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SRS Malfunction Left & PRESAFE Error traced to driver belt buckle
Hi
My 2011 GL450 has developed the PRESAFE Inoperative issue, followed by an SRS Malfunction.
The issue was traced to a broken wire leading into the seat belt buckle on the driver side.
Has anyone had any luck replacing the seat belt buckle without removing the seat? In order to save an $800 trip to the dealer I will be doing it myself. My concern is upon removing the buckle, will the dealer have to clear the codes with Xentry?
Usually with SRS codes, yes - but in this case I’m not sure.
what I am pretty sure about is that any work you do should be with both batteries disconnected, and that should clear all codes unless the fault persists after power is reconnected.
what’s your game plan - replace the wire, buckle or?
In case you can see the broken wire under the seat you can simply reconnect the cable. I had the same errors as yours and finally traced down to a buckle "open circuit' issue. I tried to disconnect the buckle cable connector harness under the seat however I found it difficult to pull it out without removing the seat. I ended up flipping the buckle upside down and tap it a few times, hoping to clear any dirt inside. It looked pretty clean and I'm not sure if any dirt or dust had come out. I then cleared the error code (B005013). Anyway the warning has disappeared for two days. If the error comes back I may need to open the buckle and give it a clean.
Originally Posted by Uranium238
Hi
My 2011 GL450 has developed the PRESAFE Inoperative issue, followed by an SRS Malfunction.
The issue was traced to a broken wire leading into the seat belt buckle on the driver side.
Has anyone had any luck replacing the seat belt buckle without removing the seat? In order to save an $800 trip to the dealer I will be doing it myself. My concern is upon removing the buckle, will the dealer have to clear the codes with Xentry?
You wont need Xentry, but you WILL need to reset the SRS code.
Swing by your favorite auto parts store and verify whether they can reset SRS codes for you (usually free of charge). An Indy might charge you a few bucks to reset. Or, do yourself a favor purchase an OBD Scanner with SRS functionality.
The "iCarSoft MB II" scanner has SRS functionality (among many other features that will help you DIY) and can be found on eBay or Amazon for under US$150.
Thanks. For additional info, the connectors under the seat are intact. Externally, there are no breaks but I suspect the break in the wire is near where it is zip-tied. Archives show this is a common area, and even under the rubber boot of the buckle where the wires insert
With the ignition on, I can apply a little forward pressure on the buckle to easily trigger the SRS and PRESAFE error messages.
And it got me thinking (yes, sometimes we do that): why would you not remove the seat?
The seat is held down by four (4) screws. One at each corner. And is VERY easy to remove/reposition. Once the screws are removed, tilt the seatback all the way forward, then lift from the seat. You can rest it on the rear seats. Be careful not to scratch your interior trim with the seat rails.
This approach would give you much easier access to work on the seat buckle assembly.
I had similar symptoms and therefore concluded that the cause is a poor electrical contact point in the buckle. It can be easily solved if you can open the buckle housing. It's either the trigger mechanism that made the contact point greasy/dirty, or some part of the circuit had become loose or had a false welding point. I've searched the internet on how to open the belt buckle housing with no avail. If somebody can help it'll be greatly appreciated. BTW, the errors in my car haven't come back for 3 days.
Originally Posted by Uranium238
Thanks. For additional info, the connectors under the seat are intact. Externally, there are no breaks but I suspect the break in the wire is near where it is zip-tied. Archives show this is a common area, and even under the rubber boot of the buckle where the wires insert ....................
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