My experience is after I zip tie the connector it will last a year or more. I then do it again with a stronger tie and get another year or so. Last week I used the biggest one yet and so far no light. I'm sure mine is the connector but I'm sure with all of the seat movement wires can break also. That doesn't excuse GM from their responsibly with this issue. I don't know what it's going to take to get them involved. I think one of the problems is the low production numbers of C6's compared to mass production autos. All we can do it keep after them by complaining to the NHTSA. We don't even know if the air bag will deploy when the check air bag light is on.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/Vehicle+Safety/Recalls+&+Defects

 

Just another avenue to check, as in my case. I checked the connectors on the seat all was well yet the air bag light keep coming on and off. This all started after swapping out my interior from grey to Red/Black, every piece changed including seats, so naturally i assumed this was the cause of the issue. but upon checking the connectors in the seat including disconnecting cleaning and re connecting, still no resolve. i began looking else where. What i found is true connector for the switch for passenger airbag in the glove box was the culprit. After taping on the switch and seeing the light blink i felt it was a safe assumption this is the issue after having to resonate the wire thru the tunnel in the glove box it must have worked some of the wires loose form the harness connector. Still have yet to completely fix the issue but when ever the light comes on if, I wiggle or apply pressure to the switch I'm able to resolve the light temporarily. Ill need to pull the switch to premaritally resolve the light.

 

Just had the air bag light issue surface on my 06 for the first time today. So I found the large yellow connector at the rear of the driver's seat and zip tied it. We'll see if the fix works. It's interesting because I just got through an issue with the seat not going to its memory presets intermittenly and I fixed that issue by working on one of the connectors at the front of the seat. That connector was all twisted around the wiring harness putting undue tension on the wires in the connector. When I got it all untwisted, releasing the wire tension and insuring it was tight, the seat went back to working properly. Looks like GM should be looking at all these connectors under the seat for possible recall/improvement.

As a related issue, does anyone know if the air bag is operable with the air bag light on?

 

That is a very good question which GM will not answer.

I'm sure these are the connectors you worked with. When I fixed my last air bag light a few days ago I knew it was fixed right away. Watch the air bag light on the dash when you press the start button. It will flash seven times and stop if everything is okay.

Make sure to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The link is in one of the above post. It only takes a few minuets. It's the only way we will get GM to fix this potential deadly defect.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/Vehicle+Safety/Recalls+&+Defects

 

Yep, those are the connectors I unscrambled at the front of the seat. The one on the left was the one that was really pinched by the way it was wrapped around the other one. After I straightened out the mess and squeezed it to make sure it was tight, the seat went back to acting normally. I was going to pull both of those connectors apart and then reassemble them to insure they were properly mated, but I couldn't figure out how to unlock them, so I quit trying to do that and just gave them both a solid squeeze.

Thanks for the tip on the seven flashes of the light. I'll check that out.

 

Make sure to file a complaint. Maybe if we get enough complaints they will give us some help.

 

I had that problem several years ago on an 08 with memory seats. I was on my way to bowling green for Bash gathering and it came on. Factory reps looked at the problem and even took the car over and put it on the bump test but could not get it to come on. Of course on the way home the light came on. Since they pointed me toward the connector under the seat that's where I started. I had to remove mounting bolts lift seat to get to the connector. It was not secured to the bar and one of the bayonets that lock the connector was not in place. This was the same connector that has air tube to pressure the lumbar and bolsters so it needs to be secured. That was the end of my inte remittent problem and let the car go back to the leasing company two years later.

 

Just one more case. Here it was right at the factory and still no help. If they ignored it how are we ever going to get some help?

 

Success! Well, messing around with that yellow connector at the rear of the seat and zip tieing it as tight as I could solved the problem with the air bag light. Got the seven flashes of the light at start and then the light went out and stayed out. Three more shutdowns and restarts during a shopping trip produced exactly the same result. So, no more light on. I will submit a report. I would note that one possible contributing factor to these connectors coming loose could be thermal expansion from a hot interior. Both the problem I had with the seat memory malfunction as well as the SB light occured initially after the car had been sitting outside in a parking lot during a super hot (near 100 degree) day and the interior was very hot. I would think GM tests these connectors under extreme hot and cold conditions, but who knows?

 

Adding another datapoint, a 2007 3LT.
I am the only driver, so the seat is almost never moved.
Onstar identified the light's error code as the driver-side side-impact (ie seat) airbag.

Initially, I simply disconnected then re-connected the pink plug in the photo above. That temporarily fixed the light for a trip or two. Did it again, same limited results, but I got the impression the plug pin connections might be the source of resistance. So, I disconnected it, blew out some accumulated dust, gave the pins a couple of quick brushes with a fine file (they look kind of oxidized), and ever so slightly tightened the pin sockets (they looked a bit loose) via a gentle squeeze with needle-nosed pliers. It's been quite a few trips since then with no error light so far, but not enough trips taken yet to definitively recommend these steps for the long term.
However, it's at least quick and easy to disconnect, visually inspect pins, and blow out any dust/crud.

One thing that strikes me is that even though there are about the same number of pins in that plug as in the 3LT rearview mirror plug, the mirror plug takes a lot of effort to pull apart - the pins seem tightly socketed (caveat: it plugs out of view, maybe it's just the casing that is tight?), and even a four-pin molex takes some effort to get apart, while in contrast this pink plug comes apart effortlessly (ok, it has a latching action that helps). I suspect the pin contact is just not very firm in this connector, allowing dust/vibration/oxygen to take their toll on the connections.

 

I was going to pull that pink plug apart when I was chasing down the problems I was having with the seat memory positioning, but I couldn't figure out how to release the locking mechanism.
How does it come apart? In the end, moving around the other plug and releasing tension on its wires fixed my problem so I dropped the issue with opening up the pink connector, but I'd like to know the secret to pulling it apart if I have to go in there again.

 

You see that black bit of plastic in front of the pink part, on the left end of the plug in the photo? (The rectangular part with a truncated corner on its upper right, and some vertical grooves on it's left end) That's an arm with a catch on the end that holds the pink part locked in place. There is probably a simpler way to disengage it, but I just pull it away from the pink part, flexing it slightly.
There is one on each side, they both have to be "open" to free the pink part.
The pink part then hinges open, like a latch or release lever, pivoting around the nub protruding through it. Well, you'll see how it works - once you've pulled those black arms out of the way, the pink part moves easily and will release/separate the plug.

 

Very clear instructions. Thanks

 

I contacted Onstar to see if their remote diagnostic would provide a specific error for my airbag light. I was driving and not taking notes, but it was not a specific seat airbag error for mine.

What used to be intermittent airbag light is now persistent. My intermittent seat recall is hit or miss.

I'll have to pull the appropriate fuse(s) and get under the seat again to mess with the connectors (cleaning, and contact alignment).

 

I tried the ZIP TIE fix for the AIRBAG light yesterday. No luck at all. I worked on both seats. I zipped tied each yellow connector worked with the front wire to ensure it was connected. I realize I should have tried some electrical cleaner. I'll try it later this week. Fortunately or unfortunately, work comes first. Hope everyone has a great week.

 

Hope both of the cases above are reported to the NHTSA per previous post on how to do that. The more complaints that go in the better the odds of a recall coming at some point for these connectors.

 

http://www.nhtsa.gov/Vehicle+Safety/Recalls+&+Defects

 

Submitted.

 

 

Suzuki just announced an air bag recall. Many of us know the C6 has a serious problem with this. We will get a fix when enough of us file a complaint with the National Highway Transportation Safety Association.
It's the only way GM will give us a permanent fix. Air Bags have been around a long time. There is no reason this can't be fixed.

"It's not complicated "

http://www.nhtsa.gov/Vehicle+Safety/Recalls+&+Defects

It only takes 5 or 10 minuets.