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Airbag Troubles


avatar307
03-24-2004, 07:34 AM
Is there anyway to retrieve the trouble codes or specific airbag related trouble codes without a DTC reader? I have a 95 Buick LeSabre Custom with an airbag light that stays on all the time, and I don't particurally want to buy $150 diagnostic reader to get the code only to find out my DERM is completely shot. I have the service manual, but it is not much help without a reader... which I may soon break down and buy.

Basically my situation is this. I ran into some water a long while back and a bunch leaked into the interior of my car. In GMs' great wisdom, they located the Airbag DERM under the passenger seat and the power door lock relay under the drivers seat. I moved the relay connector above the carpet and replaced the $30 relay, so all is well with my door locks now.

After my car got flooded, the airbag light would spontaniously come on for the first couple days, blink, and then go out. Then it blinked and stayed on, and would spontaniously blink while I was driving and then remain on. Now it is just on all of the time. I'm hoping that all I need to do is disarm the airbag system, clean the connector on the DERM, and everything will magically be happy. However, I fear the unit is completely shorted out and I will have to replace it. In which case, could I replace it with a DERM out of a junkyard vehicle without my airbags all going off? (I would of course make sure all the numbers on the units matched, but I know airbag systems are a little moody.)

Anyway, I'm just trying to diagnose the problem as cheaply as possible, I don't replace the airbag DERM and not need to. (The dealership quoted me $80/hour to work on it, and I could just buy a used module for that.) Is it possible the connector is just corroded, or is the whole thing most likely shorted out? Is it possible that there is just a fault code stored in the memory that just needs to be cleared before the system will turn out the light? Does anyone know of a cost effective way to retrieve/clear the diagnostic codes without one of those $200+ code reader/programmer ... things?

Thanks!
Chris

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