The airbag module is a vital component of a vehicle. It controls the supplemental restraint system in your car, including the airbag sensors, seat belt pre-tensioners, and the inflators. Also, it acts as a storage box for hard codes and crash data when your vehicle is involved in a collision.
When a vehicle is involved in a crash that deploys the airbags, crash data and hard codes are automatically stored in the unit. Only a reset or buying a brand new unit will allow a driver to have a properly functioning airbag module. Many people choose to purchase a new module at the dealer, but this comes with a hefty price tag. Others decide to reset it at home. You certainly can remove the SRS airbag module from your vehicle and reset the unit to factory settings; you need to have the right tools and follow the steps correctly to succeed in resetting it properly.
To begin the process, you need to remove the SRS airbag module from your vehicle. Generally, it can be found underneath the driver’s seat. Still, sometimes its location varies to underneath the front passenger seat, in the center console, kick panel, behind the steering wheel, or under the radio. To access the module, the bottom half needs to be removed. After it has been removed, the disassembly process can begin. When you open up the unit, you need to look for the 8-pin SMD EEPROM chip that stores all the crash data. It would help if you then soldered some 32-gauge hookup wire to connect the unit to a serial port EEPROM reader. The next step would be to analyze the crash data. Different types of software available can read from the EEPROM chip. After investigating, you can finally replace the airbag computer. Replace all the values from the crashed chip with those from the virgin chip and rewrite it into the computer so that the hard codes can be cleared. The final step would be to place the unit back into your vehicle and check if the reset was a success. Within just 6 seconds, your SRS light should go off. You can also check with your vehicle’s tech-stream software to see that there aren’t any faults or codes present.
Of course, if you do not want to purchase the tools and software necessary for the reset and still risk not having it reset properly, there is another alternative. You can turn to the company Safety Restore for a guaranteed reset.
