Dear Steven E,

Hope you're well. On the driver's side strut tower, there should be two black boxes, about two inches (50mm) long and one inch (25 mm) wide. From these boxes, On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) Codes can be obtained. See this site's FAQs for the procedure. Report the codes that you see (the number of light flashes).

One way to get the SRS light to go out is to disconnect the negative battery cable clamp from the negative battery terminal. This cuts power to the SRS sensor. Wait 15 minutes and then reconnect. Sometimes a transit condition triggers a fault, and cutting power to the system re-sets the SRS computer (affixed to the floor pan, under the driver's seat). If a three-fold repetition of this process does not cause the SRS light to go out and to stay out, check the OBD Codes.

Volvo's guidance is that for 900 series cars, SRS components can be expected to last as long as does the car. Airbags in 940 were made by Autoliv, then an Electrolux subsidiary, not by Takata. There's no reason to fear that tha airbag will become a fragmentation grenade.

Before cutting power to the car (by disconnecting the negative battery cable clamp from the negative battery terminal), make sure you have the radio's security code, which you'll need to re-activate the radio. If you don't have the code, call a Volvo dealer's service department and provide the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): they can access a database that matches the VIN to the security code.

Another source of SRS system trouble is rodent damage to wiring. A mouse cut a thin red wire, that provides a signal to the SRS lamp. When I repaired the wire, the SRS went out and has stayed out. The mouse fled. I put next to the SRS computer, an ammonia-soaked napkin in a small plastic can, with holes punched in the top. Mice associate ammonia aroma with cats, so stay away.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook