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
- The wiring under the seat: chafed or pinched
- 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.
- 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.
The inboard side airbag is in the driver’s seat on the cabin side (Tahoe, Yukon 2021 and newer). 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 PIT5759C (static.nhtsa.gov)
The explanation comes from the error code reference in the AvtoElektrik PRO app.