33: Passenger Side Air Bag Circuit High Resistance or Open

DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE 33

Passenger Side Air Bag Circuit High Resistance or Open

Normal Operation
The air bag diagnostic monitor measures the resistance across Pin 8 (Circuit 814, GY/O) and Pin 9 (Circuit 616, PK/BK) every time the ignition switch is turned to RUN. Normal resistance across these circuits is between 0.9 ohms and 1.4 ohms. This resistance comes from the passenger side air bag itself. If the resistance across these two circuits exceeds 4.0 ohms, the air bag diagnostic monitor will flash code 33.

NOTE: The connector for the air bag has a metal spring clip that acts as a shorting bar. This shorting bar is built into the plastic hardshell connector on the back of the passenger side air bag. The shorting bar is designed to short the air bag terminals together when the connector is not mated. DO NOT attempt to remove the air bag shorting bar and measure the resistance of the air bag.

Possible Causes
A high resistance or open in the passenger side air bag circuit can be caused by:
1. An open circuit or high resistance in the wiring harness in Circuit 614 (GY/O) or 616 (PK/BK).
2. An open circuit or high resistance in the passenger side air bag. DO NOT attempt a direct resistance measurement of the air bag. Follow the diagnostic procedures to determine if the air bag resistance is higher than normal.

Electrical Schematic - Diagnostic Trouble Code 33:

Pinpoint Tests 33-1 - 33-4: