A fault code doesn’t yet mean the unit or sensor itself is faulty: often it’s the plug and connector leading to it.
Possible causes
- The side airbag connector under the seat: not clipped in or corroded — especially if the seat was moved or removed
- Loosely crimped terminals in the side airbag connector (per a GM bulletin)
- The wiring under the seat: chafed or pinched
- The airbag wire in the seat back is damaged by a sharp edge of the frame
- The airbag (squib) or the SRS unit
What you can do yourself
- You can drive, but don’t put off the repair: the airbags may not deploy in a crash.
- Don’t test squibs or airbags with a multimeter and don’t take them apart: the airbag can deploy and injure you. Touch the connectors only with the battery terminal disconnected and after waiting several minutes. Don’t fit airbag “emulators”: there will be no protection in a crash.
- Check the connectors under the seats: disconnect the battery terminal, wait several minutes, then see whether the connectors are clipped in and free of corrosion.
- A scanner often shows the code with a suffix (B0012-0D, B0014 04): 04 means an open circuit, 0D resistance above normal, 0E below normal. This helps you know where to look.
- After the repair the code won’t go away by itself: it is cleared with a scan tool.
OOleg’s tip: check the connector
Often the cause is simple — there is no contact in the connector (plug). Look at the connector from the back: remove the rubber seal and you will see whether a wire is corroded or has come off completely. Corrosion shows up as green deposits. Ideally, gently pull each wire towards you one at a time: a sound wire stays in place, while a corroded one simply comes off — it needs to be repaired.
Unplug and inspect connectors with the ignition off.
This is the GM meaning (Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC). On other makes this number means something else: if your car isn’t made by GM, change the make at the top.
Source: GM 15642, 23010, 15-NA-074 (static.nhtsa.gov)
The explanation comes from the error code reference in the AvtoElektrik PRO app.