Hey there viewers! Welcome back to the South Main Auto Channel Got a 2017 Buick Invision Essence It's got the big 25 airbag lights on. Uh, the guy recently had a cooling fan put in with General Motors Uh, they put a used one in because of the strike, they couldn't get a new one and so on and so forth. and he thought that the airbag light was on after that and but he was kind of up in the air whether or not it really was or wasn't. Uh, so that's neither here nor there, but that's the most recent work that's been done.

Um I've got the battery maintainer on it I've got the altel hooked up I've got it over here doing a system scan. We got to see what codes are in it. He said he had uh the GM dealer look at it. Uh, they told him that there is an open circuit somewhere in the driver's side.

charged him a couple hundred bucks, told him they would need you know 3 or 400 more to tell him you know exactly what was wrong with it or to find you know this open circuit. So that's that's all I know uh that was the best he could explain it to me. He had uh, another guy look at it after that for whatever reason he didn't want to proceed with the you know with the dealer to find you know the issue. Um, some a family member of his looked at it and said that it had three things that were wrong with it or three possible you know different faults.

so that's what I know I don't do a lot of airbag stuff so I'm not super familiar with it. Uh, but let's uh, see what the code scan says and we'll take it. from there we'll grab a Pokey tool. looks like we've got 13 codes in it.

the SDM So that's going to be your airbag module, your sensing diagnostic module on a General Motors that has three codes in it. So we'll just go to report here and see if any of these codes pertain to each other. Here that's in the parking brake inflatable restraints. We have a left left front impact sensor, high voltage open current code, left front side impact sensor, high voltage, open current, and a right front side impact sensor.

So that's interesting. They're all open circuited. So yeah, I mean it does sound like that. The dealer was, uh, telling them the right thing here.

Um, and whoever else worked on it said there was three three things. Yeah, and these are three different codes of B83 8586 circuit low I Wonder if I had a must? Had a low battery at some point here? Um, but the ones we're concerned with at the stuff here in the SDM So we'll go straight into there. Of course we know what the codes are. Same coat we had out here, so that's kind of interesting.

Um I Do know that the front impact sensors I did notice were right here. There's one there. there's one there. those are going to be the fronts I Don't know where the side impact sensors are I can't imagine what is the uh common denominator here or I don't know? Who knows.

Maybe he's got a bunch of bad sensors. These are real failure prone on the Chevy pickup trucks Here they swell up and crack in half. Um, well let me look at a wiring diagram over here doing the Hokey pokei looking at factory wiring diagrams to see if there's anything in common with these. like do all the wires run through a single connector and they don't Uh, the side impact sensors the best side canel on service data are in the door.

So the driver, side, front door, passenger, side, front door have the side impact sensors in it it says and then the front impact are what we found there up in the front. The front impact sensors have a common connector the um but both of them aren't you know, showing bad and then the side impact sensors each have their own in uh connector. You know where the door connects into the body harness it looks like. other than that, the only connector or anything they have in common is the actual uh sensing diagnostic module.

So the inflatable restraint module. you know that connector on there? That's the only thing that they share common. Um I think before we get too far going down this. Rabbit Trail of you Know disconnecting everything and checking wire Integrity Airbag systems.

Now don't follow my lead on this, but airbag systems are pretty resilient uh and have a lot of redundancy building in them. Typically for fault tolerance things like that, it can detect an open circuit. It can also detect a short circuit. We want to know the wires going up to the impact sensor.

Are they any good? Well, if you follow service data, it's going to have you find the air B module wherever that lives. Find this. Do a resistance check on it, which you know, as anybody knows it deals with. uh, electricity.

Resistance checks are virtually worthless. It's probably the most worthless test you could carry out on any any wire. checking it for, you know. Uh, it's wiring Integrity you know, so that's that's something for a different day.

What I would do I Guess what? I was getting at is the system can also detect a short circuit. Let's short the sensor out the two wires. see if this code Chang Just from an open circuit to a short circuit and if it does, Bob's your uncle. Sensor's bad.

Wires are intact. We move on with our life. So the red tab on this one right? That's yeah, that one's already back. Oh shoot now I pushed it Forward know.

just flick it back. Maybe they were doing some checking at the Chevy dealer? Uh, So Currently so this left front impact sensor. We have a B 00 8305 left front impact sensor high voltage open just for poop and laughter here. Let's I'm just going to clear the codes.

They should come right back cuz they were all yeah. I Just heard it dinging there. That one's gone now. who? where are you at? It's all glary.

Um, that's interesting. Is there something going funky here with the all we did is flick the red tab in and red tab back out. Let me reread the codes here. Oh yeah, now it's back.

left front impact sensor voltage High You guys are my screen's kind of goofed up here. Let me hold up on that thing. Erase the codes again. Maybe we just have a poor connection on this one.

Reread the codes. Yeah, look at that. So I'm holding up on the connector now. we just have two codes.

Let me let go back of that again. just kind of. Wiggle That connector kind of put a little down tension on it. yeah.

left front impact sensor High I'm just going to try this a couple times. I just want to kind of I Don't know if I'm tweaking the whole sensor or just the connector here. I'm just going to kind of tweak up on it I'll erase the codes again. I'm just going to maintain holding, tweak on it.

Read the codes all right. The code still there up front impact sensor High All we did is click that in I'll just kind of hold over on it now. erase the codes. reread them.

left front impact sensor High open I'll tweak it the other way. That is kind of peculiar what it did there for us. Yeah, so if I twe I'm tweaking it out right now I'm going to keep maintaining on that I'm going to erase the codes again. The cod's gone.

Yeah, it's back again. Interesting. like I say we could be tweaking the whole sensor. Uh, well.

we'll start right here. So we're going to take and unplug this little guy. This is where we were going to start anyway. Anyways, okay so that's unplugged.

Let's just have a look inside there with a mirror. let see what uh, what that connection looks like in there. really tiny pins I Don't see any green stuff I don't see any swelling on the sensor. you know, car doesn't look real Rusty Let's grab our aeswave test kit there and get a couple male pins.

Kind of do a little drag test on this thing. see what they feel like? So this one this one I feel some resistance I guess I feel resistance since in that one too, these pins are really tiny. just want to see yeah. but if I hold it kind of just Center I don't I don't feel anything this one I kind of do though.

yeah, this one I definitely feel something on not not a lot. Well, no I guess if I get it just right. just nothing there. um I don't want to be judging this because these probes are not very long and these pins inside this connector are quite long in comparison to what I have here.

Kind of curious. need a longer pin? strip it WP hope AES wave isn't watching and for all I know this could be the wrong size pin, but this seemed to be the only one that was remotely close. Yeah, just yeah. there nothing there.

Um yeah because my neck size up the next size bigger is a little bit bigger and I think it's I think it's too big? Yeah yeah, they don't even want to start down in plastic so it's definitely too big boy I don't know. That has me a little bit concerned. now this is the one that's throwing the open circuit too so could. but how how on Earth would they have been spread apart or whatever I tell you what.

let's check the right sens the sensor that doesn't have any problems. Let me me just unplug that real quick and see what that feels like cuz that would be a good uh control for us to know what it's supposed to feel like and then we'll go from there I took the screws out of that. um we got to get a pick to Unpl. That should be a red tab on it down here.

Okay, let's just make sure we set a Cod We should have a code now for the right front impact sensor. we're going read: CES Okay, right. front impact sensor high voltage. Okay, so we know that it can see that one I Just want to see what it feels like with this.

Oh yeah, well let me let me just double check here. Oh yeah I can easily feel Make sure I'm not being screwed by the plastic here. Yeah, there is a noticeable difference in this one. see cuz I can.

Yeah, so you can see that difference, right? Okay, well how on Earth would that have gotten spread open? Now that code should go away. so that's that's interesting when somebody maybe they create I don't know if somebody created a problem. So let's erase the codes here. let's reread them.

Okay, we're back to our three. The right, the right side one here is gone. So let's come revisit this connector again cuz that that wouldn't make sense. That doesn't even make sense that this would be I Mean these are tiny little suckers I going have to get my glasses but um, well let me show you here.

You got you guys seeing what was going on over there. How I could just pick this connector up? but you know this one here. There is absolutely no resistance whatsoever. Yeah I mean I can just you can just lift this right out.

Doesn't even no resistance at all. So these pins must be spread. Boy oh boy. that's a tiny little connector.

my guy I Don't know. nobody's messed with the tape or anything on it. Yikes. Well, let me fiddle with this.

Let me get my glasses I'll see about popping the end off it there. Maybe we can just lightly tweak them back. Hopefully so the more I look at this one. I Believe this this terminal.

This one terminal I believe is is bad I Don't believe it has the little tang in it now. the closer I look at it and I kind of pull it up there so the one I can easily see when I when I insert the mail half I can see the little tab flick up out of the way and I can feel the tension on it. but this one here I I think the tab is missing I I think it's broke because there's just there's just nothing there. and when I put my little needle in there and push on it I don't feel it I can feel the one side over here springing this side here I can feel this one but this this side nothing.

I'm I think I think the smarter Choice here is to make the call on the connector I think that's the smarter Choice All right, and being that it's a airbag here, we're probably smarter. I mean we could tweak the pin in that connector and probably get it to go away. but I think we should be smart here to erase our codes I wonder what we're going to find on the side in impacts? Yeah, see, that code's gone now. So right now we're making connection cuz we're just having problems with the side impact sensors.

Okay, so I would say to be on the safe side. this this one at the very least needs a connector. Okay, I think we've determined that we can make that call I feel comfortable with that. Let's find these side impact sensors.

or at least one. we probably have to pull a door panel off here. put that thing back I'll put that thing back and then, um, check availability on that. But then we got to find our side impact sensors.

So it seems kind of bizarre, right? I mean I kind of think it is I don't know I don't really know what to make of it just yet. I'll be curious to see what we find here. you know? um I don't know if that stuff up there had to get unplugged to do the fans I Gu that's really near here nor there because how on Earth would that terminal have gotten spread like that so to speak or even broken like I say I think that little tab in there is busted personally? All right. So I went fishing here and fin these Tre screws a little cover here.

it's probably just these cars aren't made super tricky. it's probably just a snap. Other door, let me go look in. uh service data though.

real quick to see if anything needs to come out. get unplugged. Usually they don't. but let me just go check real quick.

Talk about GM Reinventing the wheel on this one. so there just your standard Clips here in the door. See this one's even been out before cuz this one's all freaking bent over. Either that or from the factory.

they missed the hole. so I'll straighten that one up. Uh, must be still one stuck in the door? Yes there is. Okay, so this is probably the dumbest thing I've ever seen There is five metal.

the old school metal retainer Clips in this window belting in this window guide here and it says anytime the door panel is removed you have to replace all these Fasteners and they tell you to pry out on the door and give it a Swift hit while while pulling out with one hand and then smacking it with another like you should read: Service date It's pretty comical. What up though? Oh, you need me I So did you look at the engine light at all? Uh I know one Josh put tires on I Did not no no sir, no sir, tell them. Um so the thing is like you can get it out while pulling the you know the window Feld out here. but it makes it kind of a paa and I'm curious about getting these metal Clips undone cuz these clips are probably the worst style retainer clip ever because you have to hit them on both sides to get them out without breaking them.

So I think what we'll do is we'll continue our diagnosis. but before we put it together, we're going to have to get this. You know, this piece of molding off so we can snap the door back together how it's intended because putting it back together like this would be a a pain in hoo. But yeah, what? What a stupid design? Gosh, yeah, good job GM Stick our light right here.

now. supposedly the impact censor is behind here. That's kind of curious. This upper stuff is coming off like it's been off before.

Maybe it just wasn't adhered good at the factory. Doesn't look like they put a uh, you know, stuff is not reusable. Gosh, cars just get crappier and crappier every year. Um, well before I go digging too deep, let me just see if I can see where it is.

It said it behind the Water Shield Open this up a little bit here. Yeah, it's not really attached by much. Anyways, looks like when they put together at the factory they miss most of it at this point. Oh oh okay, maybe that's it right here.

Yep, so this must be the sensor right here cuz I see the small wire and harness going up to it? A two wire? Well, let's do this. We'll get a piece of tape and we'll hold that up. I Don't see where these Christmas tree retainers have been taken out Like you know, anybody's been meddling with it. Hard to say before I unplug it.

Let me get a mirror. Let's have a look back there. I'll get a piece of tape to hold this up for us. I'll get a mirror.

look back there. We'll get it unplugged. Wipe off my light here. We stick that on there.

There is like some black mold and stuff growing inside the door here. It's kind of interesting. where would we be? without our green tape we'd be using Manila colored tape. All right, that's good enough.

I Did bring in some mirror, get out the light I assume that's our impact sensor. two wires red lock. see if I can reach in and hit the lock. Proba be better off just giving it the old feeler here.

Oh yeah, look at that. Got it? First try. Oh and unplugged it. First try too.

It's it's my lucky day. Stick that there. Let's have a feel on this one. That one feels good.

Oh she tiger tight. So how about this I Think this is what we want to do the first time. Uh, A Let's make sure we have the right sensor. make sure we don't have some other random code.

Here's some tape that's been painted on I wonder if she's had some body work? Another clue. It doesn't look like anybody's There's no way a body shop did this and didn't break every single thing on here. Plus, none of this looks like a touch so that must be from the factory. Um, what we were going to do when we started filling with that sensor.

I Think what I began to tell you is, why don't we just short the wires together and see if it's sets a code for being shorted That tells us wire Integrity from here to the module. So let's go get a scan tool. read codes. Okay, right Front impact sensor High Open I Got us another prober here.

There's that. Let's short these babies together. You want to stand way back. When you do this, hold your breath.

Okay, nothing blew up. We're going to erase codes. Yes, we're going to reread the codes. Right Front impact sensor short to ground.

Oh, that's interesting. left rear impact sensor short to ground so must be they're tied together I Would have to look. We better look at diagram see who's going going which way. All right.

Pretty interesting. Yeah, so right front impact sensor short to ground and left rear short to ground I Don't know as if they Daisy change or anything like that, but let's erase the codes. Right Front impact sensor open. Interesting.

Let me go look at a diagram to see if there is any connection with that. I Thought the impact sensors were just all all on their own, but it does tell me that we have a Uh wiring that is not completely open circuited as the code indicates. My assumption at this point until I go look at more is that we just have a bad sensor on this door, a bad connector up there, and then we'd have to tear the driver's door apart to go further. So according to service data, uh, there is no external wire connection between this right front and the right rear.

Uh, one of these wires is the ground and the other one is the you know, the wire communicates on uh to the impact sensor. So shorting them, you know, Like I said, that's uh, you know people are going to get kind of freaked out about it if airbag systems were that sensitive. people would be getting smacked in the face with airbags all the time. Because let's say you know a deer hit this thing and pinch these wires and short them the ground.

If that was going to blow off airbags, that would be some of the most piss poor engineering algorithm written software ever in the world. And like I say, cars would be blown up all the time. So I'm not too worried about uh, shorten the two wires together. Essential, especially because you can see that this car can detect open circuits, short circuits short to voltage short to ground.

It has the ability, uh, to do that and see that why when we short the right front sensor wire. So it's just going to be this brown with the orange. You know we don't even have to short it to its ground. Um, but when we do, that tells us that we have wire Integrity from here all the way to the sensing diagnostic moduel, we don't even have to open it up.

Um. I Am a little bit curious though. why it's setting a code for the right rear Also right. Is that the code it set? No, it was right.

front side impact sensor short to ground, left, rear impact sensor short to ground. So that's that's the part that's kind of bizarre I am curious though, cuz that's that's really that's really kind of bizarre. That kind of throws me I don't know what it's like inside the sensing diagnostic module. if there's a reason, uh, for that.

Um, because if we clear the codes, oops, we should just have our open circuit code now. And we do. We just have our open circuit for the right front, so that has me a little bit concerned. uh as to what's going on there.

I Think if and it were me and it is, I would pull the driver side door panel and see if the one on the driver's side when we short that does it short just itself or does it short like that one plus the right rear, you know I don't know. That's that's what we don't know. Sometimes we don't know everything often times. So let's get that.

I'm going to go pop the panel off that side, left the window down on this side so it might be a little more difficult. All right. So I think that was a red clip unplugged. Okay Moment of Truth Put the hat back on before people start getting scared.

Let's see what. See what the hole feels like? That one feels good all right. They're both tiger tight right now. The only codes we have are original ones there for open circuited both sides.

Let's go ahead and erase the codes now. Codes are erased. Oh, turn the key on I Shut the key off cuz the door dinger. We'll reread our codes left front there.

sick of listen to that thing. Yeah, look at that. See left front center short to ground, right rear short to ground isn't that interesting? So when we short. so that must be the the only thing that makes sense to me.

We got some really crazy freaking problem or something internal in the SDM when this sensor shorts out. It also sets a code for the right rear and when the one on the right front shorts out, it also sets a code for the left rear, so that's that's pretty bizarre. Uh, that could really send somebody on a wild goose chase. I wonder um yeah, cuz if we open the circuit boy that that's some good information and no, it's probably not in service data.

but we should have the code just for the two open circuits. Okay, and then if we take simply just the I think the signal wire was the orange over here. If we just short that to ground, erase the codes, we should get the same code cuz there the one wire on here is just the ground and and we do right rear, short to ground and left front short to ground. so that's super interesting.

Um, and that's just a single wire and according to the wiring diagram, this wire is all by itself going to the SDM. So like I say either there's something super strange. um or we just have we have two bad sensors. The fact that the right front and the left rear and then the left front and the right rear.

uh, I'm going to make a call for um, you know, maybe a little bit of ignorance with nothing else to compare it to. I Have to believe that has something inside the module. that's kind of crazy, but I'm going to say it needs two sensors and a connector. That's my final answer.

uh I Always like to ask myself and you always should too is what's for dinner and after that, think if this doesn't fix it, what am I going to do next and that's what I like to do. Uh, usually as I'm taking care of my tools which as of right now I don't have an answer Um I don't like to over complicate stuff before before we get too too hot and heavy into it. um I think we just got a couple bad sensors. My opinion? that's that folks.

Uh, still wait to hear from the guy wrote them an estimate I did find the connector you cannot get that from GM They don't have a list on the connector. the pins nothing. uh, they just, you know, buy the whole harness is what they say and that's like half a million dollars. Uh, found it through Connector Experts They have listed connector uh, wiring pins however you want to buy it.

um I quoted them on just the connector. uh, just in case I Had some kind of hard time getting aart it's easier just do. The connector comes with 28 in leads so we did that and then I priced it on both impact sensors uh for the side and both of them were the same part number. they're a couple hundred bucks of whack from GM uh when it comes to uh, any of that stuff I Never use any aftermarket component, you know the connector.

I'm not worried about using aftermarket, but as far as impact sensors stuff like that we always just quote them out on. OEM I Know there are some aftermarket options on. some cars, but I don't mess with that so that's it. Just got to wait to hear back from the customer.

I left the door panels off it, but it is pretty interesting how we shorted those out and then you know, got crisscross codes there. Uh, the only thing I can assume I'm not a big Electronics guy, but I assume inside the magical mystical box of the sensing diagnostic module, there is some component in there that is shared between those crisscross doors. Something that you know perhaps provides the voltage to them. something.

I don't know. you guys will know cuz you'll leave it in that comment section. questions, comments, concerns the inty the Facebook You know where to find us if we get the job and get to do the repair. I'm obviously bring you along so keep a lookout for that.

Just remember viewers, if I can do it, you can do it. Thanks for watching here!.