How to Tell If Your Airbag Control Module Is Faulty

Airbags are one of the most critical parts of every vehicle. They are designed to keep the passengers safe in case they get into an accident. In fact, research has shown that airbags can reduce driver fatalities by 29%. Considering how important they are to your car, you’ll want to make sure that they’re always in good shape. Indeed, the last thing you want is to get into an accident and not have the airbags deploy.

Now, the tricky thing about airbags is that it can be difficult to know if there’s anything wrong with them as they are generally kept out of sight.

Importance of Airbag Control Module

We already touched on the importance of the airbag control module when we discussed why you have to head to the best airbag module reset near you if you are ever involved in an accident. After all, the airbag control module is what’s responsible for deploying the airbags. 

Previous iterations of airbags allowed people just to shove the deployed bags back into their compartments. However, that was deemed unsafe, and current airbag systems are now much more sophisticated. Modern airbags come with a single-use mechanism that needs to be reset in order to deploy again. What this means is that your airbags won’t deploy if your airbag control module is faulty.

Signs of Airbag Issues

The most obvious sign that there’s a problem with your airbag control module is the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) warning light. This is similar to the “Check Engine” light, and it will appear if there is an issue with your SRS. However, you should take note that the SRS light being on could be indicative of a slew of other problems concerning your SRS.

The other sign of a faulty airbag control module is if the airbags don’t deploy. Now, this isn’t how you want to find out if your airbag control module is defective, so it would be best to have it checked once you see that the SRS warning light is on. 

What You Can Do to Fix It

Some of you may be interested in trying to fix the problem yourself. The first thing you should do is locate the airbag control module. It is usually found below the driver or passenger seat. If it isn’t there, check your car manual to find out where it is located.

Before disassembling everything, you need to disconnect your battery and let the backups drain. After this is done, move your steering wheel and take out all the hardware on your driver airbag module. 

Once you’ve taken the module out, you need to connect it to a serial port EEPROM reader so that you can view the crash data on your computer. You will need to purchase specific software in order to do this. From there, all you have to do is to manipulate the code to reset the module and put it back into your car.

Conclusion

While it is entirely possible to fix this issue yourself, it doesn’t come without its challenges. If you don’t want to go through all of the trouble of resetting your module, we suggest just bringing it over to professionals who will do the job quickly and effectively. 

If there is something wrong with your airbag control module, we here at Safety Restore have you covered. We offer airbag module resets that can save you from having to have your airbag replaced. For any airbag or seat belt issues, don’t hesitate to contact us today!