Anyone know how to disable the supplemental inflateable restaint system on a 4th Gen W-Body?

[R18Civic]

As the title states I need to disable the SIR system in my 2009 Buick Lacrosse.

I made a boo boo today. The car has sat for two years while I have been away and there's quite a bit of work that needs to be done to it.

I replaced the drivers outside door handle today. All went well until I put the door panel back on. I checked the outside door handle first, door opened. Pulled the latch cable, door opened from the inside. Then I put the door panel back on and it wouldnt open up from the inside or outside. It appears the latch cable is stuck.

I have to remove the drivers seat to get the door panel off from inside the car but it says online I need to disable the airbag system first.

Is it as simple as disconnecting a battery or a fuse or is there a procedure I need to follow?

 

[Gimpy1]

Remove the fuse, and disconnet both battery cables/ terminals. Touch the two removed cables in order to do a capacitive discharge. You can also step on the brakes a few times. This will completely eliminate any residual charge and you can now safetly remove SIR components or remove the seats.

 

[Trav]

Is it as simple as disconnecting a battery?

Yes. that's it.

 

[dishdude]

Remove the fuse, and disconnet both battery cables/ terminals. Touch the two removed cables in order to do a capacitive discharge. You can also step on the brakes a few times. This will completely eliminate any residual charge and you can now safetly remove SIR components or remove the seats.

All this seems unnecessary. Just disconnect the negative.

 

[nthach]

Pull the negative, wait 90 seconds for the capacitors in the airbag/restraints ECU to bleed down and you’re set.

 

[Gimpy1]

All this seems unnecessary. Just disconnect.

It may be, you can also jack a car up and not use jack stands also. Look up the FSM from GM on disabling air bag proceedures.

 

[Trav]

Preventing an Inadvertent Airbag Deployment – TechLink

gm-techlink.com

 

[R18Civic]

Turns out my problem may lie with the door lock actuator. When I installed the door panel I accidentally locked the door manually. Door wouldn't unlock after that. I unlocked it manually and it still wouldn't unlock. It seems to be a common issue with these vehicles, and since I had issues with it sticking in warm weather I'm placing my bets on the actuator.

Driver's is door is locked, won't open

So the door won't open from inside or outside. If I could get it open then I could take the panel off and see what's up. Anybody know how to get the door open? Has anybody else had this problem? Seems to be common based on a google search I did this morning. Car is 2007.

buickforums.com

 

[Trav]

You can test it easily enough with a power probe while it is disconnected from the harness, if it works then you may have a faulty module or it needs reinstalling with a scan tool, the module itself is usually part of the window switch but I cant be 100% on this car. I will look at a wiring diagram later today and see if I cant find more info for you.
This company rebuilds the actuators with improved motors, I know it has trucks listed but many GM vehicles use these, the part numbers are on the bottom of the page.

2007-2014 GM Door Lock Actuator Repair

2008-2013 GM Door Lock Actuator Rebuild Our Repair for the 2008 2013 GM Passenger Door Lock Actuators If you have a New Body Style GM Truck we Probably can Repair the Lock Actuator

www.gruvenparts.com

 

[R18Civic]

Well the good news is if it is the actuator I should just be able to unlock it with a key.

Given all the cables and rods that attach to it I'll just have a shop throw a new one in.

 

[Trav]

Just in case you want to do a little playing around with it I put this together for you.

 

[R18Civic]

Just in case you want to do a little playing around with it I put this together for you.

Appreciate it Trav, but I can't read wiring diagrams or work with electronics to save my life. About all I can do is splice a wire or two. Took residential electricity in high school and was able to wire bulb receptacles and two pole switches but that was about it. I've steered clear of electrical doohickeys ever since.

 

[Trav]

No problem. I wanted to try these 2 free programs out anyway and it seemed just what I needed to do it (both worked stellar).
It probably needs a new actuator but if that isn't the problem the door switch (yep the whole window and lock switch) is the likely culprit, it also has the module in it. These can be a big $$ part unless you don't mind spending they can get quite pricey, get a used one.
I though you may be able to trigger the lock and unlock functions to either condemn it or rule it out.

 

[repairman54]

Door lock assy. in those years are common. Locking mech. internally sticks and will not ''unlock'' with knob or power unlock.
Did several latch's in my old '09 Malibu and family's '12 Malibu. Most likely the same lock assy. in the Buick.
Had a drivers door not unlock and of course door needs to be open to pull inside panel.
The ''secret'' is to open the back door and use a socket extension or other bar to be able to put it up against the door frame at the lock and whack it to shock the latch assy. to unstick it internally. May need several hard hits but this worked for me on 2 different cars, it's the dealer shop secret way to open the door. All that auto lock / unlocking wears them out.

 

[R18Civic]

Actually after looking at a picture of the actuator I'm fairly confident I can do it myself. All it consists of is the actuator itself, the door latch cable and the an attached clip that the outside door handle rod connects to.

I know after I accidentally locked the car door whenever I would try to open the door from the outside the new door handle would make a noise as if the spring was under a lot of tension, and if the actuator was locked up that would explain it.

All I need to do is get the door unlocked (hopefully the key will do it) and then a couple torx bits to get the actuator loose after I get the door panel back off.

 

[R18Civic]

Key did not unlock the door. Going to call a locksmith instead of pulling the seat out.

 

[R18Civic]

Locksmith says they can't unlock it. Gonna have to take it to a shop.

 

[R18Civic]

Trav I need your opinion. Turns out I was right to think I needed a mobile mechanic. The door panel fits against the dashboard in such a way its going to need to be cut off after a mechanic removes the seat. I was going to do it myself until I noticed that.

Second, I threw a new battery in the car and it fired right up but NONE of the door lock actuators are working. I can hear a click coming from the insturment panel when I press lock or unlock which leads me to believe a relay has gone bad.

Lastly, the stuck door is not an actuator issue by itself. When the door is unlocked there is unusual tension on the outside handle but when I lock the door the tension goes away which leads me to believe something in the rod/handle mechanisms has siezed up.

The mobile mechanic can probably diagnose all of this on his own but I was hoping to get an opinion from you first.

 

[Trav]

Can you drive this car?

 

[R18Civic]

No plates, registration or insurance currently.