What you fix on the car
- Deployed airbags and covers
- Fired seat belt pretensioners
- Damaged sensors, wiring, or clocks springs where needed
- Any other open-circuit SRS faults the scan still shows
Specialists in crash data & module repair
What Is
Crash Data?
Crash data is why many airbag lights stay on after bags and belts are replaced. Here is what it means, and how a crash data reset clears the module.
Crash data in plain English
Inside every modern car is an airbag control module, also called the SRS ECU. When the vehicle senses a serious impact, that module decides which bags and pretensioners to fire. At the same time it writes a crash data record so the system knows a deployment event has already happened.
After the crash, that record often leaves the ECU in a locked or “already fired” state. Fit new airbags and seat belts and the hardware is ready again, but the brain of the system still remembers the old event. The airbag warning light stays on until a specialist performs a crash data reset.
Why the airbag light stays on after repairs
Customers and garages often replace every visible restraint part and still see the light. Scans then show crash related faults, stored deployment events, or internal codes that will not clear with a normal erase. That is not the scanner failing. The module is doing what it was designed to do: refuse to pretend the previous crash never happened until it is properly unlocked.
What the module still needs
- Stored crash data cleared on the bench
- Lock / crash flags removed so live communication returns
- A tested ECU that can be refitted to the same vehicle
- No dealer coding in most cases when you keep the original unit
How a crash data reset works
You order the correct reset for your part number, remove the airbag ECU, and post it to our Manchester workshop at Universal Square, Devonshire St N, Manchester M12 6JH. We clear the crash data, check the unit talks and tests cleanly, then send it back for refit. For most modules, if we receive it in the morning, we complete the crash data reset and send it back the same day.
Prices are fixed and VAT-inclusive: most modules £35, complex £46, motorhome B0100-49 £65. That is the usual UK postal path for airbag module reset after a crash repair, instead of buying a brand-new coded ECU.
Before you post the module
- Finish bags, belts, and obvious wiring repairs on the vehicle
- Photograph the ECU label so the part number matches the order
- Pack the module so pins and the board cannot move in transit
- Include your order reference so we can match the parcel quickly
Crash data reset vs buying a new module
A new dealer SRS module can run to hundreds of pounds plus coding time. A used breaker unit may arrive with someone else’s crash data still inside. Resetting your own original ECU keeps the car’s matched hardware in most cases and avoids that gamble. If the board is burnt, water damaged, or beyond recovery, we say replace instead. See reset vs replace for the decision checklist.
Still living with the light after an accident? Read airbag light on after accident or check whether an airbag light MOT failure is the next problem on your list.
Three steps
How it works
Order online, post the module, plug it back in. Read the full process.
Pick your module
Search the part number stamped on the ECU, or send a photo of the label. Not sure? WhatsApp us and we will help you find the right module.
Checkout and post
Pay by card, bank transfer, or call us. Pack the module securely and send it with your order details inside.
We reset and return
We clear the crash data, test the unit, and send it back ready to fit. Most morning arrivals go out the same day.
What to put in the parcel
- The airbag module / ECU only
- Your order number written inside
- A clear photo of the label kept on your phone
- Strong packaging (insured outbound postage if you want it)
Our guides
Short reads to help you find the right module and know what happens next.
How to find your airbag module part number
Where to look on the ECU label, what the codes mean, and how to order the right reset first time.
Read GuideWhat happens during a crash data reset
A plain-English look at what we clear, how we test the unit, and when it is ready to fit again.
Read Guide
Airbag light on after a crash
Why the light stays on, when a postal reset is the right next step, and what to check before you send it.
Read GuideWhat our customers say
Real feedback from drivers and garages who send modules to us every week.
James T.Manchester · Google
Posted my BMW airbag module on Monday and had it back Wednesday. Clear emails the whole way and the airbag light went straight out.
Sarah K.Leeds · Trustpilot
WhatsApped a photo of the label and they found the right module for me. Fair price, insured postage, and the crash data reset sorted it.
Dave R.Birmingham · Google
We send customer airbag modules from the garage every week. Same-day turnaround when it arrives in the morning. Proper reliable.
Amelia P.Bristol · Trustpilot
Airbag light stayed on after a minor shunt. Ordered the postal reset online, packed it up, and plugged it back in when it came home. Job done.
Chris W.Glasgow · Google
Needed a Ford airbag ECU cleared and was worried about buying the wrong reset. They checked the part number and talked me through it. No fuss.
Natalie H.Cardiff · Trustpilot
Motorhome airbag light on a Fiat Ducato. They knew the module straight away. Posted it Friday, back early the next week. Really helpful lot.
Clear fixed pricing
Fixed public prices for the reset. Return shipping is chosen separately at checkout.
Return shipping
When the reset is done, we send your module back the way you choose at checkout. Royal Mail Tracked 24, Tracked 48, or free workshop collect if you are picking it up in Manchester. That return leg is separate from the reset price.
Crash data FAQs
What is crash data in an airbag module?
Crash data is information the SRS ECU stores when it detects a collision hard enough to deploy restraints or lock the system. After bags and belts fire, many modules refuse to run normally until that stored crash event is cleared by a specialist reset.
Why does the airbag light stay on after I replace the bags?
New airbags and pretensioners fix the hardware that deployed. They do not wipe the crash record inside the control module. Until a crash data clear is done, the light often stays on even when every other part looks new.
What does a crash data reset do?
We receive your airbag ECU, clear the stored crash data and related lock state, test the unit, and return it ready to refit. Most resets are £35, complex £46, motorhome B0100-49 £65.
Is crash data the same as a black box for insurance?
People use “crash data” loosely. In this trade it usually means the restraint module’s stored deployment or crash lock, not a full telematics report for insurers. Clearing it is about making the SRS module usable again after proper vehicle repairs.
Can I clear crash data with a normal OBD tool at home?
Most consumer and many garage tools can read faults but cannot properly unlock a crashed airbag ECU. Specialists use dedicated equipment on the bench. That is why postal reset exists.
How fast is a postal crash data reset?
For most modules, if we receive it in the morning, we complete the crash data reset and send it back the same day. Pack the module well, include your order details, and send it to Universal Square, Devonshire St N, Manchester M12 6JH.
More guides: all guides. Need the service page? crash data reset.