Airbag light on + 3 corroded wires under carpet

2002 Tahoe. Airbag light has been on since I bought it a couple months ago, just now today got around to bringing it to a shop to get the codes read. They were not able to clear them, but at least I have the codes now:

B0026
B0041
B2973 (may be unrelated to airbag light)

Looking at the connections under the kick panel and I found three orange wires corroded. I spliced then back together but can anyone tell me what they were for?

Airbag light is still on so will need some help on how to diagnose what the problem is.

Also, is it just me or does this cover's diagram look absolutely nothing like the relays that are underneath it? The three orange wires that were corroded go up to the three wires in the top left in this pic. Trying to figure out what they actually went to.

Really could use some help with this if anyone's got some input

Those are not airbag wires and yes it looks like the wrong diagram on the cover.

B0026 & B0041 are likely a bad clock spring in the steering column, B0026 is usually a clock spring or bad airbag and when that occurs it creates the "Open Loop" which is the B0041.

The B2973 is something in the security system, likely the key, cylinder or cylinder housing.

I would bet that all your problems are related to the steering column, it sounds like somebody was poking around in there that did not know what they were doing; maybe an attempt to bypass the VATS with a resistor?

RET423 said:

Those are not airbag wires and yes it looks like the wrong diagram on the cover.

B0026 & B0041 are likely a bad clock spring in the steering column, B0026 is usually a clock spring or bad airbag and when that occurs it creates the "Open Loop" which is the B0041.

The B2973 is something in the security system, likely the key, cylinder or cylinder housing.

I would bet that all your problems are related to the steering column, it sounds like somebody was poking around in there that did not know what they were doing; maybe an attempt to bypass the VATS with a resistor?

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. After quite a bit of digging I think I have a direction on where to look. Supposedly the airbag is easy to pop off so going to look at that plug first, but my steering wheel does have a little click when I turn it. Only one option I can find for the clockspring and it's over $100...hopefully I won't need it.

The 41 code is actually the airbag in the driver's seat (both codes are open codes, for driver's front and driver's side). I'll need to check the wires out under the seat.

I believe the three orange wires go to the rear heater. Before it never worked and after crudely (temporarily) splicing them together I can hear a click back there but it still does not turn on. Possibly could be the resistor for that motor.

The other code I don't care much about but I suppose I could pull the panel off and inspect the cylinder. I can't find a FSM anywhere and my Haynes book is useless for any of this so I really don't have any idea how to go about diagnosing it.

-Justin

The 41 code can be the seat but anywhere on the drivers side of the system that has a failed component will cause the open loop code (B0041), since the B0026 code is specific to the column bag/clock spring I would address that first and see if the 41 code goes inactive when you do.

RET423 said:

The 41 code can be the seat but anywhere on the drivers side of the system that has a failed component will cause the open loop code (B0041), since the B0026 code is specific to the column bag/clock spring I would address that first and see if the 41 code goes inactive when you do.

Click to expand...

Gotcha. I thought by side it meant the side airbag aka the one in the seat.

This is the only thing I've been able to find on Google about the door key switch but I can't view it because I'm not a member of the site: http://www.iatn.net/techhelp/70/9425/2001-chevrolet-tahoe-5-3l-door-lock-cylinder-switch

If anyone's an iATN member I would greatly appreciate it if you could copy/paste how that person fixed it.

Little update. I tested the clock spring and found it to be bad. Replaced it with one I grabbed out of a junkyard (tested it to make sure it was good before I removed it obviously).

I can't seem to find where to fault is in the side airbag though. The resistance at the seat harness is about 0.4ohms so I know the module itself is fine. The two connectors look fine as well and I don't see anything wrong with the wires leading under the carpet.

How am I supposed to get to the airbag module to test it there? Take the seat of and pull the carpet back?