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 pretensioner connector (low on the centre pillar): corrosion, poor contact
- The pretensioner harness under the seat is pinched by the seat frame (per a GM bulletin)
- The pretensioner wiring
- A phone charger or USB adapter in the 12 V socket: per a GM bulletin its interference upsets the airbag circuit measurement
- The pretensioner (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.
- If the seat was moved or removed, check that the pretensioner wire under it isn’t pinched and that the connector is latched (only with the terminal disconnected).
- 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 PIC5396A, 15-NA-074, PIT5564A (static.nhtsa.gov)
The explanation comes from the error code reference in the AvtoElektrik PRO app.