How-To: Reset your SRS light

[wtfh4xx]

Has your SRS light beeen on forever? Have you done somethign recently and then have it pop on and you cant get it to go away? This is the how-to for you!

This write-up will work for almost all Acura's and Honda's.

You will need:
A screwdriver
2 paperclips
Not be colorblind
An IQ of at least 5

Okay, first things first, if you think you can work in a somewhat tight space and are coordinated with your hands and eyes, then ignore the next sentence. If you want more room, remove the dash panel right beneath the steering wheel.

Next, we are going to look for a YELLOW plastic cable with a YELLOW connector right around the fuse box. Dont get confused, becuase there may be more than 3 of these types of wires. All yellow encased wires and connectors are part of the SRS system. The easiest way to recognize it will be that it plugs into a dummy (A fake) connector, and that it has two pins. It will look like the one below:

Okay, once you find it and have taken it out of the dummy socket your going to need your two paper clips.
I want you to unfold them, leaving one end unstraightened, and make them look like this:

This is so that you can easily rotate the paper clips into, and out of, contact.

Now for the fun part.
A quick tip that makes the proccess easier is: If the light is on, hold your clips together, if its off, hold them apart.

Hold the paper clips together

And now turn on the ignition, DONT START THE CAR. The SRS light will come on for about 6 seconds and then will go off, quickly disconnect the wires when the light goes off.

After about 4 seconds the SRS light will come on again, quickly hold the clips together again.

It will go off again and you will quickly disconnect the clips. This time after 4 seconds the light shoudl blink twice.

Turn off the ignition and pull out your paper clips.

Wait 10-20 seconds and then turn your car on, the SRS light will pop on for 6 seconds as is normal and then turn off.

Congratulations!

You just reset your SRS light and saved yourself $80 from having the dealer do it!

If the light stays on like it was previously then repeat the proccess. If it still stays on then there is something broken/disconnected in your SRS system.

 

[slammed98hatch]

why not just go to the dealership and buy the plug for $5 instead of using a paperclip?? i'm not sticking a paperclip in anything, but I'm going to do this though with the plug

 

[2nedhnda]

honestly, the paperclip wont hurt anything

 

[Norsean]

Worked for my 01 civic EX too

Although the plug looks different in my car but the idea works,
Thanks for the paper clip trick!
By the way here is what the plug looks like in my car and the official manual for erasing the DTC. Hope it helps!
The plug is the one with yellow heads and a green and black wire coming outside

Here is a closer look:
[img=http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/1671/cimg0799mt8.th.jpg]
And here is the official manual:

Erasing the DTC Memory
Special Tools Required
SCS short connector, 07PAZ-0010100
To erase the DTC(s) from the SRS unit, use a Honda PGM Tester (see the Honda PGM Tester SRS vehicle System Supplement) or the following procedure.
Make sure the ignition switch is OFF.
Connect the SCS short connector (A) to the MES connector (2P) (B). Do not use a jumper wire.

Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
The SRS indicator light will come on for about 6 seconds and then go off. Remove the SCS short connector from the MES connector (2P) within 4 seconds after the light goes off.
The SRS indicator light will come on again. Reconnect the SCS short connector to the MES connector (2P) within 4 seconds after the light comes on.
When the SRS indicator light goes off, remove the SCS short connector from the MES connector (2P) within 4 seconds.
The SRS indicator light will blink 2 times indicating that the memory has been erased.
Turn the ignition switch OFF and wait for 10 seconds.
Turn the ignition switch ON (II) again after the procedure. The SRS system is OK if the SRS indicator light comes on for 6 seconds and then goes off.

 

[Norsean]

Worked for my 01 civic EX too

Although the plug looks different in my car but the idea works,
Thanks for the paper clip trick!
By the way here is what the plug looks like in my car and the official manual for erasing the DTC. Hope it helps!
The plug is the one with yellow heads and a green and black wire coming outside
http://img522.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cimg0797ti5.jpg
Here is a closer look:
http://img112.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cimg0799mt8.jpg
And here is the official manual:

Erasing the DTC Memory
Special Tools Required
SCS short connector, 07PAZ-0010100
To erase the DTC(s) from the SRS unit, use a Honda PGM Tester (see the Honda PGM Tester SRS vehicle System Supplement) or the following procedure.
1.Make sure the ignition switch is OFF.
2.Connect the SCS short connector (A) to the MES connector (2P) (B). Do not use a jumper wire.
http://img403.imageshack.us/my.php?image=2338a25la3.gif
3.Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
4.The SRS indicator light will come on for about 6 seconds and then go off. Remove the SCS short connector from the MES connector (2P) within 4 seconds after the light goes off.
5.The SRS indicator light will come on again. Reconnect the SCS short connector to the MES connector (2P) within 4 seconds after the light comes on.
6.When the SRS indicator light goes off, remove the SCS short connector from the MES connector (2P) within 4 seconds.
7.The SRS indicator light will blink 2 times indicating that the memory has been erased.
8.Turn the ignition switch OFF and wait for 10 seconds.
Turn the ignition switch ON (II) again after the procedure. The SRS system is OK if the SRS indicator light comes on for 6 seconds and then goes off.

 

[Norsean]

Worked for my 01 civic EX too

Although the plug looks different in my car but the idea works,
Thanks for the paper clip trick!
By the way here is what the plug looks like in my car and the official manual for erasing the DTC. Hope it helps!
The plug is the one with yellow heads and a green and black wire coming outside

Here is a closer look:

And here is the official manual:

Erasing the DTC Memory
Special Tools Required
SCS short connector, 07PAZ-0010100
To erase the DTC(s) from the SRS unit, use a Honda PGM Tester (see the Honda PGM Tester SRS vehicle System Supplement) or the following procedure.
1.Make sure the ignition switch is OFF.
2.Connect the SCS short connector (A) to the MES connector (2P) (B). Do not use a jumper wire.

3.Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
4.The SRS indicator light will come on for about 6 seconds and then go off. Remove the SCS short connector from the MES connector (2P) within 4 seconds after the light goes off.
5.The SRS indicator light will come on again. Reconnect the SCS short connector to the MES connector (2P) within 4 seconds after the light comes on.
6.When the SRS indicator light goes off, remove the SCS short connector from the MES connector (2P) within 4 seconds.
7.The SRS indicator light will blink 2 times indicating that the memory has been erased.
8.Turn the ignition switch OFF and wait for 10 seconds.
Turn the ignition switch ON (II) again after the procedure. The SRS system is OK if the SRS indicator light comes on for 6 seconds and then goes off.

 

[FartCanMan]

If you have a racing wheel...is there any way to reset it? Or will it just keep coming on?

 

[mportedcivicsi]

if you have any part of the system disconnected it will cause a light. only way to deal with it is to take the light out. safest way to deal is to remove the system. really who cares about the pass if you have the driver out. just take the brain and wiring to all of the bags and fuse box out. i did it to my last car in like 30 min.

and the reset is dope...just reset it in my car!

 

[Nwashburn79@yah]

Will this work if I replaced my stock wheel with nrg quick release and a custom steering wheel?

 

[lethal6]

Will this work if I replaced my stock wheel with nrg quick release and a custom steering wheel?

No. This is for resetting after you have fixed something within the SRS system. You have removed part of your system. You will be stuck with a light until you put the stock wheel and airbag back.

 

[RonJ]

If you disable your SRS light, you may not be able to pass CA inspection.

 

[jasnh]

Recently bought a 2001 Civic EX for my college bound son. After a few days of driving noticed the SRS light would stay on. I googled and found this site and this thread.

I tried the reset method over a dozen times, with no success. Then I had a brainstorm and decided to try it with the front seat belts buckled and it cleared first try!!

I also found that as long as the drivers seat belt is buckled before starting the car and not unbuckled until after shutting the car off, the light will shut off as it should after starting the car. If not, the light will stay on and I have to reset again.

 

[greenbackz]

Recently bought a 2001 Civic EX for my college bound son. After a few days of driving noticed the SRS light would stay on. I googled and found this site and this thread.

I tried the reset method over a dozen times, with no success. Then I had a brainstorm and decided to try it with the front seat belts buckled and it cleared first try!!

I also found that as long as the drivers seat belt is buckled before starting the car and not unbuckled until after shutting the car off, the light will shut off as it should after starting the car. If not, the light will stay on and I have to reset again.

wow thx! this worked for me too.. same thing i sat there for like 20mins trying to do it one night, the light would just flash twice as if it was working, but then the srs light would just stay on when i started the car again. saw your post and tried it with the seatbelts buckled and it worked first try!! not sure how long the light will stay off for but its been a good 24 hours and i've driven the car multiple times throughout the day. only difference is i can take my seatbelt off before shutting the car off and it doesn't make the srs light go on like yours.

EDIT:
So my srs light did come on a few weeks later but its pretty easy to reset it with the paper clip method so im not really sweating it. must be something to do with one of the seatbelts but watever, this paper clip method is better than paying to get whatever is wrong with it fixed..

 

[SiR.Huey]

If in any way you guys are struggling with the light staying on cause you have a quick release which caused you to have to rid of your driver airbag then you should go to your local ace hardware or some store that could provide a two ohm resistor and this will be used to drag on the electrical current and provide enough resistance tricking the ecu to where It believes the airbag is present in the system then perform the process in this DIY. If the resistor is connected in the system properly the light will function as stated in this DIY. Good luck mates. Pm if you have any further questions.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk