Test Notes

Normal Operation

NOTE: The connectors for the driver side air bag module assembly and the air bag sliding contact have metal spring clips that act as shorting bars. These shorting bars are built into the plastic hardshell connectors. The shorting bars are designed to short Circuits 614 and 615 together when the connectors are not mated. DO NOT attempt to remove the air bag shorting bar and measure the resistance of the air bag.

The air bag diagnostic monitor measures the resistance across Pin 10 (Circuit 615, GY/W) and Pin 11 (Circuit 614, GY/O) every time the ignition switch is turned to RUN. Normal resistance across these circuits is between 1.5 ohm and 2.0 ohms. This resistance comes from the air bag itself (approximately 1.0 ohm) and the air bag sliding contacts windings (approximately 0.25 to 0.5 ohm per winding, two windings in all). If the resistance across these two circuits exceeds 4.0 ohms, the air bag diagnostic monitor will flash code 32.

The air bag sliding contact shorting bar may be removed to measure the air bag sliding contact resistance. Use extreme care when reinstalling the shorting bar to ensure it is installed correctly.

Possible Causes
Excessive resistance across Pins 10 and 11 can be caused by:

1. A poor connection where the air bag sliding contact connects into the main wiring harness. The air bag sliding contact connector at the base of the steering column may have excessive resistance between the male and female terminals in the connector or across the terminal crimps.

2. An open circuit or high resistance in the air bag sliding contact windings inside the air bag sliding contact.

3. An open circuit or high resistance in the wiring harness in either Circuit 614 (GY/O) or Circuit 615 (GY/W).

4. An open circuit or high resistance in the driver side air bag module. DO NOT attempt a direct resistance measurement of the driver side air bag module. Follow the diagnostic procedures to determine if the driver side air bag module resistance is higher than normal.