Have you ever wondered why the airbags of some cars deactivate to protect the driver and the passenger on the front seat during a crash?
Do you also know why some vehicles crash or collide, yet the airbags refuse to deploy to protect the driver and the passenger in front? These have been the musings of many car owners, especially fresh car owners.
The simple reason for the two different experiences stated above is the vehicle’s SRS system. Now, you may want to ask, “What does SRS mean in a car?”
Sufficient information is supplied in this article to help you learn the meaning of the abbreviation “SRS,” the responsibility of SRS in a car, and how to fix the issue where SRS light turns ON by default but refuses to go OFF.
What Does SRS Mean In A Car?
What is SRS in vehicles, you ask? The meaning is Supplemental Restraint System, which is different from that used in social media, in case you were wondering, “What does SRS mean in Snapchat?”
And if you are also asking, “What does SRS mean in Statistics?” The meaning is also far from what you will learn from this article.
The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) is the moderates in your car that controls your airbag and the car’s automatic seatbelt restraints.
The restraint system is passive, meaning that you do not have to perform any task for it to kick-start its operation. It is automatic, and with the primary aim of keeping the driver and passenger safe.
The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) employs its computerized system. The computer has a network of sensors with which it works, to detect various operations as your vehicle runs.
The country has been programmed as an artificially intelligent component; it detects deceleration, as well as braking and impact location. It detects if there is a passenger on the car’s front seat.
Once it automatics ascertains your car’s operations as mentioned previously, the SRS system communicates what it sensed out to the car’s Airbag Control Unit, thereby knowing the particular airbag to set off, and where to tighten the seatbelts among all of its interactive functions, automatically and without you lifting a finger to do anything.
However, it will be too naïve to think that the SRS system would continue to function properly just throughout the life of your car.
Every component of your car has its life span, which normally, shouldn’t match that of the vehicle; some parts tend to misbehave when you least expect them.
Meanwhile, the light in your car’s SRS status light may turn ON because of some challenge with your car’s airbag, but it may also come ON because of a defective seatbelt buckle, a loose wire, or a challenge projected by your car’s Engine Control Unit (ECU).
It is clearly an early indication of a visible problem if the SRS light stays ON after coming ON upon the usual checks. Your airbags wouldn’t be activated for release suppose crash/collision happens ahead.
If you find your vehicle’s SRS light ON and unable to go OFF, after the subsequent section of this article, you will know what to do.
How to Fix SRS Light?
If you discover that the SRS light on your car comes ON automatically and will not turn OFF, the following will show you how to reset the SRS light.
Use an OBD2 Scanner
An OBD2 scanner is a device that reads through the situation of a vehicle and tells you the specific defects affecting the vehicle at that moment. An OBD2 scanner comprises of code readers and scan tools.
Scan tools are pricier, they show a better inside into things and make for easier troubleshooting, etc. Try to buy a scanner that can read and also reset your SRS system. How to use them? Here are simple instructions:
- Step 1: Turn off your car, and plug the scanner into your car by way of the data link connector located under your car’s control panel; then the scanner becomes functional automatically.
- Step 2: Switch your car on then leave the OBD2 scanner to boot up. If it does not boot itself up, press its power button to force boot it.
- Step 3: With the scanner up, it will ask you for certain information about your car, enter such information as your car model, make, or engine, etc., as may apply. The system then analyzes the vehicle and scan its diagnostic system.
- Step 4: If it completes the scan, it will display some error message or some codes; note them down (or send them to your phone via Bluetooth or something)..
- Step 5: Go through the OBD2 scanner manual to interpret what each code means. Then you will know what to do to fix the problem. If you did not find the tabulated responses to the codes in the manual (there’s little information in such manuals), then search in the internet. Just make sure that the codes you focus on are the ones relevant to your make and model vehicle.
Finally, after searching through the manual or the internet, immediately apply the information. In most cases, the reason that the SRS light is ON points to some component or the other of your car; so the scanner tells you which the component is so it can be fixed with a simple reset.
No screwdrivers would be needed except you if you have a screw to loosen.
Consult a professional auto mechanic
There might usually be a fault with a component that connects with the SRS system, which the scanner may not reset immediately. Hence, it would require a mechanic to repair that specific component before the SRS light will finally go OFF.
It would be wise to see an auto mechanic after turning OFF the SRS light using the OBD2 scanner because the light can turn OFF for a while and the actual problem remains.
So, if you assume the problem is over, the disaster may still be around the corner and so you must be sure that the problem goes away and not conclude because the scanner helped you turn off the SRS light.
FAQs.
Q. Are you allowed to drive with SRS light ON?
Yes, you can drive with your car’s SRS light ON because it does not affect the normal smooth running of your vehicle.
But it is unsafe to do so. The reason is that the Supplemental Restraint System is in charge of your car’s airbag release, as well as the automatic seatbelt restraint. Therefore, if you drive around with your SRS light ON, there is a tendency that your car’s airbag would not release in case of any accidental collision, thus endangering your life and your passenger’s life.
Again, in the event of a collision, you may not be able to do your insurance claim because the black box recorder in your car within the SRS is responsible for showing the data that your car’s airbags warning light had continually being ON, but you neglected that sign for you to fix it, before the occurrence of the accident.
Therefore, it is negligence on your part to drive around with your car’s SRS light ON. If you ever have a diagnosis from it, do see a professional auto technician to fix it.
Q: How much does it cost to fix SRS light?
Some of the items that would be fixed to fix your SRS light could be crash sensor or spring clock at $80-130; the car’s seatbelt at $200 to $300; with the computer being around $800 to $1,000 respectively.
There could somewhat be changes in prices depending on location so you can bear that in mind.
Q: Will airbags deploy if SRS light is on?
No. Airbags are not deployed. The Supplemental Restraint system is the one that will control the car’s automatic seatbelt restraint, and will activate the airbags when necessary i.e to release during collision while driving unexpectedly.
So, if the SRS light in your vehicle is ON, that is a warning that you may not be safe driving that car, because either the airbag on the driver’s side or the passenger’s side wouldn’t be activated.
You need to take your vehicle to an auto technician to fix the SRS light if it is ON currently, or has been ON for a while now. Else, you could be sitting on a live bomb literally.
Q: SRS light meaning on Mercedes?
The SRS light meaning is no different on a Mercedes Benz. It simply means there is something wrong with the car’s airbags and maybe a few other things under the SRS system.
When you turn your ignition on in the Mercedes Benz car, the SRS light will come ON, and go OFF about 5 seconds after.
If the story is different, and the SRS light remains consistently ON, it indicates that problem is about to happen, and that problem is that; the airbags may NOT go off if you crashed.
In case you are also wondering, SRS light meaning in Honda? You should find the foregoing useful in understanding how your SRS works.
Q: Is an SRS warning light an MOT failure?
Yes, it is. When your vehicle’s SRS warning light is ON it will generally amount to an MOT failure. MOT is the abbreviated form of the Ministry of Transport.
An MOT refers to an annual health check carried out on vehicles to ascertain their roadworthiness in a legal sense. They make sure that vehicles are roadworthy, safe and capable of meeting exhaust emissions and environmental standards. Your vehicle’s engine light is not spared also.
So, if your car’s SRS warning light is ON and stays like that; then, it is sure that when car is brought in for an inspection, that would represent automatic MOT failure because the safety technology of the car has been compromised.
So, to avoid getting an MOT failure, kindly get your SRS light fixed if it stays ON.
Final Words
Having read this article you won’t be asking “What does SRS mean in a car?” any longer because the relevant information has been provided.
Ensuring that your car and every one of its components are in good condition before you around must be a priority to you as a car owner. There’s an abbreviation that spells “ABC”, which stands for Always Be Careful.
So, if you ever notice that your car’s SRS light comes ON and stays ON for a long period, get a professional auto mechanic to diagnose the fault and make it right before anything else.