# Airbag light

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/airbag-light/17419>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [July 30, 2008, 2:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/airbag-light/17419 "2008-07-30T02:26:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Never773](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ea924/32.png) [@Never773](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Never773)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 2:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/airbag-light/17419/1 "2008-07-30T02:26:29Z")

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Recently my air bag light has been blinking. This vehicle has a slipping trensmission so I will not be taking it in for repairs, and I have no money anyhow.  
  
  
  
 Does the light signify that the bag will simply not deploy in an accident? Or can the bag go off anytime while I am driving?  
  
  
  
 If the answer to the second question is yes, then can I simply pull the fuse to prevent the thing from going off? Thanks.

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**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 2:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/airbag-light/17419/2 "2008-07-30T02:27:39Z")

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It means the bag may not deploy during an accident.

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**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/airbag-light/17419/3 "2008-07-30T02:33:27Z")

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If the light is on, the airbags definitely WON’T deploy in a collision.

To he OP: What kind of vehicle is this? My Spidey-sense is detecting a third generation ('96-'00) Chrysler/Dodge minivan with a bad clockspring that is covered by a recall. But my Spidey-sense has been wrong before…

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**Author:** ![Never773](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ea924/32.png) [@Never773](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Never773)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 2:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/airbag-light/17419/4 "2008-07-30T02:48:24Z")

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It’s actually a 95 mercury tracer, hehe. Pretty old vehicle and I only want to make it through one more winter. Yeah as long as the stupid bag doesn’t blow up in my face I don’t care.

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**Author:** ![Manolito](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/manolito/32/3070_2.png) [@Manolito](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Manolito)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 4:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/airbag-light/17419/5 "2008-07-30T04:56:14Z")

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I cannot speak to all cars, but on mine, whether the bag will deploy in an accident while the light is lit depends on the failure that is detected. In general, yes, it will deploy properly.

I have never heard of a bag deploying unexpectedly. I would not worry about that.

In my experience among folks who drive older cars and have limited funds for repairs, when the airbag light comes on, they just remove the bulb from the dash cluster. If it deploys in an accident, great. If it does not deploy, then the car is still as safe as the cars we grew up in.

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**Author:** ![Never773](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ea924/32.png) [@Never773](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Never773)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 12:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/airbag-light/17419/6 "2008-07-30T12:50:59Z")

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Yeah that is what I figured. I am never in a situation these days where I have to even drive over 35 so the airbag is 99% useless to me.

Thanks for the speedy replies.
