Your Chevrolet Silverado’s airbag warning light warns you if there’s a malfunction with your truck’s supplemental restraint system (also known as your airbags). If the light turns on, take your Chevy to a mechanic as soon as you can.

Your Chevy’s dashboard is equipped with lots of warning lights, and you’d have to be a

car repair

expert to understand them all. Fortunately, we’re here to go over exactly what the airbag warning light means—including what could cause it, and how to reset it if it starts flashing.

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What does the airbag light mean on a Chevy Silverado?

Your Silverado’s computer scans for faults in the airbag system along with other vehicle systems every time you start your Silverado. If it detects a problem, the

airbag indicator

light on your instrument panel will turn on or begin to flash.

The light typically looks like a passenger buckled in with the airbag represented as a round shape in front of them. The acronym “SRS,” which stands for “supplemental restraint system,” may also light up. The airbag light is sometimes called the “supplemental airbag light” for this reason.

There isn’t one single cause for the Chevy Silverado airbag light to turn on. Common reasons that this warning light stays on include:

Faulty sensors: Crash sensors tell your airbag control module when to deploy the front and side airbags, and seat sensors tell the system when the driver’s seat and front passenger seat are occupied. If these sensors burn out or malfunction, the airbag light will turn on.

Malfunctioning airbag module: If your airbag control module gets wet or damaged, it can short out, causing the system to fail and the airbag light to turn on.

Find your car owner’s manual

to find out where your airbag module is located.

Wiring problems: The airbag system relies on wires to connect airbag sensors to the control module. When those wires fail, the SRS light will turn on.

Drained airbag backup battery: If your battery is dying, the airbag backup battery may be activated. When this happens, the battery’s power can be depleted, causing the light to flash.

Damaged airbag clock spring: The airbag clock spring, located in your Silverado’s steering wheel, expands and retracts as you turn the steering wheel and maintains electrical continuity for the driver-side airbag. Like other springs in your car, it’s subject to wear and tear over time—and when it fails, your airbag light will flash.

These aren’t the only reasons your airbag light could turn on. If you’re not sure why your light is flashing and you’re not able to reset it on your own, it’s a good idea to bring the car to the mechanic or Chevy dealership for diagnosis. Or, if you own an OBD-II scan tool and

understand car OBD codes

, you can save a trip to the mechanic.

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What you need to know about the 2022 Jeep Wrangler airbag recall

GM has recently issued a product recall for certain units of the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 over an issue related to the vehicle's airbags, which may not deploy in a crash.

Affected vehicles are equipped with a sensing diagnostic module (SDM) that was left in manufacturing mode and not activated after leaving the assembly plant prior to shipment. It is believed that only five trucks were affected by this recall.

If you own a 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500, contact your dealership as soon as possible and provide them with your truck’s vehicle identification number (VIN). They’ll be able to inform you if you need to bring your Silverado in for repairs.

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How to reset the airbag warning light on a Chevy Silverado

If you’re really lucky, your airbag warning light is caused by a minor glitch, and you simply need to reset the system. There are a couple of ways you can do this.

First, turn the ignition switch on, wait approximately 10 seconds, and then turn it off again. If the light goes away after you restart your Chevy, you can safely write this off as a one-time anomaly. In some vehicles, the airbag on or airbag off light is designed to stay on momentarily after you start the electrical systems.

If this doesn’t work, drive for 5-10 minutes to see if the light turns off on its own. In some makes and models, an airbag light will go off if you drive around for a few minutes.

If your Chevy is older, it may have an airbag switch or button. With your truck’s engine running, try pressing this button (or flipping the switch). If the airbag light shuts off, you likely just bumped the airbag button accidentally.

Finally, if you’re equipped with the tool, you can use your OBD II scanner to clear or fix the error. Plug your OBD II scanner into the diagnostic link connector (DLC) beneath your steering wheel. Run a scan and read the code on the screen to identify the underlying error.

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Is it OK to drive with the Chevy Silverado airbag light on?

You won’t hurt your Chevy Silverado if you drive around with the airbag light on—but remember that it can be unsafe to drive for long periods of time if your airbag system is malfunctioning.

The airbag light always indicates a fault with the airbag system, which could mean that your airbags won’t deploy in the case of an accident, or if they do, they could deploy improperly, injuring or even killing you or your passengers. With the stakes so high, it’s best to bring the car to a mechanic as soon as you notice that the light’s on.

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