DIY fix for your car's intermittent airbag/seat belt light 

Accessed the seat belt switch by just removing the cover and with my bent safety pin eased the red seal open and sprayed the cleaner around the switch. Reassembled buckle and switched on. BINGO no air bag light and boy does it give this 73 year old pensioner a great feeling of accomplishment. Couldn't have done it without you. Thanks again.

Best how-to I've seen in a long time. Step by step, no interference, no fancy words, straightforward and easy to understand. I wish every mechanic were like you. Clean and everything performed with gentle hands. Not like a beast. I noted that every part was put back in proper order and placement. Who does that anymore? No fasteners were broken either. Man, You sir are one of the very Best! I have a 2006 Ridgeline with an on again/off again tempermental drivers seatbelt buckle. I hesitate to take it to Honda's svc dept (uh, we all know why). I don't know how to approach this task myself without removing the drivers seat. You initially mentioned that the task could be(?) done with the seat in place. I'm guessing my center console can remain as well? Can you give me a few tips on doing this? In closing, I tip my hat to you. Simply the Best!

This is the most professional auto fix-it instruction that I have ever viewed. You are very thorough and informative. Thank you.

I did this for a 2005 Honda Accord V6 ex and it fixed my issue completely. Very well done video, thank you for great instruction. To anyone watching this, he is right you do NOT need to remove the seat. It's obviously a little tighter to access, but certainly more than do able with the seat still in place. The key with this is being very gentle with the red little plunger, as you don't want to tear it, or bend the metal part on top of it that much in an awkward position. Just take your time and you'll be good! Also as a side note, when you take off the buckle cover, I tried to clean the dust and crud that builds up in the cover, just used a little bit of the contact cleaner inside the belt buckle to dislodge some of this stuff. Won't cause any harm, and it's better to just be thorough since you already have the buckle open. That's just my personal opinion however (I'm not a mechanic) so up to you if you find that useful and want to do it. Also, I see people mentioning taking it to the dealer. When I called the dealers (I called a few) they wanted to charge a $75 diagnostic just to look at it. If they found it to be something they would cover, then you get the diagnostic fee back. Basically I wasn't getting any guarantee that it was covered or not, so rather than chance $75 going down the drain, I figured a bottle of contact cleaner and just 20 mins of my time was the better option.

Amazing tutorial video. By far the best I've seen. No clutter, plenty of light, and at no time does your arm or hand obscure what you are trying to show. Clear, informative, and idiot proof. Congratulations on a well thought out and executed video.

A video that keeps on giving for years. This fixed my issue. Thanks!

Just looked through the comments and concur that this was one of the clearest repair descriptions that I’ve come across It’s nice to find someone, in this day and age of ‘fitters’ who now work on our cars and just seem to want to replace the connector, wiring harness and switch to find an ‘old school’ mechanic who is prepared to take things apart and fix the small item that is causing the problem. Many thanks, and all power to your spanners!

Thank you for making this so clear and showing your thought process while problem solving around the boot. I did this job on my 2003 Civic sedan with everything bolted down, and without removing the microswitch from the assembly at all. Just popped the housing off, pulled the boot out of the way, sprayed in the contact cleaner, and gave the switch a few dozen presses. Noticed the switch go from mushy and quiet to clicky and tactile. Threw everything back together, cleared the SRS code with the ol' paper clip trick, and finally have airbags again! Now to get that recall service done... (Don't ask me how long I've been neglecting this, it wouldn't reflect well on my image as a responsible individual)

Oh man I got the same car and same problem. Tried other fixes on RU-vid and nothing worked. Didn’t want to take it to dealer cus of costs and time, so I decided to give this a shot and it worked! I disconnected my battery and waited 30 min before unplugging airbag sensor from seat, then I had to remove seat to gain access to unscrewing buckle, sprayed some WD40, let it dry, put everything back in its place and what a relief to see the airbag light disappear! Thanks for taking the time to make this video for us.

I dont own a honda, but my girlfriend came with a 2011 BMW 238i with 50+ problems. I was using this video to just get comfortable with the process, and I have to tell you, your style of explaining is therapeutic. 10/10

I just performed this exact repair on my daughter's 2004 Honda Accord and it worked great! Thanks for the detailed instructions and the knowledge!

The airbag light been bugging me for years, YEARS! I knew something wrong with the seat belt switch but didn't know how to fix it. Today I fixed it and passed (Virginia) state safety inspection. I ripped the tiny rubber boot off the switch though but that is okay. In the future if the problem comes back, all I need is to spray some electrical contact cleaner and I am good to go. Thanks a millions!

Excellent video! One of the best tutorial videos I have seen on RU-vid. Each step was clearly explained with no jerky video. I just removed the cover as you suggested at the beginning, sprayed some contact cleaner in the general vicinity of the switch, and depressed the switch up and down a few times. Worked like a charm! Thanks!

WOW, this was so detailed. Just appreciate the explanation of each step and the tool used and needed, the smallest detail that may seem not important is so helpful. You are a great teacher!

Great video. It fixed my problem. I put a nicer seat from a 2003 accord into my 2004 accord and found out 2003 doesn't have the seat position sensor. So I moved mine over to the new seat. I thought that sensor was causing the problem. Turned out the new seat had a bad buckle and was causing the issue. Your video showing the seat belt light and it going on and off with the buckle made me look at it on my car. Sure enough it wasn't working properly. I moved the buckle from the old seat over and all is working fine now. Thanks again.

Good man. We need more knowledgeable DIY'ers like yourself out there.

Probably the clearest explanation and video focus I've ever seen on RU-vid. Just wanted to congratulate you on a fantastic job !!!!!!!!!!!!!

A clear and comprehensive explanation made brilliant by very good editing. If only all videos were as considered as this!

Thank you to @worsethanchiggers for posting this detailed video. I was able to fix the issue on my 2003 Accord. As stated in the description - I was able to do this without removing the seat. Make sure to lower the seat all the way to have easier access to the switch. Sadly, the boot tore a bit when I was pulling it back to spray inside. I made sure to clean the inside very well (used a vacuum against the boot, washed/dried the casing) so I hope nothing enters. If it does - it shouldn't take longer than 5 minutes to open it up and spray it again. Also - make sure to clean the buckle itself - dirt could be entering from a dirty buckle when you clip it in. Follow all the steps as detailed in the video - it should work for all of you as well! Subscribed!

Thank you for the thorough video. Your approach of properly removing, disassembling and cleaning that switch is great! Another thing that really is a plus is the tool referrals, just what the DIY person will need to get rid of that light! Good job!

One of the best videos ever made. Excellent in all respects.

Outstanding video. I was able to get the switch working without removing the buckle or the seat from a 2006 Odyssey. That took care of the no seatbelt warning light, but the airbag light came back on as soon as I buckled the belt. That was caused by a broken wire at one of the connectors under the seat. Fixed that and I'm out a whole ten bucks for a security bit set. Thanks.

He’s a great teacher. He gives me the confidence to tackle my airbag problems on my cars.

Thanks my man, I'm having the same problem. took it to the Honda dealers and they could not find anything wrong with my airbags...I think you are right, will try what you showed in your video. thanks again big man.

What can I say? Thank you! My 2005 Acura MDX’s srs light just came on intermittently this week. After viewing your vid, instead of tearing up the seat and buckle, I just sprayed the cleaner into the buckle profusely which totally soaked it. It turned out to be working so far. I’ll wait until the problem comes back again to do the tear down method. Thanks again for the great vid.

Best produced video I have ever seen on the subject. You may have saved lives as I believe the airbag stops working when the airbag light is on. The dealer wanted $250 for a replacement part. I didn't think you could open these things.

noticed when you started the job fuel tank was under a quarter and it was full when done. good job.

Another SUCCESSFUL story! Before everything, I need to say this video is incredible! So professional and clear! The explanation never could be better! I wish I found this video 3 years ago! Similar to many other stories, I had this SRS airbag light on my 03 Accord. The light wouldn't come up if I buckled up before starting the car. The SRS light recently stayed on and I couldn't sell the car because it couldn't pass the safety inspection. I spent $150 in Honda Dealership in Tyson VA for so-called diagnosis. I was almost sure that it's the driver seat buckle switch, but they took their time for diagnosis (spent at least 5 hours in dealership, even though I was told it takes around 1 hour and I had appointment). Their quote was $450 for the switch (that's crazy just for one switch) and $150 labor cost! I was pissed and took the car and started to search for the replacement. On ebay you can find another seat buckle for 50 bucks no worries. But I had to replace it. Then I was searching to see if anyone has replaced that before and how long would that take, until I found your video and read few comments! Many people said to just use lifetime warranty on the seat belt and buckle parts. I sent an email to the dealership and copied their manager, complaining that why they were going to charge me if this is covered by the lifetime warranty and I attached a section of the Honda owner manual covering lifetime warranty part. They returned to me saying the warranty is just for mechanical parts and switch isn't covered. I called another dealership and they had the same response! I decided to do it myself following your advice! Drove my Honda to advance auto part, bought T-10 safety screwdriver head, electronic contact cleaner, and then spent 10 minutes to remove the cover, clean the switch, test it (I just start the car and tested before putting back the seat buckle cover) and put the cover back! I couldn't believe it just took 10 minutes . You saved hours of my time plus $600 that dealership wanted. Thank you so much!

Superb video, extremely helpful! I repaired the switch with seat in place, used an offset 1/4" bit driver with a T10 security bit to reach the head of the forward screw on the seatbelt latch (since I didn't have a 500-lb gorilla to press down on the driver's seat to gain direct access with a straight bit driver...). Popped out the switch, popped out one switch cable anchor - that gave me enough leeway to perform cleaning. Instructions on accessing the switch interior - also superb, esp. the trick with the bent pin. Contact cleaner appears to have done the trick. Here's hoping it'll pass state re-inspection in a couple of days! Many thanks! (Oh, yeah: I remember chiggers from a Summer 1988 visit to Huntsville....)

I know this is a very old video, but it helped me finally get rid of my srs light problem. which has been on for 17yrs...lol. Even after Honda dealer replaced the seat belt buckle and it came back on in no time and i was just sick of it and ignored it. Thank you for posting this video!

one of the best tutorials on RU-vid!!! Please do more!

Your a god damn genius man. Thanks to you I got my shit working again. Thanks.

Excellent video. You're a master in not breaking brittle and rickety plastic.

That's the cleanest car I've seen on these tutorials by far... I'm very ocd with a clean floor and that carpet didn't have even a chewing gum wrapper. Now I have to admit that my 2011 Hyundai sonata has the seat belt airbag light on as well but I've been procrastinating on fixing it. Someday I will get off my lazy butt and fix it. Not today though, the winter weather isn't ideal to work on a car. lol

I cleaned the little red plunger with contact cleaner 2 years ago but my problem came back, because I slightly tore the little red plunger when I originally cleaned it so I reckon dirt got backed into it. I ended up replacing the whole seat belt buckle. Great video again, thanks!

The Step by Step procedure is absolutely astonishing! Thank you for your post!

A+ Tutorial, many thanks. Honda did a recall for this seat belt issue. They replaced the sensor on my Odyssey which did not fix the problem and told me the problem was with the seat belt switch and wanted to know if I wanted to book it in for the repair. I will have a go at fixing it myself after seeing these very precise instructions.

This fixes my problem, however I was able to do all this without taking seat and seat belt buckle off . The only thing I had to do is remove the two screws that hold case and then use needle from the side to open up the boot so that I could spray some lubricant in. So far the light disappeared so it looks like it fixed the problem. Thank you for this video it really helped me figure out what I needed to check first.

Just had the seatbelt light come on while driving home tonight in my Honda Jazz (Fit). Will try this fix tomorrow if it is still happening when we go for a drive then. Thanks for such a clear fix.

wonderful video and thanks for your patience to make every single demonstration to fix it!

Fantastic video, the only thing I would have done different is test the switch with a DVOM at the end of the wiring harness. Thus confirming if it works before going thru the hassle of putting it back on and it may not work still .... thanks for the great vid!

Very informative and helpful video. Gentleman was very well spoken. Easy to understand. Good pace. One of the best tubers I have watched. Thank you. Great Job!

Thanks for that. I would probably have tested how it worked before I bolted the seat back in, but you were more sure of your result than I would be of mine!

Thank you sir! Excellent presentation. Refreshingly free of music and grandstanding.

Extremly Super Helpful, now i cant wait to go on and try fixing my car this weeknd

Many thanks for this awesome video! I recently acquired an 05 TL with this problem on the passenger side and ended doing both sides just to be proactive. This is a very common issue for 3rd Gen TL and 6th Gen Accords based on the forums. The dealer would have replaced them for free as part of the safety lifetime warranty, but I couldn't have my daily out for 3 days. Thanks again for saving me time and hassle dealing with the dealership!

Excellent tutorial! I wish more people would do this kind of videos! Great job!

I just had this issue and found you posted the perfect video. Very well done. In total, It cost me $14.00 plus tax to fix this issue exactly as you've described. Thank you for making and posting this video!

Brilliant! I've had this problem for a couple of years on 2005 Accord Tourer; just have to get on and fix it now. Thank you

I'm lazy to disassemble and disconnect several wires and clips including taking out the seat. But thanks for the video. I just open the seatbelt assembly and spray cleaner alcohol on the seat belt switch and bravo it solve the problem.

one of the best fix it videos I have ever seen, thanks for your time

great inventiveness on getting contact cleaner into that switch.

Absolutely fantastic video! Great instructions, clear information and the picture quality is spot on. I have the same problem with my Honda Odyssey so I look forward to carrying out this repair in the next few.

Excellent step by step for anyone to follow. Thank you great job.

Excellent video, a good find to share. It stands out way above so many useless videos.

Watched this video and then sprayed a load of lubricant into the buckle without disassembling anything. Fixed it!

Very thorough and comprehensive explanation....and good tips along the way

Thank you sir! You saved my day. I didn't notice that it is related to the seat belt sensor since the seat belt light is usually off and so it doesn't warn me of anything. Now my airbag light works as normal.

Life gets more complicated every day. Now I've gota go fix mine. THANKS

Honda dealerships fix this problem for free if it is indeed this exact problem covered under seat belt buckle lifetime warranty, they order a new seat belt buckle, otherwise you pay $170 for inspection if it is not this problem to find out what it is, make sure you test the seat belt light as shown in the video, great video btw

I thank you for taking the time to record and post a most informative procedure. The airbag light began flashing and suddenly stayed on. When I took my Honda Element to the dealership for unrelated service I mentioned the light issue. It turns out, any malfunction in the occupant restraint system is under warranty for the life of the vehicle and must be done free of charge. I was very pleased to find this out. The dealership ordered and installed a new buckle under warranty. How sweet is that?

Thank you for posting this information. Much appreciated.

THANK YOU so much for this video! Right now, I've only gotten as far as your taking the seat out of the car, and I've already been completely wowed because I'm already sure that I could do this! My seat belt dings at all kinds of times for all kinds of reasons or no reason at all and, fearing a super expensive fix, I've just lived with it for a year and a half now. I'm so happy to know it's something I can tackle myself! Okokokok...just had to say that before I finish watching.

Thank you (worsethanchiggers) for your video! I have wrestling with the air bag warning flashing all the time for the past two days. After watching your video, post analysis of my driver seat belt indicator not coming ON what the belt is not buckled in my 02 RX300, I realized I am having the same symptoms you demonstrated in this Honda video and thus my fix is exactly what you demonstrated in your video here !! Thanks a Zillion, EJ Dossary, EE

Thank you for this video. I have a 05 civic si with this same issue and now I know what to do thanks to you sir...I appreciate your help. God bless you.

Thanks for sharing, awesome video. Just did it to my 2004 Accord coupe that had random airbag light issue. I originally thought my passenger seat sensor was faulty or it's cable was broken from frequent seat movement. Was able to reach it easily without removing seat, it's literally 15 minutes job. Used toothpick and carburetor cleaner, did not have contact cleaner handy. I think even alcohol will do.

Just fixed my honda accord 2005 Lx and it was the exact same problem, thanks for video!

Great video, In focus, steady shots, very informative, and useful. Thanks. By the way I have the same problem. Can't wait to try this technique.

I watched this thing over again you have a soothing voice the video that you were doing was excellent and of course the seat belt fix was great

Thanks taking the time to record, edit and posting such a great DIY video on this.

I'm going to try the shortcut route fixing this but your DIY video technique is excellent! One of the best narrated and filmed DIY videos I've seen on youtube. Good on ya!

Thanks, I just cracked open my seatbelt case and it turns out the little switch had ALOT of dust built up so all i had to do was clean out the dust and wallah, works like new

Thank you so much for this video all I did was remove the cover and sprayed some rubbing alcohol in there and worked the switch and boom it works like it's new again!

Very detailed and informative haven't found out whether or not this will fix my issue because it's cold outside :-)

Guys - if it's just a seat belt issue causing the light, should be covered under Honda's lifetime seat belt warranty. Just brought mine in (2004 CR-V) and dealer confirmed. Great video though!

Great video. I used this fix (without taking the seat out like other commenters mentioned) and it worked like a charm. Thanks!

instructions on this clip is straight forward and clear to understand, keep it up

Great detailed video. Now I know what to look for on my just acquired '03 Accord with 184xxx miles and an SRS light that comes and goes. Only thing I would have done is put a meter on the blue pigtail to verify failure and fix. Thanks again.

Great Video, fixed my nephew problem, on his Honda Accord.

Best Video! Very high quality! Clear verbal descriptions!

Fantastic tutorial video! Concise, clear, well filmed. Thank you so much!

Works. Saved me $100 on a new seat buckle by just cleaning the switch.

Before going through all this vid call for this is what worked for me. It took 2 minutes. With the car off pour some rubbing alcohol into the buckle and work the action with the belt 10 times or so. Repeat the alcohol and work the action 10 more times. Pour a little more alcohol into the buckle like a rinse. Wait until the alcohol drys before starting the car. This cleans the crud off the switch.

Had the same problem with my wife's 2001 Accord a couple years ago and fortunately had a good 3rd party mechanic diagnose it. As it turns out it is a known defect and as a known safety issue it is lifetime warranted, free parts and labor replacement. The dealer realized I knew enough about the issue that it was not worth giving me the runaround and after a quick confirmation of the diagnosis ordered a new replacement buckle. Unfortunately in the few days it took the part to arrive a pickup truck jumped out in front of my wife and that was the end of her Honda. Fortunately it was a low enough speed accident that the airbag wasn't needed as the dealer had shut the whole system down waiting for the part. While I compliment the video, there is no reason you should be fixing your own car if the dealer will do it for free.

The presentation for this video was very excellent I had the same problem with my 2005 Honda, and tried your procedure. It worked great. Thanks

Thanks for the video...I will try it out. FYI, the Honda dealer wanted $800 for the repair of the SRS light and according to Honda, this repair does not fall under the lifetime warranty for the seat belt.

Very good demonstration and slowly done with closeup video. 🙏🏾

Thank you for the fast and polite reply. So you had already determined that the switch was faulty. Another thought is that when taking the seed out since access under the seat is so restricted, then do the continuity test with all of the seatbelt connections left in place. I am assuming that there are only two wires that run from the buckle Down to the connecter plug and socket. My reason for wanting to watch your video, which I did in total, was it I have a quired a volts waggon 2000 Jetta and the front passenger Seatbelt is damaged with no cover on it. The airbag icon is permanently on and I cannot get this car through a safety test without light on. Other than my suggestion I think that your video was very clear, nicely detailed and very good photography. Have a great week. Thank you again for taking all that trouble.

Excellent, very well done video with attention to detail; very helpful & much appreciated.🙂👍

You are my 4th or 5th hero after ME!! Thank you neighbor!!!!!! Virginians are the BEST!!!!

I don't even have a Honda but watched ever second. Great job! Hope its similar to a blazer.

Great video, alot of work, but very detailed and easy to follow THANKS !

Thank you so much for this video,my ford escape2002 same problem, automatic said me $100 I fix it.I fixed it at the 25 minuets in my parking .thank you.

By the way - I tried to have Honda fix this and they said they would charge $120 if the diagnostic did not pick it up. This issue only presents itself after you have been driving for a while (i.e., the buckle sensor has time to "stick"), so I have a feeling they would have turned it on, found no problem, and charged me so this video saved me the risk. Also, to the people here saying "hey man, just go to Honda and they'll fix it for free" - I think that entirely depends on the organizational culture of your local dealership. My local dealership is full of douche bags. The seat belt is under lifetime warranty, so I should get a free replacement if it no longer retracts properly right? When I brought it in the dealership technician buckled the seat belt, then released it and watched it crawl back into its spool at the speed of an unfit snail and said "yeah, it still retracts on its own, so uh, we can't replace this under warranty." The point of DIY videos is you can take care of problems on your own, thus avoiding "professionals" and this guy gets it.

I applaud you sir. Very good and thorough instructions.

Very good video instruction, I have to do this sometime soon, I will do it in situ tho, IE I will only remove the buckle screw and two cable clips from seat frame, I will also not remove micro switch from buckle assembly. Very good though that you removed everything for clarity, thank you...

thank you for taking time to show how this is done

I say the same as Rey R. Lopez It is the best videos I have seen .thank you very much.

Once again stellar video! It goes without saying that you must have grown up as an engineer!

An excellent video. Clear and concise. Thanks for posting.