If you have educated yourself on the different safety components in your vehicle, you likely learned about the SRS airbag module. If you have not, I cannot stress enough to you the importance of it for the overall functionality and safety of your vehicle. Even though it is a small component in your vehicle, it plays a big role. Let me tell you just how it does that.
To start, the SRS airbag module is a computerized system in your car. What it does is control the entire airbag system in your vehicle. Everything from the airbags themselves, the impact sensors, and even the seat belt pre-tensioners—relies on the module to properly function. During a sudden stop or collision, where the airbags deploy, the airbag module stores a ton of information in the form of crash data and hard codes. This information includes seat belt use, the vehicle and engine speed, seat belt pre-tensioner deployments, impact speed change, throttle position, airbag deployments, and brake light switch position. Interestingly enough, this type of information is almost always admissible in court and usually trumps other physical evidence or verbal explanations.
When the airbag module is not up to par—or has all this data stored—the airbags cannot deploy in an accident. This, as a result, can potentially lead to serious injury or even death. That is why you should have the unit replaced immediately. You do not want to be endangering your own life or that of your passengers.
You have two options when it comes to fixing a faulty airbag module. The first, and pricier, an option is to purchase a brand new module at the dealer. Or, you can send in your present unit to the company Safety Restore so that they can restore it to factory settings.
