Bulletin No.: 14030B
Date: June 2014

Recall Bulletin

PRODUCT SAFETY RECALL
SUBJECT:

Side Impact Airbag Connector

MODELS:

Some 2008-2009 and all 2010-2013 Buick Enclave
Some 2009 and all 2010-2013 Chevrolet Traverse
Some 2008-2009 and all 2010-2013 GMC Acadia
Some 2008-2009 and all 2010 Saturn OUTLOOK

A copy of the customer letter has been added to this bulletin. Please discard all copies of bulletin
14030A.
It is a violation of Federal law for a dealer to deliver a new motor vehicle or any new or used item
of motor vehicle equipment (including a tire) covered by this notification under a sale or lease
until the defect or noncompliance is remedied.
All involved vehicles that are in dealer inventory must be held and not delivered to customers,
dealer traded, or used for demonstration purposes until the repair contained in this bulletin has
been performed on the vehicle.
Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Program 10085 or Special Coverage 10335
have already had the subject condition repaired are therefore not included in this safety recall.
CONDITION
General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in some
2008-2009 and all 2010-2013 model year Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia vehicles; some 2009
and all 2010-2013 model year Chevrolet Traverse vehicles, and some 2008-2009 and all 2010
model year Saturn OUTLOOK vehicles. Corrosion and/or loose crimps in the driver and
passenger seat mounted side impact airbag (SIAB) wiring harness connectors can cause an
increase in resistance. The airbag sensing system will interpret an increase in resistance as a
fault. A fault will illuminate the airbag readiness light on the instrument cluster and a "SERVICE
AIR BAG" message in the Driver Information Center (DIC), and set a Diagnostic Trouble Code
(DTC). At first, at lower levels of resistance, the light and DIC message may be intermittent and
the airbags and pretensioners will still deploy. Over time, the resistance may reach a level where
the SIABs, front center side airbag, if equipped, and pretensioners will not deploy in a crash.
CORRECTION
Dealers are to remove the driver and passenger SIAB wiring harness connectors and splice and
solder the wires together.
Copyright 2014 General Motors. All Rights Reserved.

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June 2014

Bulletin No.: 14030B

VEHICLES INVOLVED
All involved vehicles are identified by Vehicle Identification Number on the Investigate Vehicle
History screen in GM Global Warranty Management system. Dealership service personnel
should always check this site to confirm vehicle involvement prior to beginning any required
inspections and/or repairs. It is important to routinely use this tool to verify eligibility because
not all similar vehicles may be involved regardless of description or option content.
For dealers with involved vehicles, a listing with involved vehicles containing the complete
vehicle identification number, customer name, and address information has been prepared and
will be provided to US and Canadian dealers through the GM GlobalConnect Recall Reports, or
sent directly to export dealers. Dealers will not have a report available if they have no involved
vehicles currently assigned.
The listing may contain customer names and addresses obtained from Motor Vehicle
Registration Records. The use of such motor vehicle registration data for any purpose other
than follow-up necessary to complete this recall is a violation of law in several
states/provinces/countries. Accordingly, you are urged to limit the use of this report to the followup necessary to complete this recall.
PART INFORMATION
Parts required to complete this program are to be obtained from General Motors Customer Care
and Aftersales (GMCC&A). Please refer to your “involved vehicles listing” before ordering parts.
Normal orders should be placed on a DRO = Daily Replenishment Order. In an emergency
situation, parts should be ordered on a CSO = Customer Special Order.
Part
Number
05297428
12355010

Description

Quantity/Vehicle

CLIP, WRG HARN SPLICE (merch pk of 10)

8 (2010-2012)
10 (2013)
1-2

TUBING, SHRINK (1/8" BLACK) (merch pk of 10)
WOVEN POLYESTER ELECTRICAL TAPE (PET) – PART
Obtain from
NUMBER 1089482 (preferred)
Kent
or EQUIVALENT ANTI-ABRASION TAPE OR
Automotive*
ELECTRICAL TAPE
Obtain from
Kent
YELLOW ELECTRICAL TAPE
Automotive*
or Locally

As Req'd
(submit as Net Item)

As Req'd
(submit as Net Item)

* To obtain the PET and yellow electrical tape, contact Kent Automotive at 1-888-YES-KENT
(1-888-937-5368) and request the special order part number 1089482.

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June 2014

Bulletin No.: 14030B

SERVICE PROCEDURE
Warning: When performing service on or near the SIR components or the SIR wiring, the SIR
system must be disabled. Failure to observe the correct procedure could cause deployment of
the SIR components. Serious injury can occur. Failure to observe the correct procedure could
also result in unnecessary SIR system repairs.
1.

Disable the Supplemental Inflatable Restraints (SIR) system. Refer to SIR Disabling and
Enabling in SI.

Note: Perform the procedure in this bulletin on BOTH the front driver and passenger seat. The
yellow 2-way, 4-way, or 6-way connector is located under the seat; refer to the table below.
Model
Year
2008
2009-2012
2013
2.

Seat & Body Harness Connector
Driver Seat
Passenger Seat
Connector
Connector
Yellow 2-way
Yellow 2-way
Yellow 4-way
Yellow 4-way
Yellow 6-way
Yellow 4-way

Perform steps 2.1-2.4 on both the front driver and passenger seats to gain better access to
the seat and body harness and yellow 2-way, 4-way, or 6-way connector.
2.1 Use a flat-bladed tool to release the tab in the rear of the front seat adjuster bolt finish
cover.
2.2 Pull upward to release the retainer clip securing the cover to the seat adjuster.

Caution: Spray the seat bolts with a penetrating oil lubricant BEFORE removing the bolts.
2.3 Remove the front seat assembly bolts.
Note: Refer to PI0521D. 2011 model year vehicles with build date 01/01/11 through EORP
and 2012 model year vehicles SORP through 01/20/12 have shims installed behind the front
mounting hooks into the floor pan that may get knocked out of position during seat removal.
Make sure the shims are not lost during seat removal.
2.4 Tilt the seat rearward until the seat back rests on the floor of the vehicle.

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June 2014

Bulletin No.: 14030B

3714178

A yellow 4-way connector shown. The 2-way or 6-way yellow connector is similar.

3.

Locate the yellow 2-way, 4-way, or 6-way connector under the seat.

3714191

4.

Remove 76 mm (3 in) of conduit and tape on both sides of the yellow connector to gain
access to the wires.

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June 2014

Bulletin No.: 14030B

3714181

3782976

Four-way connector shown with wire harness out of vehicle for illustration purposes. It is critical that
the wire pairs are identified correctly to avoid splicing incorrect wire pairs.

Note: Before removing the yellow connector from the seat and body harness, note the wire
colors of the seat and body harness. Some wire pairs may be a slightly different color. Some
wire pairs may have different colors. Ensure the wires are matched BEFORE splicing the wires
of the seat and body harness together. Use the cutoff connector as a wire color template.
BEFORE removing the connector from the harness, mark or identify wire pairs of similar color
using a pen and tape to ensure the correct wires are spliced together. The first photograph
shows a 4-way connector (1) and a 6-way connector (2).

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June 2014

Bulletin No.: 14030B

3714186

5.

Cut the wires from the seat harness connector and body harness connector as close to the
connector housing as possible to minimize wire length loss.

3714199

6.

Remove 13 mm (1/2 in) of insulation from the seat and body harness wire ends.

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June 2014

Bulletin No.: 14030B

3714197

Note: Only use heat shrink tube, P/N 12355010, or an equivalent flexible adhesivelined/moisture resistant heat shrink tube to perform the repair in this bulletin.
7.

Install one 38 mm (1.5 in) section of heat shrink tube (1) onto each of the two, four, or six
exposed wires on one side of seat and body harness.

8.

Fold the 13 mm (1/2 in) ends of exposed copper wires over each other and crimp the
splice clip (2) over the wires using Special Tool J-38125-8, crimp nest F.

9.

Inspect the crimp quality.

3714193

Warning: DO NOT use soldering equipment that is battery or electric powered. These types of
soldering irons can induce voltage into the circuit, which may cause inflator module
deployment and/or damage to electrical components. Use only the EL-28125-5 Ultra Torch or
another butane fueled soldering iron when working on SIR circuits.

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June 2014

Bulletin No.: 14030B

Caution: Keep the heat shrink tube (1) above the splice when soldering the splice (3) to
ensure that the heat shrink is not prematurely shrunk and closed down over the wire or splice
area due to the heat from the soldering iron.
Note: Use rosin core lead solder. The higher the lead content the better as it has a lower
melting point.
10. Solder the crimp and splice clip using the Ultratorch, part number J-38125-5, or another
butane fueled soldering iron.

3714207

11. Center the heat shrink tube (1) over the splice and use the Ultratorch, part number
J-38125-5, or another butane fueled soldering iron, to shrink and seal the heat shrink tube
securely over the splice crimp and insulated wires.

3714218

12. Wrap woven polyester electrical tape (PET) or equivalent anti-abrasion tape or electrical
tape (4) around the spliced section of the seat and body harness wires.

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June 2014

Bulletin No.: 14030B

Warning: Ensure yellow tape is wrapped around the splice section of the seat and body wire
harness to properly identify supplemental inflatable restraint (SIR) wiring. Failure to properly
identify SIR wiring could cause deployment of the SIR components, personal injury, or
unnecessary SIR system repairs.
13. Wrap yellow electrical tape over the polyester electrical tape or black electrical tape.
Caution: Avoid routing the harness along sharp metal edges. Ensure that harness is secured
with some slack in the harness to allow the harness to flex or move. Move the seat full forward
and then full rearward to ensure the slack is appropriate for the entire seat travel.
14. Using the original mounting hole for the removed connector, secure the harness in position
using a nylon tie strap.
15. Re-install driver and passenger seat.
Note: For 2011-2013 model year vehicles, refer to PI0521D for seat reinstall instructions.
15.1 Install the two front seat assembly bolts. Tighten the bolts to 45 N·m (33 lb ft).
15.2 Install the two front seat adjuster bolt finish covers.
16. Enable the SIR system. Refer to Disabling and Enabling in SI.
17. Clear any sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) DTCs using a scan tool. Verify that the
airbag indicator is NOT displayed on the instrument panel cluster (IPC). If DTCs appear
after clearing the SDM, refer to the appropriate diagnostic information in SI.
CUSTOMER REIMBURSEMENT - For US
Customer requests for reimbursement of previously paid repairs for the recall condition are to
be submitted to the dealer by May 31, 2015, unless otherwise specified by state law. If this is
not convenient for the customer, they may mail the completed Customer Reimbursement
Request Form and all required documents to the GM Customer Assistance Center.
All reasonable and customary costs to correct the condition described in this bulletin
should be considered for reimbursement. Any questions or concerns should be reviewed
with your GM representative prior to processing the request.
When a customer requests reimbursement, they must provide the following:




A completed Customer Reimbursement Request Form. This form is mailed to the
customer or can be obtained through GM GlobalConnect.
The name and address of the person who paid for the repair.
Paid receipt confirming the amount of the repair expense, a description of the repair, and
the person or entity performing the repair.

IMPORTANT: GM requires dealers to approve or deny a reimbursement request within 30 days
of receipt. If a reimbursement request is approved, the dealer should immediately issue a check
to the customer and submit an appropriate warranty transaction for the incurred expense. If a
reimbursement request is denied, the dealer MUST provide the customer with a clear and
concise explanation, in writing, as to why the request was denied. The bottom portion of the
Customer Reimbursement Request Form may be used for this purpose. If the denial was due