What does the airbag light flashing tell Nissan’s owners?

Having the airbag light in your Nissan flashing is less of a concern to most people. However, you should take it into consideration as it might determine whether you are protected when an accident happens.

In most cases, the chances are that it may be a false alarm, and a reset will eradicate your problem. However, more serious underlying issues may be the causes, and your car needs the immediate attention of a mechanic.

This article highlights the different causes of why the airbag lights to your Nissan keep flashing. Hopefully, it might save you a needless visit to the mechanic. So, let’s dig into it! 

What Does “Airbag Light” In Nissan Mean?

When the airbag light keeps flashing on your Nissan’s dashboard, it alerts you of your airbags’ deactivation. Moreover, the sign warns that the airbags might fail to deploy successfully during an accident.

Why Does The Airbag Light Keep Flashing?

Your car usually sends you a signal informing you of a severe underlying issue through a flashing light sign. The persisting light communicates that you should have your vehicle checked immediately.

The flashing airbag light on your Nissan might be a false alarm. Nevertheless, in some cases, the airbag control unit might just be speaking too loudly, alerting you of an unperceived danger. It is a cause of concern, and you must address the matter immediately to guarantee your safety. So, let dive into the nuts and bolts as to why your airbag light has gone into this panic mode.

Depleted Airbag Backup Battery

Whenever your Nissan’s battery suffers a drain, power is likely to be drawn from your backup battery while you’re starting your vehicle. This could be the reason for all the blinking. Recharge the backup battery and reset the crash sensors as they don’t automatically reset. 

Faulty Sensors

Sensors send signals to the Engine Control Unit (ECU), informing it of the various condition states of the vehicle’s components. However, they may be accidentally tripped, thereby sending false signals. The ECU responds by giving error codes through the flashing light sign in your Nissan. The blinking of the airbag light is one of these warning signs. The OBD2 DTC scanner can analyze the error code to identify the defective sensor. The faulty sensor is then replaced and reset to delete the error. 

Damaged Airbag Clock Spring

While driving, your vehicle’s airbag clock spring coils in and out as you turn the steering. It is essential for maintaining current continuity between the car’s electrical wiring and the driver’s side airbag. It is susceptible to wear and tear during its service time, thus resulting in a poor connection that inhibits the amount of current flowing through the wires. This is the reason for the flashing light in your Nissan. You should replace it to resolve the issue. 

Wet Airbag Module

The airbag module located beneath the driver’s seat may suffer a short circuit or corrosion due to water damage. Usually, the module has a tolerance of 5ohms resistance. However, resistance increases whenever there is a short circuit or corrosion, thus leading to the flashing of the airbag lights. You should consult a mechanic as a short circuit might propagate the issue to other electrical components. 

Broken Wires

Broken wires linking the ECU to the crash sensors result in an open circuit. An open circuit has infinite resistance, and hence, the ECU doesn’t receive signals from the crash sensors. The ECU communicates this error through the flashing light in your Nissan. 

Faulty Plug Connector

While moving the front seats back and forth, the plug connectors under those seats may move forward or backward, leading to a poor connection. Poor connections interrupt communication between the crash sensors and the ECU. The ECU keeps flashing the airbag light in your Nissan informing you of this error. In this case, you should remove the plugs, spray their terminals with electrical cleaner before plugging them back.

Is It Safe To Drive With The Light On?

It is unsafe to drive while the airbag light sign keeps flashing in your instrument cluster. The airbag control unit is designed not to deploy the airbags when there is a malfunction for your safety. You will become susceptible to injury if the airbag accidentally explodes in your face while driving, yet an accident has not occurred.

Moreover, the destruction caused by the exploding airbags may result in you getting into another accident that might be fatal. Secondly, in case an accident occurs, and the airbags are unable to deploy, it is without a doubt that you will have a bumpy stop. Your body will suffer severe injuries from absorbing the accident’s impact. 

So, whenever you have the airbag lights flashing on your dashboard, rush to the nearest repair shop to have your car checked or reset it if it is a false alarm. 

How To Reset The Airbag Light In A Nissan Vehicle? 

After replacing the stereo or the seats to your Nissan, the airbag lights may start flashing. However, they may indicate a serious fault with your car’s airbag system. Have your vehicle checked before continuing with this reset procedure. 

• Start your ignition system by turning the key to the ON position, ensuring not to crank the engine. The airbag lights will stay on before they begin to flicker. 
• Switch the ignition system to OFF as soon as the light goes off and withdraw your key before the lights start flashing again. 
• Turn the ignition ON after 5 seconds.
• Repeat the first and second steps twice. Notice that you will have a different blinking pattern after your last move.
• Ensure you repeat steps 1 and 2 at least three times before cranking the engine.
• See if the airbag light sign lights up for a few seconds before going OFF for good. However, if the blinking persists, loop through the steps indicated above for better results. 

Conclusion

Airbag lights appear after you have the stereo or the front seat of your car replaced. Moreover, faulty airbag system components may result in the airbags lights flashing. Serious faults with your airbag system include a depleted airbag backup battery, faulty sensors, damaged airbag clock spring, wet airbag module, damaged airbags, broken wires, and bad connection. 

It is unsafe to drive with the airbag lights on as the airbags are unlikely to deploy during an accident. Follow series of starting and stopping the ignition system severally to reset the airbag light on your Nissan vehicle.

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