Fix It

In 1989 Saab was the first car manufacturer to offer a Supplemental Restraint System, or SRS as standard in its 900 model. The system included two airbags, one located in the steering wheel to protect the driver and another in the dash designed for the front seat passenger. Since then, SRS systems have become the industry norm. Because the technology was new, SRS failure lights are a common annoyance for owners of many Saabs made through out the 1990s. While many are false alarms and can be fixed simply, others can be serious and should be addressed by a mechanic only.

Instructions

Disconnecting the Battery

1

Set the hand brake, remove the key from the ignition switch, and open the hood.

2

Disconnect the negative battery lead from the battery terminal using the adjustable wrench first, then disconnect the positive lead. Usually the negative lead is black and the positive lead is red.

3

Put on the rubber gloves. Sand the battery terminals and leads until they appear shiny and there is no noticeable corrosion left.

4

Reconnect the battery leads using the adjustable wrench. Close the hood and turn on the car to see if the SRS light has been turned off. Take the car for a short test drive to see if it comes back on.

In order to remove and reset the air bag light, also known as the SRS light on a BMW, a reset tool is needed. The Service Light Plus airbag reset tool, which is available for purchase at most auto parts stores, is designed to work on the BMW E36 and is easy to use by connecting it to the BMWs data link connector, located under the vehicles dashboard beside the hood release latch.

Instructions

1

Park the BMW on level ground.

2

Attach the air bag reset tool to the BMWs data link connector, under the dashboard.

3

Switch the BMWs ignition on.

4

Anticipate for the tools screen to illuminate and select "BMW" on the screen with the scroll buttons on the tool and press the reset tools "OK" button.

5

Use the scroll buttons to select the "E36" model and press the "OK" button.

6

Use the scroll buttons to select "Reset of Airbag" and press the "OK" button.

7

Wait for the message "Reset OK." Switch the BMWs ignition off and remove the air bag reset tool.