I had the SDM airbag module out last year and after it was put back in the red airbag light stayed on. The shop book vaguely talks about shorting bars as if the yellow connector cover surrounding the module connector somehow shorts the line if it isn't installed right. I forgot how this connector is supposed to unplug after the plastic locking pin is removed, does anyone know what the shorting bar term means and how the connector is supposed to be unplugged and plugged back in?

 

I'm entering this as a referece in case someone else needs to remove this connector because I couldn't find directions anywhere including the shop book. After all the safety steps have been taken to disable the SIR system the first step is to pull the black locking pin out.

This is the connector with the locking pin in place:


Here is the connector with the locking pin pulled out, notice the highlighted dark blue area in front of where the locking pin was; it's all yellow but you can feel it as being slightly raised. This is where you have to compress the connector cover which compresses the inside connector to allow it to be disconnected, compress and pull the cover/connector rearward and out. To reassemble, just push back into the socket.



If the connector cover detaches from the connector leaving the connector plugged in then it might be necessary to remove the cover first.
To do that both sides of the yellow clamshell type cover need to be pryed apart with something like a small screwdriver so it can be opened up and removed.

Here the cover is removed, shown on it's right side and moved away from the connector, the screwdriver is shown on where to pry the two halves apart:


Here's another view from the open end with the removed cover closed to show the locking tabs in the lower outside corners:


After the yellow cover has been removed the connector is compressed as shown and pulled out, this is for reference as it's been unplugged:


To reassemble if the cover won't stay on the connector or the assembly won't fit in the confined space; the connector is placed near the socket and the cover is loosely placed behind it so it surrounds the wire cable and holds the black locking pin opposite end. The cover is then snapped together over the connector and the assembly is pushed into the socket and seated. The last step is to push in the locking pin through the cover and into the connector all the way.

The problem was that the connector wasn't plugged in all the way from last year. When the locking pin is pushed in it contacts a shorting bar in the connector socket. If the connector isn't fully seated the locking pin can't push the shorting bar enough and this caused the red warning light on the dash as well as the connector pins not being seating all the way.

 

Thank you for taking the time for this nicely detailed explanation. I'll be swapping out the SDM in my '99 soon, so the pictures will really help out.

 

Moved to C5 Tech.

 

thanks for info