What You Need to Know About Your Vehicle's SRS Light

Have you ever noticed those colorful indicators on your dashboard? Your vehicle can tell you what it needs through those lights. From the blinking light with a stick figure to the genie bottle light that signals it’s time for an oil change, it’s not that difficult to address the issues of your vehicle when you know what they mean. However, one light that has confused many is the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) light. The SRS controls the automatic seat belt restraints and airbags, which is why it is an extremely important light. When the SRS indicator is lit up, it resembles a buckled passenger’s side view with an airbag in the front. Some vehicles will have the letters SRS lit as well.

About SRS Light Indicator

There’s nothing for you to do on your end to activate the SRS light because it can detect sudden movements like braking, impact location, and if there’s a passenger in the front seat. When it detects any of these changes, it will send information to the Airbag Control Unit that will identify which seat belts must be tightened and airbags to activate. 

Whenever you turn on your vehicle, it does a self-check that lights up all dashboard indicators and that includes this light. After a couple of seconds, all the indicators must be off, which means that you’re good to go. However, when the SRS light remains on while you drive, there could be something wrong with your system that you need to identify immediately. 

What Do You Do If The SRS Light Is On?

Your vehicle is a complex system, which makes it challenging to identify the main reason your SRS light is on. Some causes are obvious, while others are more difficult to determine. This is why you must have the light checked by a professional instead of letting an underlying problem get worse. 

In some cases, the SRS will create a trouble code that can help diagnose the issue by a mechanic. With that, the problem will be caught early, which will allow the professional to get to the root of the problem effectively. 

Here are the common reasons your SRS light is on: 

• Seat belt latch issue: A foreign object may be inside the buckle that triggered a fault in the system. 
• Malfunctioning passenger seat occupancy sensor: The front passenger seat in your vehicle is equipped with a sensor that signals to the SRS to activate the airbag if there is someone in the seat. If the sensor isn’t working correctly, it could trigger a signal, which will have the SRS light on. Resolve the issue by having a mechanic sort out the wiring. 
• Water damage corrosion: If water damage occurs in your vehicle, possible corrosion may affect the SRS components. This will then cause the system to stop working and turn the SRS indicator light on. 

Conclusion

At this point, you now have a broader idea of the SRS light’s importance in your vehicle. As mentioned, you must address your SRS light issue immediately, or it can cause damages to your vehicle. For one, the airbag may not deploy in the event of a collision, or the seat belt may not restrain you in place, which will put your life at greater risk. For this reason, the moment you see the SRS light turned on, bring it to a professional right away. 

Repair My SRS is an accident restoration company specializing in resetting SRS airbag module reset and seat belt repairs on retractors, tensioners, and buckles. If you are looking for reliable SRS repair services in Westfield, MA, get in touch with us today and send in your parts today!