Car's "air-bag" light stays on. (danger or just 10-degree-F temp?)

Probably nothing, but better safe than sorry. Not deploying when needed is no biggy if you wear belts, but an uncommanded deployment going over a pothole could ruin your whole day.

It probably won't cost you anything but time and inconvenience- the Feds make them repair that stuff free for at least the first 100k miles, IIRC.

aem sends...

We're at about -5F (at 8PM) a couple hundred miles North of you.

I haven't heard anything do to cold and 10F isn't really all that cold. I'd make sure you don't have crap stuffed under the seat. MMy seat belt light came on a while back. Some bungee cords had slipped under the seat and were interfering with the seat mechanism. Just a guess.

What *I* heard is thieves love to steal airbags. They go for $300+ on the black market.

The light comes on because yours is gone.

IMHO, follow your manual, and "GET YOUR CAR CHECKED AND FIXED IMMEDIATELY!".

Don't mess with your safety.

tom @

What year vehicle? Tom

On my Dodge Caravan it was a defective switch. It didn't actually affect anything, except to make the light come on, but then you never know if the device is okay or not. I got it replaced. For the price I am not sure if I would recommend that or not.

Can you honk the horn? Does your cruise control work? Had a van do this, the clockwork spring (I think) was gone in the steering disabling the horn, cruise and airbag.

Sorry but 10 degrees is not super cold, having run vehicles at -40 and colder without an issue. You have a problem with your air bag, get it checked.

PV

Cold or not, there is something that the system is not happy about. Yes maybe it's only a problem in the cold but still a problem. Gotta get it checked...

The term is still used, but I don't think the seat belt light is an idiot light. That term imo refers to the "OIL" and "BATTERY"** lights which replaced actual gauges, presumably because the average idiot didn't know what was good and what was bad when he looked at the oil pressure gauge and the ammeter. So they just gave him a light and told him that was bad.

The airbag light doesn't replace an earlier gauge, and I don't think one simple gauge would be enough to indicate whether the airbag is in good condition or not. So maybe they could have had a digital indicator that would give all the airbag codes. But from the driver's pov, what difference does it make what the code is if he doesn't have the tools to fix any of them.

Actually I like that my '95 Chrysler has both an oil light and an oil gauge. In truth, you wouldn't have to be an idiot not to notice when the pressure is too low, so the warning light is good. I hate all the cars that only have a voltmeter, when an ammeter gives a lot more information, and gives valuable information earlier.

Every 10 years they need "servicing". Is your car getting on to 10 years old? Tom

The difference in knowing the actual code is that in many cases it would give the owner a good idea of what exactly is wrong, and not leave them at the mercy of shady dealers or repair shops. Before I took a modern car to the dealer for what could be an expensive repair, I'd get one of the digital readout devices that let;s you pull the code info from the car.

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David Combs posted for all of us...

Not knowing make, year & model but the manufacturer may have a TSB about it.