Air Bag light, DTC 22
Thread Starter
2nd Gear
Joined: Sep 2023
Posts: 2
Likes: 1
Air Bag light, DTC 22
Greetings all! Long time Corvette owner, new to the forums. I have a problem for which I have searched this site and the entire internet for solutions to no avail. I have a '96 LT4 with an Air Bag light that was initially intermittent but now is persistent. Pulled codes and it was initially a DTC 21. Checked the yellow connection at the base of the steering column (unplugged, reconnected to check connection) and the code became a DTC 22! My FSM says it's likely the air bag module, the clockspring, or the DERM. As I don't possess GM's proprietary J38715 load tool ($50 on ebay), I'm not certain how to test these components further. Does anyone else have any experience with this code and any likely solutions? Thanks in advance for any help!
Thread Starter
2nd Gear
Joined: Sep 2023
Posts: 2
Likes: 1
Update
Since no one was able (or willing) to help with my issue, thought I would supply an update that might help someone with this problem in the future. I ended up buying a J38715 load tool online for about $40 bucks, which helped confirm that the code was from a bad clock spring rather than the air bag module or the DERM. Was able to get a used OEM clock spring from Dino's for about $100 and dove into my first steering column break down and reassembly. There's not much information out there on doing this job, so the FSM was invaluable in not only the diagnostic process but also the replacement process. With the right tools, it really wasn't that difficult. A steering wheel puller and a lock plate compressor are essential. The most challenging bits were getting the lock plate retaining ring off and getting the new clock spring wire threaded down the steering column. I tried the mechanic's wire trick in the FSM first but that was no good. Ended up straightening a coat hanger wire and using that to push it through with the plastic sheath off the connector, which saved some space. Reassembly was pretty straight forward. If I had to do it all again, it probably wouldn't take more than an hour.
