Cayenne (9PA)

Technical Information

11/04

ENU

6963

6

Airbag Warning Light Activated: Fault Code 1217 and/or 1218 in Airbag Control Unit Fault
Memory
Revision:

This bulletin replaces bulletin Group 6, 11/04, dated September 30, 2004 and February 1, 2007.

Model Year:

As of 2003 up to 2004

Vehicle Type:

Cayenne/Cayenne S/Cayenne Turbo

Concerns:

Side airbag

Information:

- Airbag warning light activated in multi-function display,
- Fault code 1217 and/or 1218 in fault memory of airbag control unit.

Note:

On the driver and passenger seat, contact difficulties can occur in the plug connection between the side
airbag and the wire harness.
When the fault type occurs, the airbag warning light is activated and fault code 1217 and/or 1218 is
stored with the fault type "Upper limit value exceeded" in the fault memory of the airbag control unit.

Action
Required:

In the event of a complaint, the side airbag plug connection must be removed on both front seats and
replaced by a crimp cable connection.

Tools:

Nr.155-2 - Repair kit for wiring harnesses (CarTool repair kit 96 0 300 / TKR) (the following
will be needed: 2x cable connections from compartment 4/1; 2x shrink-fit hoses with fusible plug from
compartment 4/3)
Cloth adhesive tape or insulating tape
Clean cloth/surface (approx. 100 x 100 cm)
Tie-wraps
Hot-air gun
9900 - PIWIS Tester III

Work
Procedure:

Remove the side airbag plug connection on both front seats and replace with a crimp cable connection.
To do this, the front seats must be removed and reinstalled.

DANGER
Danger of injury and material damage when working on or in the airbag system.


The following procedure does not replace the information in the Workshop Manual and the warnings
listed therein.

AfterSales

Jul 28, 2020
Page 1 of 5

6

Cayenne (9PA)
6963

ENU

1

Technical Information

11/04

Introductory work
Information
On vehicles with the individual equipment "additional battery", it is not necessary to
disconnect the additional battery.

2

1.1

Remove driver's and passenger's seat.  Workshop Manual '720119 Removing and
installing front seat'

1.2

Take the front seats out of the vehicle. Set the seats with backrest on a clean cloth or
surface.

Release the plug connection (driver's seat).
2.1

Disengage the right tensioning strap of the
backrest cover ( Figure 1 -Arrow A-).

Figure 1
2.2

Push back lock on the side airbag plug (
Figure 2 -Arrow A-) and remove from the plug
socket on the side airbag ( Figure 2 -Arrow
B-).

2.3

Release side airbag plug at the seat frame (
Figure 2 -Arrow C-) and push it out towards
the front ( Figure 2 -Arrow D-).

2.4

Unclip side airbag wire harness from the
bracket on the front seat suspension. (The
bracket is installed behind the control unit for
memory seat adjustment).

Figure 2

Jul 28, 2020
Page 2 of 5

AfterSales

Cayenne (9PA)

Technical Information

3

11/04

2.5

Release connector of ground strap from side
airbag ( Figure 3 -Item 1-) and pull out of
the socket.

2.6

Release the rear connector bracket on the
seat suspension and pull off socket for the
ground strap ( Figure 3 -Arrow A-).

ENU

6963

6

Replace previous plug connection with a cable
connection.

Figure 3
3.1

Position both lines of the wire harness on the
control unit side flush on the connector and
cut through them individually ( Figure 4 ).

3.2

Position the two lines coming from the side
airbag flush on the socket and cut through
them individually.

3.3

Unwrap chafing prevention tape to a length
of approx. 70 mm/ 2.76 in on the side airbag
wire harness (clearance to slide on the
shrink-fit hoses).

3.4

Slide a shrink-fit hose onto the blue line of the
side airbag wire harness.

3.5

Figure 4

3.4.1

Strip the blue lines of the side airbag and the wire harness on the control unit side
to a length of approx. 8 mm/ 0.31 in.

3.4.2

Crimp both blue lines with a cable connection.

Work on black line of the side airbag or control unit wire harness in the same way (= install
shrink-fit hose, strip lines by 8 mm/ 0.31 in, crimp with cable connection).

AfterSales

Jul 28, 2020
Page 3 of 5

6

Cayenne (9PA)
6963

ENU

3.6

4

Technical Information

11/04
Position the shrink-fit hoses over the cable
connections and then shrink the hoses with a
hot-air gun ( Figure 5 ).

Complete the modified wire harness.
4.1

Wrap the unwound chafing prevention tape
on the modified wire harness around and over
the cable connection position.
Complete the modified wire harness with
cloth adhesive tape or commercially available
insulating tape.

5

4.2

Clip the socket of the ground strap ( Figure
6 -Item 1-) into the connector bracket of
the rear seat suspension and connect to the
connector for the side airbag ground strap
( Figure 6 -Item 2-).

4.3

Clip in the modified wire harness on the
connector bracket (= position of previous
side airbag plug connection) and secure to
the seat suspension with a tie-wrap.

4.4

Engage the right tensioning strap for the
backrest cover ( Figure 6 -Arrow A-).

Working Time:

References:

Figure 6

Modify plug connection on passenger's seat.
5.1

6

Figure 5

Carry out the work listed from Step 2 to Step 4.4 on the passenger's seat.

Concluding work.
6.1

Install front seats.

6.2

Erase fault memory in airbag control unit using the PST2 or PIWIS Tester.

69 63 42 00

Replacing plug connection of front side airbag on both seats with 230 TU
a crimp connector.

This includes:

Removing and installing front seats.

 Workshop Manual '270619 Removing and installing battery'
 Workshop Manual '69 Safety regulations for vehicles with airbag and belt tensioner'
 Workshop Manual '690101 Airbag diagnosis'
 Workshop Manual '720119 Removing and installing front seat'

Jul 28, 2020
Page 4 of 5

AfterSales

Cayenne (9PA)

Technical Information

11/04

ENU

6963

6

 Workshop Manual '90 Work instructions after disconnecting the battery'
 Technical Information '696300 Airbag warning light activated: Fault code 1217 and/or 1218 in airbag
control unit fault memory' (No. 9/04).
Workshop Equipment Manual:
( Group 2.4/No. 155-1: Repair kit for wire harnesses, Cartool Co.

Important Notice: Technical Bulletins issued by Porsche Cars North America, Inc. are intended only for use by professional automotive technicians who have attended Porsche service training
courses. They are written to inform those technicians of conditions that may occur on some Porsche vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper servicing of a vehicle. Porsche special
tools may be necessary in order to perform certain operations identified in these bulletins. Use of tools and procedures other than those Porsche recommends in these bulletins may be detrimental to the
safe operation of your vehicle, and may endanger the people working on it. Properly trained Porsche technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions, and know-how to do the job properly and
safely. Part numbers listed in these bulletins are for reference only. The work procedures updated electronically in the Porsche PIWIS diagnostic and testing device take precedence and, in the event of a
discrepancy, the work procedures in the PIWIS Tester are the ones that must be followed.

© 2020 Porsche Cars North America, Inc.

AfterSales

Jul 28, 2020
Page 5 of 5