Airbag SRS light- SOLVED with Airbag Control Module

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oscarjm
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2014 9:39 am

Airbag SRS light- SOLVED with Airbag Control Module

Post by oscarjm »

Thought I'd share some info that I didn't find elsewhere on this site. I would make this post short, but this was so frustrating that it will be therapeutic to me to share the whole story. Well, here is the short version- I had an airbag light come on, and had to replace the clockspring (many times), and when that didn't turn off the airbag light, I replaced the Airbag Control Module (once) on my 2004 Pontiac Vibe AWD. If you don't want to read further, here is the important info- if you have a persistent airbag light and have to replace the airbag control module, ignore the companies that tell you that it has to be reprogrammed for your VIN. That is not true (unless, perhaps, you have a used module from a vehicle that had an airbag deploy).

My airbag light turned on when I turned made a left turn off the highway. After a little research, I figured it was the clock spring. I jumped the OBD2 pins with a paper clip (see here: https://priuschat.com/attachments/prius ... jpg.73749/), turned the key to the on position, and counted the number of times the air bag light flashed on the instrument panel. You might see it flash once, then several more times, and then it will either repeat the sequence or flash a different error code. In my case, it flashed once followed by 9 times and then once followed by 8 times.
See here for a list of airbag error codes: http://www.tcorolla.net/diagnostic_trou ... t-737.html

In my case, 18 flashes is error code B1181/18 and 19 flashes is B1182/19. Both point towards the clock spring (Toyota part number 84301-02110). Rather than spending $230+ for an OEM part, I did the right thing and ordered a cheap clockspring off of ebay for $10 (safety first!!!). I removed the old clockspring and installed the new one following a helpful post on genvibe:
https://forums.genvibe.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=45702

Unfortunately, the airbag light remained on after installation of the eBay part. In fact, I now had three error codes- the same codes as before, plus a new B1180/17 code, also pointing towards a bad clock spring. So I asked for a refund.

Next stop was the local pick 'n pull. I found a 2004 Matrix and pulled the clockspring. Installed it in my Vibe and had a B1182/19 code. Returned to the yard and exchanged it for a clockspring I found on a 2005 Corolla (all part numbers the same). Same error code. Tried "resetting" the airbag control module both by leaving the battery disconnected overnight, and following this procedure: https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/ai ... t.1631410/. I used the same OBD2 pins as used to check the airbag light, and ran a jumper cable from the negative terminal of the battery to use as a ground. Maybe this will work for others, but it didn't for me.

Since I had zero luck on 3 clocksprings, I started thinking it might be the airbag control module, located under the center console, behind the trash bin. You can check your specific part number by unhooking and pulling the carpet down on the passenger side of the center console, and you should see a metal box attached to the floor with yellow wire connections pointing toward the rear of the vehicle. My part number was OEM Toyota 89170-01110 which is also GM part number 19205561. I searched for a used one on eBay. You will see that a different part number, 89170-01100 is readily available on the cheap, and the Toyota parts sites say that the part numbers are interchangeable. However, knowing that some of these modules have been recalled in the past, and knowing that there are no open recalls on my Vibe, I thought I should stick with 89170-01110.

This is what worked for me, and maybe I got lucky. I found a salvage yard on eBay that lists their parts with the VIN number of the car the part came off of. I pulled that VIN number, searched on the NHTSA recall website, and found the vehicle had no open recalls, which meant that any airbag recalls had been addressed. Next, I googled the VIN of the donor vehicle, and found pictures of the vehicle at the salvage yard and saw that the airbags had not deployed prior to salvage. I purchased the part for $49 total (new from Toyota is $154, from GM is $276). You could go to the salvage yard and do the same thing, but I didn't have the spare time.

I removed my center console following this helpful guide: https://forums.genvibe.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=45913. I did not need to completely unhook the AC outlet/cigarette lighter console, I just removed the bezel and pushed it aside.

Next, disconnect your negative terminal of your battery. Then you need to remove the three wiring harnesses on the airbag control module, and 3 bolts that secure the module to the floorboard. You can pull the HVAC ducts back several inches towards the rear of the car for better access to the wiring. Connect and install your replacement module. From start to finish this probably took 20-30 minutes.

Lucky for me, I turned the key on, and the airbag light went off after about 7 seconds!

The other bonus is that I was able to replace the HVAC light bulb that has been out since I bought the car while the center console was disassembled- found one in the junkyard!
Last edited by oscarjm on Wed Dec 23, 2020 3:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
tpollauf
Posts: 4025
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 11:37 am
Location: Toledo/Oregon, Port Clinton Ohio
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Re: Airbag SRS light- SOLVED with Airbag Control Module

Post by tpollauf »

Excellent write-up and thanks for sharing. Hopefully I won't need to deal with this EVER or for a long time ... BUT if I do I will re-read this post and follow directions! thanks ;)
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2009 Vibe GT (manual), 2009 G8Gt, 2009 Vibe GT (auto)
2014 Silverado, 2004 Vibe GT

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spuntik3
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2023 11:38 am

Re: Airbag SRS light- SOLVED with Airbag Control Module

Post by spuntik3 »

RE: Clearing Airbag Codes

This writeup was very helpful in getting the airbag light turned off on my 2003 Pontiac Vibe. I replaced the clock spring, but the light was still on. I followed the directions referenced above to read out the codes and I got codes 19 and 18, which are usually related to a bad clock spring. I looked in the Toyota Matrix FSM and found that the pin locations for the Tc and A/B signals are pins 13 (Tc) and 11 (A/B) on the OBD2 connector. You can google pictures of OBD2 connector pinouts to figure out which those are. I connected a jumper cable to the chassis ground (the latch in the doorway worked well) and put a piece of wire in the other end of the jumper cable. I then put two pieces of stiff wire (paper clips) into the Tc and A/B pins of the OBD2 connector. I held the two paper clips about a half inch apart with one hand and held the ground wire in the other. This is the procedure I used to reset the codes:

1. Put key in ignition and turn to the ON position.
2. Wait for about 6 seconds.
3. Touch ground to Tc
4. Touch ground to A/B
5. Touch ground to Tc
6. Touch ground to A/B
7. Touch ground to Tc and hold
8. Airbag light starts to blink fast (reset success!!!)
9. Remove ground from Tc and light goes out.
10. Turn off the ignition and turn back to ON. Airbag light goes off after a few seconds.

Steps 3-7 need to be done fast. Don't wait the 1 second between steps like the link in the first post shows. You also don't need to follow the hint that says to hold the ground to the previous signal while applying it to the other.

So after replacing the clock spring and resetting the codes, my car is good to go--no more airbag light!

PS -- I've been a very long-time lurker on this forum since I bought the 2003 Vibe brand new. My daughter is now driving it and it's approaching 250,000 miles.
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