Honda Civic mk8 - SRS airbag light reset (UK) and MES plug location

This is exactly where you will find the MES plug on the Civic (2006-2011) to reset the SRS if you live in the UK - and other countries. Its done the same way as other Hondas - ie bridge the connector when the SRS light is on and disconnect as soon as it goes out - plenty of videos on exactly how to do this. It should work providing there are no actual existing faults. If the SRS/Airbag light shows on your dash soon after turning onthe ignition, there is a fault somewhere in the airbag system - usually an open circuit and your airbags will NOT deploy when you really need them and seat belt restraints may not hold you firmly in your seat in the event of a roll so you should not ignore the warning light. ALWAYS, ALWAYS disconnect your battery for 30 minutes before doing ANY work on the SRS system or it could deploy suddenly and the results can be fatal. Moreover, although you may be able to extinguish the light using the MES connector or diagnostic tool reset, if the fault remains, the light will return when you next turn on the ignition and rightly so. Your safety is compromised with an SRS fault. I've seen others try to fool the ECU by using resistors in place of sensors but this is idiotic - you must fix the issue or the SRS system may not work as intended. Try unseating and reseating connectors under front seats as a first call (often the cause). If the SRS light returns even after resetting, you will need to read the fault code to narrow down and fix the problem. You'll either need a code reader or alternatively, you can bridge connections 4 & 9 on the OBD2 connector which will force the SRS light to flash the fault code at you. However this is harder to read in my experience. See other videos on youtube for doing this if you don't have a code reader.

After diagnosing and fixing the problem, the light will probably go out or alternatively either bridge the MES plug or find a garage/mechanic who has a top-end scanner to reset it. Many advertise that you can dig out the SRS ECU yourself, send it to them and they will reset it for you, but they are awkward to remove and personally I'd avoid this service. Although they can indeed clear the fault codes from the ECU, if theres actually a problem somewhere in SRS/Airbag system, the light will be back again and you'll have spent the money for nothing! Mine turned out to be a 4-11 code rather than a 4-2 - ie open circuit from front left crash sensor so not something I could reset without finding out why the sensor was not working correctly and if I'd sent the SRS ecu away for a reset, I'd have been back to square one so bear that in mind. You should not need to remove the ECU unless it proves to be faulty. Ultimately the crash sensor was replaced and the light stayed off. So in summary, if shorting the MES doesn't work and the light comes back again, you still have a problem and will need to investigate further - for yours and your passengers safety. Finally, I take no responsibility for any damage caused to you or your vehicle. Hope it helps!