You may be driving and notice the airbag light on your dashboard, which means it’s time to diagnose your airbag system. If the airbag light is on in your GM vehicle, find out a common cause of this problem and how to fix it yourself with these tips.
Meaning of the airbag light on
If the air bag light is on in your vehicle, this means that the air bag does not deploy during a collision. If you have a GM vehicle with this problem, the air bag light is usually activated due to a problem with an air bag sensor.
How to Diagnose an Air Bag Light on a GM Vehicle
You may have a message on your dashboard, such as the one below, indicating that you need to service the airbag.
Steps to Diagnose an Air Bag Light on a GM Vehicle
- Scan your airbag system with an advanced scan tool
You will not be able to scan and check for airbag system codes without a high-end or more advanced scan tool. The scanner will need to be able to communicate with different modules to look for diagnostic codes.
– Select the supplemental inflatable restraint module, which is the airbag module.
– Select to read fault codes and display DTCs. In the example shown in the video above, the scanner picked up the airbag code B0091-00. - Locate the sensor causing the code
Check under the front bumper cover for the airbag sensors. You can have one or more.
- Disconnect the negative battery terminal
Loosen the bolt and disconnect the negative battery terminal before working on the airbag system.
- Check the sensor connector for corrosion
Check the air bag sensor electrical connector for damage such as corrosion. The sensor in the video above at 1:35 and the image below has been opened due to corrosion. The metal housing of the sensor can rust and corrode. As it corrodes, it expands, splits and breaks the seal, allowing moisture to collect and damage the sensor.
- If there is more than one sensor, change it to another one to test
If you have more than one airbag sensor, you can test the sensor by swapping it out for a different one and seeing if the code follows the bad sensor.
- Replace the faulty airbag sensor
Replace the faulty sensor by disconnecting the electrical connector, removing the screws and removing the sensor. Install the new sensor by inserting it into place, tightening the fasteners and connecting the electrical connector.
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Summary
Name of the item
Meaning of the Airbag Light and How to Fix One in a GM Vehicle – 1A Auto
Description
If the airbag light has come on on your dashboard, find out what this problem means and what usually causes this problem in GM vehicles with these expert tips from professional mechanics
Author
1A Auto Equip
Name of the publisher
1A Automobile
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