Airbag system warning
Dolphin
- Color
- Red
- Urgency
- Immediate
Most lamps light for a few seconds when you power the car on. That check is not a fault by itself. This page does not replace the owner’s manual for your model year and market. Icons are schematic illustrations used on this site. They are not offered as the vehicle maker’s artwork, and they have not been checked against it. They may not match the lamp on your cluster. Urgency levels are this site’s classification, not the maker’s. If they differ from the manual, follow the manual.
What it means
The airbag lamp watches the control unit, the crash sensors, the inflators, and their wiring, including belt pretensioners tied into the same system. It should light briefly when you power on, then go out. A lamp that stays on, never lights for that check, or returns while driving means the restraints may not fire in a crash. On the Dolphin the lamp covers the front bags and the side bags fitted to that car.
What to do
Have the restraint system checked before you rely on the car. Keep the belts fastened. Do not hang objects from the steering wheel or cover the dash where a bag deploys.
Related lamps
Common questions
- The lamp went out after the start-up check. Is that enough?
- A brief light at power-on is normal self-test behavior. It does not mean the airbag system has been checked. The warning is a lamp that stays on, skips that check, or comes back later.
- Can I keep driving if the belts work?
- The car may still be able to move, and that does not mean the airbags will work. Keep wearing the belts, and contact a service provider first to ask whether it should be towed. If you must move the car, keep the trip as short as you can.