I had a messed-up knee airbag in my 2014 Malibu, but it never actually deployed while connected to the car. I unplugged it, took it out, and then deployed it on my own, away from the car. Now my car’s showing an error code that says it’s been deployed, even though it wasn’t when it was connected. Why is this happening?
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You should probably get a scanner that has SRS (airbag system) functionality and run a new scan. Almost every airbag system will throw an error if it detects an open circuit. If your car was turned on without the airbag connected, that would trigger the error.
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@Shan
Makes sense, the airbag isn’t plugged in right now. The error code I got is B0024. Could that be why?
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Did the car get into an accident where the airbag should’ve gone off but didn’t? If that’s the case, the system probably stored that code, even if the airbag didn’t deploy. If not, it might just be reading the open circuit as the airbag being deployed. Sometimes, cheaper scanners don’t give the most accurate descriptions for codes, so that could also be it.
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@Rayne
Nope, never been in a crash. The airbag was just worn out, and I thought it was safer to remove it. I bought a new one but haven’t installed it yet. I used my own scanner, which cost me over $100, and then the dealership used theirs for something else. They printed out papers saying the knee airbag was deployed, which is confusing since I only deployed it after it was removed from the car.
@Keegan
Yeah, if the airbag is unplugged, it’ll definitely throw an error code. I thought you had a code still showing after the repair. That B0024 code you mentioned seems to point to 'deployment circuit voltage out of range,’ which makes sense if the airbag’s unplugged. Just a heads up, your airbag system won’t work while there’s an error code active. You should install the new one and clear the code to make sure the system works properly. Be careful with the install so you don’t accidentally set the airbag off.
@Rayne
This is what the paper says: ‘Passenger Knee Airbag Deployment Loop Resistance Above Threshold (Symptom OD) - Current DTC, History DTC, Current DTC Since Power Up, Warning Indicator Requested.’ I guess I’m just confused that it says deployed even though it wasn’t connected when I set it off. Maybe it’s because it’s still unplugged, but it threw me off.
@Keegan
The code is talking about the circuit that triggers the airbag, not the actual deployment. So you’re good.
Rayne said:
@Keegan
The code is talking about the circuit that triggers the airbag, not the actual deployment. So you’re good.
Got it, sorry if I sound clueless. I’ve only done basic stuff on cars before. So once I plug the new one in, everything should be fine, right?