Vehicle: 2024 Chrysler Pacifica, FWD, V6-3.6L, Automatic Transmission/Transaxle

Mileage: 29,215 Miles

Problem: While the customer was driving the vehicle, the supplemental restraint system (SRS) airbag light came on. He took the vehicle to the dealership, where they found diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B1BB9-00 – Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) Airbag Squib Circuit Coupling. They replaced SRS Module, but the DTC was still there.

This is the second owner, so the vehicle was not under warranty. The dealership wanted to replace the SRS harness. It was easier to replace the harness than to trace the wires to find the problem. Due to the high cost of replacing the SRS harness, the customer declined and brought it to an independent shop.

Case Details: The technician connected a scanner and pulled DTC, B1BB9-00.

NOTE: This DTC sets when the ORC detects that any two circuits, from two or more squibs, have shorted or “coupled” together. Once set, this DTC is latched for the entire ignition cycle. That means that any one of the deployment squibs are shorted together.

The technician decided to call an ALLDATA Tech-Assist consultant for a little diagnostic guidance. The consultant said that very often there will be resistance values available in the PIDs for the ORC live data. Most airbags sit around 2.0 ohms. He advised to look for the PID value showing the irregularity in its resistance value and that will provide a starting point.

Following the consultant’s advice, the technician found the problem quickly during a basic harness inspection. The airbag wiring harness had melted about 15 inches away from the SRS module connector and bare wires were touching each other.

Confirmed Repair: The technician carefully repaired and insulated 12 wires. After the repairs, he cleared the DTC and went on a test drive. The SRS light stayed off. Reliable, economic repair. Fixed!