# Air Bags Warning light is on

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/air-bags-warning-light-is-on/19100>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [September 4, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/air-bags-warning-light-is-on/19100 "2008-09-04T16:29:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![raulberuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ba0ec/32.png) [@raulberuff](https://community.cartalk.com/u/raulberuff)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/air-bags-warning-light-is-on/19100/1 "2008-09-04T16:29:45Z")

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My son hit the curb with my right front tire destroying the tire. My air bag light has come on since he hit the curb. Ford dealer gave me an estimate of $877.90 for an RCM a left pretensioner and a right pretensioner Labor $378.86 and parts 438.05. Is this right?

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**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/air-bags-warning-light-is-on/19100/2 "2008-09-04T16:33:21Z")

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Hard to say. What you need to be aware of is, if the airbag warning light is on, the airbags are disabled, and will not function.

Airbag repairs are expensive, and I doubt there is any option but a Ford dealer.

Aren’t the pre-tensioners part of the seat belt system? Maybe they’re a once-only item, and if they are used must be replaced.

I’d get another estimate.

I’d also ask the young man how he plans to pay for this.

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**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/air-bags-warning-light-is-on/19100/3 "2008-09-04T17:14:11Z")

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Seatbelt pretensioners are indeed one time use items. If they were fired in this accident, then they have to be replaced. Usually, the seatbelts must also be replaced as they have parts that stretch one time only too. Probably they are included with the pretensioners.  
The pretensioners are a part of the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System). This includes the airbags. It is not really an “air-bag” light that is on, it is the SRS light that is on.

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**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/air-bags-warning-light-is-on/19100/4 "2008-09-04T17:27:11Z")

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Why a RCM module? is this a one time module? I googleded around about RCM (only about 5min.) and couldn’t come to a conclusion.

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**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 5:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/air-bags-warning-light-is-on/19100/5 "2008-09-04T17:46:10Z")

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Yes, believe it or not, it appears to be S.O.P. to replace the RCM after a crash. It seems they come up with a memory full error because they have stored the crash data. RCM = Restraints Control Module