Alright I need to take care of this.

I drove for about 40 minutes on the interstate today at 70mph. The airbag light did not come on once during this part of the trip. The INSTANT I started slowing down on the off ramp it started its normal on and off procedure and continued to do it for about 50 times over the course of 25 minutes. It was also doing it before I hit the freeway.

This has happened multiple trips. Must be the way the high speed freeway driving vibrates the car compared to backroads.

 

^^^ This. my clock spring went bad first year i owned the car. warranty should take care of it unless it is up.

 

If it was my clock spring, wouldn't my horn and steering wheel controls be out as well?

 

PROBLEM SOLVED

I had to remove the interior trim panel to access the plug for the belt tension sensor. The actual sensor is on the lower anchor of the seatbelt visible all the time. The blue wire that runs into the sensor had a stressed insulator and the conductor inside had snapped. I cut away the plastic molding, soldered it, and am now using liquid electrical tape to seal it up.

600 bucks saved.

I took photos and will do a write up how to.

 

Nevermind. Problem still persists. I cut back the plastic on the sensor, added about 2 inches of wiring, soldered the connections and separated them (to keep them from shorting) with liquid electrical tape. The other connections I taped up well.

Then with the key in the on position I bent the crap out of the connections to see if I could get the airbag light to come on. No matter which way I tugged or pulled I could not get it to come on. So I put my trim, seats, and seatbelt back together (which is a process in itself) and then about 5 seconds after pulling out of my driveway it chimed again! Right back to the normal on and off...

So either

A) it is the wiring INSIDE the sensor that is failing that I cannot reach
B) it is my passenger presence sensor inside the seat
C) it is my airbag module below the parking brake. It has a big red X marked on it that is slightly disconcerting.

About ready to give in and take it to the stealership...

 

Bumping this thread.

Wired, did you ever get this fixed? Mine's been on since I posted in this thread, still no resolution.

 

Bumping this up.

How come no-one has suggested running srs codes before diving into the passenger seat or clock spring?

The SRS system will have fault codes and that will point a person in the right direction.

Seat occupancy sensor failures are not uncommon across many makes / models.

IMO it should be a safety issue and covered just like seat belts are. Shouldn't cost the owner a penny for this repair.

 

I just replaced my turn signal switch module (to correct a problem with the signals not cancelling - that's fixed!), and I get this airbag service indicator. Is it a coincidence, or could there be something in the dash circuitry that's implicated, and I disturbed it? Or, perhaps because of the way I was sitting in the driver's seat - feet out the door - when I replaced it?

Dan

 

I have a Tcm (trans control module) problem on my 07 cobalt ss anybody else have this issue?

 

My air bag light is also on

 

nope mine weren't

 

I have a 2009 G5 and most every time it rains I get the airbag light coming on. Just thought I'd chime in on this issue. Never got it fixed.

 

Saving for later, seems like the car wants to act up now

 

im having this same problem on 06 ls. will any scan tool read the air bag codes?
thanks

 

only tech2 from GM

 

any scan tool with gm capabilities will read it. snap on, auto enginuity, otc, etc. essentially something a shop will have.

 

Correct, as long as it has the SIR package. The TECH2 is an antiquated tool and not even supported. The MDI in fact has already been replaced with the MDI II.

Keep in mind, anytime your SIR light is on you do not have functional air bags.

 

Since this problem appears somewhat widespread enough to cause GM to issue a TSB, it would be good for those in the US to send a formal complaint to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). If enough people report the problem NHTSA will investigate and can force a manufacturer to issue a recall. Safety related items like this generally have a higher priority than other defects.

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/

 

Report what? No one has even reported the cause.... Clock Springs, sensors, relays, etc. fail. These cars are 10 years old.

The below are for a 2010 SS

 

Interesting. I tried getting Autozone/Oreillys to read the code and their code readers couldn't find the error. I had to take it to GM to get it fixed.

 

Code readers only read mandated data. Manufacturer codes require licensing. The codes above are GM codes only.

 

this isnt always true, its like saying if your check engine light is on your car wont run. if for example you have a code for a rear seat belt pretensioner its not going to stop the front airbags or seat belt pretensioners from functioning. it all depends on the failure the sir module is reporting.

code readers are not scan tools. a code reader at the parts store will read generic obd2 codes, and generic codes only cover emissions systems. you need a scan tool with the proper software.

 

A model year '10 sold late wouldn't be quite that old, and I'm all for taking responsibility of driving an older car and parts wearing out but critical safety related systems shouldn't fail on cars this new. Even if the cause for every case isn't known, by reporting there's a problem with the supplemental restraint system the automaker is notified and NHTSA can open a formal investigation if warranted.

 

The system is doing exactly what it is suppose to... warn you of an issue. That will not warrant a recall as it is a SUPPLEMENTAL restraint. It SUPPLEMENTS the seat belt. Look how long it took to get a recall on the Takata failures. How many recalls have their been for porous blocks?

 

My airbag light comes on and off. I don't really care. I went to the dealer for a recall to fix the issue but it wasn't a "manufacturer defect" so I had to pay a diagnostic fee. They then wanted $300 to replace the airbag sensor and I said **** that.