but those inexpensive code readers usually cannot read fault codes in all the other dozens of computers. For those, you need to visit a mechanic with a scanner that can access the airbag computer. Most independent shops have one.

Knowing the fault code is the first step, but it is important to understand that they never say to replace a part or that one is bad. They only indicate the circuit or system that needs further diagnosis, or the unacceptable operating condition.

Many defects can be intermittent in nature and may not act up while someone is testing the circuit or wiring. That is where fault codes, which are stored in the computer's memory, are critical to knowing where to start looking. The last thing you want to do is erase those codes by "resetting" something. Doing so will erase that valuable information, then you will have no idea what type of problem exists. Your goal should be to not disconnect the battery or allow it to run drained as that will erase the code(s). Erasing fault codes does not fix a problem. It only prevents you from knowing what the problem is.

Reading the fault codes only takes a few minutes. After that, someone at the shop will give you an idea of the type of problem and a typical guess as to the cost of repair. You can also post the code number in your reply, then I can look it up for you and explain what it means.

Most fault code readers only read codes in the engine computer. You need to find a mechanic with a scanner that can access the airbag computer.