Lincoln Airbag SRS Light On: Common Causes & Repair Tips

Is the airbag light illuminated on your Lincoln, and you’re having trouble with it? Worry less; we’re here to guide and help you fix this problem. This article will provide you with the common cause, symptoms, troubleshooting & repair procedures for your vehicle’s airbag light.

What does the Airbag / SRS light mean on a Lincoln?

If the Lincoln airbag light stays on, it indicates that the supplemental restraint system is malfunctioning, causing one or more airbags to not deploy in the event of a car crash. The airbag light comes on when you start your vehicle’s engine and will alert the driver that there’s a problem with the SRS. There are a lot of possible causes for the light to come on and will be discussed below in detail.

Can You Drive Your Lincoln with Airbag / SRS Light On?

While it won’t affect the running condition of your Lincoln, it is not recommended because the airbag system is a protective feature that prevents occupants from serious injuries during a collision or car crash. We recommend fixing the problem immediately before driving your vehicle again.

Symptoms

When the Airbag or SRS light comes on in a Lincoln vehicle, it is usually accompanied by symptoms that indicate an issue with the car’s safety systems.

• Airbag or SRS Light On
• Chimes or Beeps: In some cases, the car may emit an audible warning, such as chimes or beeps, to alert the driver that there is an issue with the Airbag or SRS system.
• Flashing Light: In certain models of Lincoln vehicles, the Airbag or SRS light may flash instead of remaining illuminated continuously.
• Disabled Airbag System: If the Airbag or SRS system is disabled, the car may not have any airbag protection during a collision, which could result in serious injury or death.
• The Horn or Steering Wheel Buttons are not Working: If you have a bad clock spring, it will trigger the airbag light to come on and also affect the steering wheel buttons not to work.
• Random Deployment of Airbags: If the airbag system is malfunctioning, it can cause the airbags to deploy without any car crash

Common Causes

The most common problem that triggers the airbag or SRS warning message on Lincoln vehicles if failure of the passenger weight occupancy sensor or a defective clock spring.

Occupancy Passenger Sensor

The occupancy passenger sensor is designed to detect the person seated on the passenger seat, whether an adult or a child. Then it will process it to the srs module to enable or disable the airbags from deploying when a collision occurs. The airbags will only be disabled if a child is seated in the passenger seat because it can cause serious injuries to them. You will need a scanner to read the fault codes to diagnose the faulty sensor.

Deployed Seat Belt Pre-tensioner

The seat belt pre-tensioner is designed to keep the occupants in their seats in the event of a collision. The pre-tensioner protects the occupants from hitting the interior of the vehicle. A deployed seat belt pre-tensioner will cause the airbag light to come on, which should be fixed to set it to working conditions again. To diagnose a deployed seat belt pre-tensioner, you will notice that the seat belt retracts slowly, never retracts, or gets locked.

Lose or Corroded Wiring

The airbag system of a Lincoln relies on complex wiring which connects the sensors, control module, and airbags to work together. The wires can wear out over time due to age, high temperature (heat), corrosion, and physical damage due to excessive bending. Troubleshooting damaged wirings can be difficult, but you can use the scanner technique to find what component is malfunctioning after that, inspect its wirings.

Blown Airbag

After the airbags have been deployed, the airbag light will come on because airbags are only used once and should be replaced. To find out what airbag has deployed or not been replaced, use a scanner to run through the srs module of your vehicle. Also, after airbag deployment, you must reset the airbag control module to let the system function again.

Faulty/Defective Crash/Impact Sensors

The impact or crash sensors are designed to detect a collision which signals the airbag control module that will allow the deployment of the airbags. These sensors can be damaged for several reasons, corrosion and getting worn out due to frequent removal for car repairs. To diagnose a faulty sensor, you will need a scanner that will give a fault code for the malfunctioning sensor.

Weak or Dead Battery

A weak battery can trigger dashboard warning lights because each system component needs a certain power to function properly. The airbag system has a backup battery that will allow it to function even if your battery is already weak; If the airbag light comes on, the backup battery is already drained and can cause the airbags to deploy with insufficient power. So to fix this problem, you will need a new battery to recharge the depleted airbag backup battery, and if the airbag light is still on, you will need to reset it using a scanner.

Faulty Clock Spring

If the clock spring goes bad, the airbag light will come on because it is designed to keep the connection of the steering wheel airbag and buttons to the vehicle. The clock spring is a rotary connector that allows connection without breaking while rotating the steering wheel. To diagnose a bad clock spring, you will need a scanner to determine if this is the one causing the airbag light.

Faulty Airbag Control Module

The airbag control module controls airbag deployment and exchanges information with the system’s sensors, airbags, and pretension. If the airbag control module goes bad, a fault code will be stored, causing the airbag light to illuminate. Possible causes why the airbag module fails is because of water damage or electrical issues. Once a car accident happens and the airbags have been deployed, reset the srs module to set it to its working function again.

How to Reset Lincoln Airbag / SRS Warning Light?

The airbag light on a Lincoln can come on for several reasons, including a dead battery, a faulty sensor, a bad clock spring, etc. To find out, you need to read the codes with a scanner that can read the airbag module, such as YOUCANIC full system scanner. Then fix the underlying issue and clear the codes outlined in the section below. 

1. Locate the OBD-II port under the dashboard and plug in your adapter.
2. Power on the Youcanic scanner: Press the power button until the device turns on.
3. Go to the ‘Diagnose’ option: On the scanner’s main menu, select the ‘Diagnose’ option.
4. Select the Vehicle Make: You will see a list of vehicle makes. Scroll through the list until you find your vehicle’s make, then select it.
5. Select ‘Control Units’: The next screen will display different options after selecting the make.
6. Find and select the ‘Control Units’ option.
7. Select ‘Airbag/SRS Control Unit’: The next screen will show a list of various control units.
8. Scroll down until you select the ‘Airbag/SRS Control Unit’.
9. Read or Clear codes: Here, you can ‘Read codes’ or ‘Clear codes.’ To read the airbag codes, select ‘Read codes.’ The scanner will then display any stored airbag codes.
10. To clear the airbag codes, select ‘Clear codes.’ Follow any prompts that appear to clear the codes. Please note only clear codes after the problem has been fixed. Clearing the codes without fixing the problem may cause the codes to reappear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Fault Codes

When reading the fault code with a scanner, Many possible fault codes can trigger the Lincoln Airbag or SRS light. These are some of the most common codes on your Lincoln vehicle. Be sure to use the scanner that can run through the airbag system of a Lincoln vehicle. The scanner

• B1210 – “Driver airbag module feed/return circuit open.”
• B1994 – “Driver-side airbag module circuit resistance high.”
• B2290 – “Passenger-side airbag occupant classification system fault.”
• U0155 – “Lost communication with instrument panel cluster.”
• U3003 – “Control module internal fault.”

Applicable Models

Here are some Lincoln models that have been equipped with airbag systems/SRS:

• Lincoln Continental (1985-present)
• Lincoln Town Car (1990-2011)
• Lincoln MKS (2009-2016)
• Lincoln MKZ (2013-2020)
• Lincoln MKX (2011-2018)
• Lincoln MKC (2015-2019)
• Lincoln Navigator (1998-present)