# Airbags in old cars **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [June 9, 2007, 12:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/airbags-in-old-cars/395 "2007-06-09T00:07:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jackhlt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@jackhlt](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jackhlt)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 12:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/airbags-in-old-cars/395/1 "2007-06-09T00:07:14Z")
How do I find out if the airbags in my 95 deVille would work in accident? ---
**Author:** ![lprocter](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/lprocter/32/40_2.png) [@lprocter](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lprocter)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 12:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/airbags-in-old-cars/395/2 "2007-06-09T00:21:36Z")
Get in an accident. Seriously, the only way to tell would be to actually activate them. Since that’s a rather destructive test, I wouldn’t recommend it. Is there an airbag light on? If not, then I would suspect they would work fine. Of course, that doesn’t mean they will. Hopefully, you’ll never have to find out. ---
**Author:** ![SteveF](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevef/32/2_2.png) [@SteveF](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveF)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 12:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/airbags-in-old-cars/395/3 "2007-06-09T00:35:22Z")
You would need to go to a pro, a specialist with the right equipment for testing. ---
**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:** [June 9, 2007, 1:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/airbags-in-old-cars/395/4 "2007-06-09T01:19:56Z")
Short of driving into a tree, there is no way to know. If there are no warning lights telling you the airbags don’t work, you should assume they will work. If you wear your seat belt you don’t really have to worry. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 3:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/airbags-in-old-cars/395/5 "2007-06-09T03:11:38Z")
When you first turn on the key, all the warning lamps should glow, including the air-bag light. After the engine starts, it should go out. If this is what you see, then it’s 95% certain they will function normally. A control module checks the system every time the ignition is cycled. If it detects a system failure, it disables the system and turns on the warning lamp.