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"Service Airbag" DIC Warning - New TSB

Save yourself some time and headache and get a dealer with a Tech II to read the Airbag code. There might be other scanners that can read Airbag codes, but I couldnt read it with my laptop obd-ii software.
 
Hi--
Would appreciate is the wiring issue has also been identified in 2002 avs (Z-71, 1500).  Just turned 130,000 with the gift of the airbag light staying on at the top of the instrument panel.  Nothing under the seats (read that jamming stuff there may impact the system).

Any and all suggestions are appreciated.  I need to see if checkers/o'riellys or advanced auto has a reader for this.  Does the omd ii reader work for the airbag codes?

(I had the pleasure of getting some good advice a few years ago leading us to drop the fuel tank in our garage to install a new fuel pump.  Also just replaced the water pump and belts that I would choose to do any day of the week over the pump.)

Been a dependable vehicle though.

thx for any help.

Mike

Boulder, Colorado
 
You must go to a dealer with a Tech II scanner. A regular ole mechanic may have one, but very doubtful. The Tech II is expensive, and typically only dealers have them, and the cheap obd scanners at auto parts places will not read the airbag codes - only engine codes. Trust me.
 
My 07 air bag light comes on when it is cold out.  It has been intermittent.  Guess I should take it to the dealer huh?
 
After receiving the Service Air Bag message, i went right to this post and found great info.  I thought I would share me process in resolving my issue.  Since my OBDII scanner would not show a code, I went step by step.  Did the disconnect/reconnect 3 times of the connector behind the kick panel.  No luck.  Did the same thing with the connector under the driver seat.  Still no luck.  Took off the rock shield under the bumper and removed both sensors.  The RF sensor had split open from internal corrosion.  The other sensor looked just fine.  Found the part at rockauto for $54 
Part Number Part Type Price EA Core EA Quantity Total
2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500 5.3L V8 
DORMAN 590202 (590-202) Impact Sensor $ 54.79 $ 0.00 1 $ 54.79
Discount  $ -2.74
Shipping First Class Mail $ 2.19
Order Total  $ 54.24
Was hoping to post a picture of the corroded sensor, but apparently i don't have enough posts to qualify for doing that. 
As info, i did not disconnect the battery, but did remove the SIR 15a fuse from under the hood, before each procedure.

Thanks to you all, i am good to go again!
Av now has 148K on  it and hoping to get the '13 before they're gone.
 
I had the "Service Air Bag" light on my 04 Avalnche back in 2007 or so. Took it to the dealer, and the Service Advisor did the unplug/plug trick on the plug behind the panel on the hinge pillar. I was in and out of there in about 5 minutes. That fixed the problem for a long time. Last year it started coming in inermittently again. Just by accident I noticed that if I tapped that hinge pillar panel It would clear the message and the light. This first happened by accident, then I did it again every time the light came on for about two weeks, and it cleared it every time. I pulled the panel, and reseated the plug. Nothing changed, and it continued to behave the same way (resetting the fault when I kicked the panel) until about 3 or 4 months ago. Now it just stays on all the time. This is an 04, and I only have 70000 miles on it, so I want to get it fixed, I am just afraid of getting soaked by the dealer.

I am a litttle confused about something.

The TSB states
"Remove the drivers side door sill plate.
Remove the driver's side hinge pillar panel.
Locate the IP harness to inflatable restraint steering wheel module yellow 4-way connector C221.
Inspect the IP harness to inflatable restraint steering wheel module connector C221 for proper connection.
Disconnect and reconnect the IP harness to inflatable restraint steering wheel module connector C221 THREE times.
Clear the DTC and road test the vehicle."

The plug there on mine is Gray with a blue ratainer, am I looking at the wrong plug?
 
avexpress said:
After receiving the Service Air Bag message, i went right to this post and found great info.  I thought I would share me process in resolving my issue.   Since my OBDII scanner would not show a code, I went step by step.  Did the disconnect/reconnect 3 times of the connector behind the kick panel.  No luck.  Did the same thing with the connector under the driver seat.  Still no luck.  Took off the rock shield under the bumper and removed both sensors.  The RF sensor had split open from internal corrosion.  The other sensor looked just fine.   Found the part at rockauto for $54   
Part Number Part Type Price EA Core EA Quantity Total
2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500 5.3L V8 
DORMAN 590202 (590-202) Impact Sensor $ 54.79 $ 0.00 1 $ 54.79
Discount   $ -2.74
Shipping First Class Mail $ 2.19
Order Total   $ 54.24
Was hoping to post a picture of the corroded sensor, but apparently i don't have enough posts to qualify for doing that. 
As info, i did not disconnect the battery, but did remove the SIR 15a fuse from under the hood, before each procedure.

Thanks to you all, i am good to go again!
Av now has 148K on  it and hoping to get the '13 before they're gone.
Click to expand...

Avexpress,

I saw your post, and I have taken most of the steps you did, but I am having trouble locating the impact sensors. got underneath the truck today, and I think I located them but I am not sure. Are they located just behind the radiator, on top of the core support, inboard of the frame? I see two sensors there, but I am not sure if these are the correct sensors. (Though I don't know what else they could be). It would be great if you could email with any info or pics. soversen@comcast.net

Thanks,

Sean
 
Hi, I have a 04 and have the service air bag on and off. When I turn the wheel all the way to the left the message goes off, as soon as I give 1/4 turn the ligth goes on and the volumen control on the wheel wont work, then I turn the wheel left again and the message goes of and the volumen control works fine.
Any idea?

Thanks
 
gordocastillo said:
Hi, I have a 04 and have the service air bag on and off. When I turn the wheel all the way to the left the message goes off, as soon as I give 1/4 turn the ligth goes on and the volumen control on the wheel wont work, then I turn the wheel left again and the message goes of and the volumen control works fine.
Any idea?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Yeah dude, you definitely have a broken wire inside your ribbon which is part of your clockspring. You will need to follow my guide above. Have fun with that!
 
Tankyou very much, I will order it. That spring olso control the steering buttons? Because those wont wok either.
 
:help: lots of good info here.  i have the service airbag message and red bubble gum guy.  also my passenger airbag light shows "off" whether i sit in the passenger seat or not. also no red seatbelt light on the passenger airbag display when i sit in the seat, so i figure my problem is somewhere in this zone.  can someone tell me what the sensor for the passenger seat looks like and where exactly it is located?  i don't see any yellow connectors under there.  i have a ton of wiring under there and can't figure out what is what.  warning messages drive me nuts. :E: :E:  thanks for any help!

also is there a PDF anywhere online with the full factory service manual for the 07 LTZ?  thanks.

edit: i'm thinking it has something to do with the passenger presence system.

any help is greatly appreciated
 
I have been having the problem for a while now. At first i thought it was something in my driver seat. if anyone moved or adjusted the seat the light would come on for days. I started reading, and poking around in the AV and came to notice, that any movement around the kick panel would make the airbag light come on or go off. My quick fix for a few weeks was to just tap the kick panel with my foot till the light would go out.

Once we got a warm day here in Virginia, I popped out the kick panel and started my own assessment of the real problem. Not being totally sure what all plugs where involved with the airbag. I unplugged both, and cleaned the connections with a scribe, and some alcohol swabs. I then took a small flat head screw driver, and wedged it behind every terminal, twisted just enough to bend each on a little as to put more pressure on each connection. I then connected everything back, popped the kick panel back in and took a drive. Started tapping, and slowly progressed to a few good hard kicks. Haven't seen the light or anything about the airbag on the odometer screen in weeks.     
 
Interesting note about using the screwdriver...my solution of using some electrical contact grease and re-seating the plug has worked but recently I got the airbag light on again after many months of not seeing it at all.  I did the above again, but I will add the screwdriver to the fix if it comes on again.  Thanks for the heads up.
 
I have a 2003 Avalanche Z71.  I had the "Service Airbag Light" issue last year and did the kick panel routine and finally took it to the local mechanic who replaced a passenger side airbag sensor.  The issue went away.  Now the issue is on intermittently.  Sometimes the radio has no sound but there is a steady heartbeat sound coming thru the speakers, even with the radio off.  I also noticed that the chimes do not sound when the door lock switch is activated exiting the vehicle.
My daughter slammed the passenger side door (Women), now the air bag light is on constantly, but there is no heartbeat sound.
Any insight is greatly appreciated. 
 
Well, add my 05 Av to the ranks of this problem.  I have not started to investigate it yet....but a few months back the service airbag message and indicator came on, and they are solid everytime I start the truck vice intermittent as others have observed. 

I will look for these connectors this weekend....also maybe the sensors up under the engine? 

So I take it that Chevy is not on the hook for a potential safety issue, and one that may have been identified by a TSB? 

 
Before you waste your time, take it to a dealer or someone with a tech-II or someone who can read the air bag codes. Come back with the code and then troubleshoot from there.
 
I just got an 04 with the same problem "air bag light on", I did search on internet and I found something about the wires on botton of the driver seat, so I did check the wires and found a yellow and green broken. Just fix the connection and the light is gone...  :D. So take a look under the seat and maybe will be an easy fix :cool:
 
Just had this message come on on my 05. Obviously there is no warranty left. I stopped by the local GM dealer & asked them about the Tech II analyzer & air bag codes. They said it would be a minimum of $100 just to get me the codes. Since I am out of work at the moment, and have more time than money on my hands, I guess I'll be looking for a broken connector or sensor. Anyone ever see a list of all of them anywhere?
 
When my 05 sensors went, it was the two front ones - just behind the  "guard" thing at the bottom front of the AV.  It's not the two things you can see right behind the grill.  They were about $160 each (dealer price), plus the labor (I realize I could have done it myself, but by then it was too late.)  Cost me about $500 total (mine was also out of warranty).

And now my '11 Impala is doing the same thing, but I can't find any codes in the PCM/BCM.  I think I still have some extended warranty left on the Impala though.
 
Update on my previous post.  Airbag light stayed on steady now.  Returned to the mechanic and he said take it to the dealer. I thought he replced a sensor, but he hadn't, just cleaned connections and did the kick panel routine.  Took it to the dealer.  Codes B0013, B0017, B0018, B0024 are on the receipt.  They replaced the airbag, and left and right front passenger position sensors. $$$$$
Drove the truck home and would almost stall when at idle at a light or stopped.  It did stall when the steering wheel was turn hard either side while parking.  Brought it back to the dealership and while on the way, the heated driver seat kept coming on. Dealership says the truck didn't stall for them. Next day the dealership called and said my interior lights do not function either now and the issue is a short in the door wiring harness.  Contacted Chevrolet and am still waiting for a reply.  The dealership swears there is no relationship to their airbag work?????
 
Just beat the bubblegum man...Repl both front sensors ...got them form Amazon for $110...indicator is now off
 
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