ac_2007

As most of us have gotten to know our Civics, we have also likely gotten accustomed to the dreaded SRS light The first shot at fixing this problem is resetting the SRS module (and therefore the light) VIA the yellow cable under the steering wheel. Note that this method does NOT require purchase of any tool, a simple bent paper clip will work. Search the forum for the sequence.

A large portion of those who have tried this method have soon realized it does not work for them. Whether it be a few seconds or a few weeks later, the light often comes back. On my vehicle the front seatbelts did not completely retract, but this was not the problem. **If you are thinking about tackling this DIY job, most of the time you can assure yourself the seatbelts themselves are NOT to blame if they "lock" in situations when driving and braking, pulling on them sharply, etc.**

I have been through Honda $tealerships and recieved quotes upwards of $200 for the SRS fix. More importantly, it was revealed to me that the majority of these problems have to do with the buckle mechanism, which is mounted to the seat. ~~NOTE: The airbags will NOT deploy in case of an accident if your SRS light is on~~


1) There are two wire harnesses under the seat you need to disconnect to remove this mechanism, one is white, the other is yellow.

2) You can begin unbolting the seat using a socket wrench --- 4 bolts.

3) After the seat is removed, the seatbelt buckle mechanism can be removed, which if I recall correctly, is just 1 large bolt connected to the seat. THIS IS YOUR CULPRIT!

You need to remove and replace this part. I grabbed one from the junkyard for $5 and it solved the problem. If you follow the same steps, ensure the junker car you remove this mechanism from A) buckles the seatbelt correctly and B) the seatbelts in said car are NOT seized (indicating a serrious accident)

Without a special scan tool from Honda, you will not be able to tell if the deffective unit is Driver or Passenger side so you may have to use trial and error and reset your SRS light a few times while connecting and trying different buckles. **99% of the time the problematic buckle will be the Driver side**

Hope this helps

matthewGA

Sorry to bump an old post, but thank you. This sounds like exactly what I need.

ac_2007

Glad I could help. I sold my civic without a single xmas light on the dash ever since this fix.

dubosegriffin

Here is my story. I bought my car used. 2002 Honda civic ex 4dr. My problem was that it took three or four forceful trys to get the driver seat belt to properly click into buckle. Note that the SRS light WAS NOT ON. So, I took it into the dealership and they replaced the buckle for free bc it was under warranty. When they did this, the SRS light CAME ON and STAYS on. So, the buckle is brand new. I am not sure what this means.Would the defective buckle have masked another problem that appeared after buckle was replaced. The dealership said they reset the SRS light. The error code indicates the buckle.

Any suggestions?

Thank you.

specialized7

Good post. I noticed on my way to work that my buckle wouldnt click in .
Then when i was going to leave work i had the srs light.
Could i spray some electrical parts cleaner in there?

ac_2007

I haven't been around in a while, partially due to the lack of another civic.

@dubose - Double check the connections underneath the seat, there are 2. Use the paper clip method to reset your SRS light, and if it comes back, try replacing the buckle to see if the problem persists.

@specialized - Electronics cleaner can't hurt, if you use a substitute make sure its non-chlorinated. Most likely, this won't fix the issue and it will probably come back in a short amount of time. A replacement is the solution.

CivicRider

Actually there is a way to scan the code without special tool. some genius posted it somewhere on internet. I used that method to find out that my driver side was a problem. seat belt and SRS mechanism is under life time warrenty by honda. so i went to dealership and told them so they changed it free of charge. they were wondering how i knew the code and the problem.
i cant seem to find the link to that post about getting the code. but i remember someone copied it from an acura forum and posted it here in this forum. Good Luck !

CivicRider

here is the link

http://forums.clubrsx.com/showthread.php?t=636707

ac_2007

Canadians get stiffed with worse coverage, I believe it was 160k km. No success trying to get them to fix it. Even got local newspaper involved.

scooty

I have never seen a 7th gen at any junk yard. Where did you find one?

midwaymonsters

I have a 2001 Civic that I recently purchased from a private owner. After doing a self-diagnostic on the SRS light, it shows a 9-3 code (9 long flashes followed by 3 quick blinks) Faulty Driver's Seat Belt Buckle Switch. However, it also has additional flashes and blinks after the 9-3 code. It appears to be 2 fulls sets of 4 quick blinks (2 sets) and 3 long flashes (1 set) "---- ---- - - -, ---- ---- - - -" Any idea what that code is?

FYI...I just had both airbags replaced due to Honda recall.

NDNV

Common issue is the switch in the driver's seat belt buckle is faulty. Lifetime warranty so take to dealer to replace for free.