Auto Airbag System Repair: Toyota airbag light, toyota rav4, proper diagnosis

Question
QUESTION: The airbag light goes on & off in my 2007 Toyota Rav4. It may stay on an hour or a day or two. The dealer said to bring it in when it's on, which is very hard as it doesn't stay on long. Is it going to explode in my face? Any suggestions? (38,000miles)Thanks

ANSWER: Hi Roger:
No, the airbag is not going to explode in your face.  

On most vehicles, the airbag light should come on for @6 seconds, and then go off if the system is working properly.  If there is a fault or a problem in the system, the light will remain illuminated, or flash continuously.  When the light is on, the airbag will NOT deploy, even in an accident.   

The flashing light on your car is telling there is a problem.  On some vehicles, the light is flashing a two digit code.   Your vehicle will not require a scan tool for the proper diagnosis. Here's a site (one of my companies) that will explain everything you need to know about airbag lights and resetting the system.   
www.airbagsolutions.com
Once you know the code, you may be able to repair it yourself.  There are fairly easy procedures that most people are capable of repairing.  
Airbagsolutions.com has the fault code charts to tell you what is wrong!  Although it’s a pay site ($14.95/day), it’s a lot cheaper than going to the dealer.  
The fault code may only exist when the light is on (as they said), so if you buy a subscription, print out the information so you have it in the future when the fault reoccurs.
I hope this helps
Doug


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Doug,

Thanks for the great info..   My airbag light never flashes. It will come on when you drive the car and may be off the next time you drive it. Does that make a difference as far as your answer?

Happy New Year
Roger

Answer
Hi Roger;
No, each manufacturer displays a system fault a little differently.  Once the light is on, the system is down.  When the light is off, the system is active and working.  The fault that occurs when the light comes on, may or may not be stored in a history file, and the only way to truly know what happened (during that time) is to go through the diagnosis with a scan tool.
The procedure using the dash light that our website shows you how to do will only show current active fault codes and only works when the fault is active (and the light is on)

I hope that clears it up a little
Doug