8.3 Frontal Airbags, Speedometer & Audible Warning Device

Airbag integrity and warning logic

A deployed frontal airbag must be replaced. Reject removal of the original airbag warning system, a false sign/light claiming an airbag where none exists, damage or insecurity at the airbag cover, and equipment that may interfere with deployment. Examples include a poorly positioned accessory, altered steering wheel, or unapproved switch.

The original warning light must operate and must not indicate a fault. Observe the manufacturer’s normal ignition/self-check sequence. The VIRM does not state that every SRS lamp must go out in exactly five or six seconds. A lamp that stays on, flashes a fault, never illuminates when it should, or has been covered/removed requires the applicable result.

An airbag modification—removal, deactivation, switch, wheel/seat change, or affected wiring—requires the certification or exclusion listed in the page. Where a certified removal is allowed, original signs/lights must be removed or a permanent prominent label must tell the formerly protected occupant that the airbag has been removed.

Seatbelt pretensioners are inspected under the seatbelt page; they are part of the restraint system but should not be hidden inside an unsupported generic “SRS clears after six seconds” rule.

Speedometer

A vehicle first registered in New Zealand on or after 1 December 1951 and capable of exceeding 50 km/h generally must have a speedometer. It must work while moving forward, be readable by the driver, and indicate in km/h or mph. A GPS speed display is expressly not the defined speedometer.

A narrow documentary exception can apply where the speedometer has been removed for repair without undue delay, or repair/replacement is impracticable or unavailable. Acceptable written evidence comes from the speedometer repairer or supplier, and a copy is retained with the checksheet. Do not turn an owner’s verbal promise into acceptable evidence.

If an odometer is absent, inoperative, or unreadable, follow the current checksheet and system-entry instruction (including the prescribed comment and placeholder where applicable). An odometer issue is not automatically the same as a failed speedometer.

Audible warning device

A motor vehicle must have an effective horn. It must:

• be easily operated from the driver’s seating position;
• operate when activated and not operate by itself;
• produce a steady, continuous sound rather than a tune; and
• be audible under normal traffic conditions from at least 100 m.

Bells, whistles, and sirens are restricted to the uses stated in the page, with specific allowances for alarm or reversing-warning functions. A siren on an emergency vehicle must not operate when not activated.

Combined inspection routine

1. Observe airbag signs, covers, warning lamps, and the normal self-check.
2. Look for deployment, deactivation, non-OE switches, altered steering wheels/seats, and obstructing accessories.
3. Verify certification evidence for an affected airbag system.
4. During safe forward movement, check speedometer operation and units.
5. Examine any claimed repair exception and retain acceptable evidence.
6. Sound the horn from the driver position; assess control, steadiness, false operation, and audibility.
7. Record each system separately.

Scenario

A car’s instrument cluster is removed for repair. The owner provides a dated repairer document, and there is no undue delay. The VIRM evidence route may allow the vehicle to proceed. A phone GPS alone would not replace the speedometer or documentary exception.

Distinguish warning, label, and diagnostic evidence

An SRS lamp that proves and extinguishes normally is evidence of the monitored state, not proof that every physical component is present. Still inspect covers, steering wheel, dashboard, seats and visible wiring for deployment or removal. Conversely, an unexplained warning cannot be overruled by a scan report saying “historic” while the cluster indicates a current fault.

For speedometer operation, compare indicated movement with a safe reference method; WoF is not a calibration certification unless the page specifies a relevant defect. The display must continuously indicate forward speed in km/h or mph. For the horn, test the normal control and listen for steady sound; a separate alarm siren does not replace the driver-operated warning device.

Final controls checkpoint

Check that speedometer and mandatory warning visibility has not been obstructed by an aftermarket steering wheel, phone mount or dashboard modification. Operate the horn without confusing it with alarm or steering-wheel media controls. If an airbag has certified removal, inspect both the certification and the occupant notice/sign treatment. Each of the three systems has a separate reason for rejection even though they share the driver’s view and controls.