B1052 says the driver airbag module circuits are shorted to each other or shorted internally. Once the module sees that condition, it stops trusting the driver loop and shuts the restraint system down.
A driver airbag firing circuit is a two wire loop that runs from the control unit, through the clockspring behind the steering wheel, and into the inflator. B1052 means those conductors are in contact somewhere, either with one another or with themselves inside a component. The module reads a resistance far below what the igniter alone would present.
The clockspring is the part of this circuit that moves. It is a flat ribbon that winds and unwinds every time the wheel turns, and when its conductors fray or its housing cracks, the wires can touch. That makes the clockspring the first suspect on a driver side short, ahead of the airbag and ahead of the harness under the column.
Both the component and the wiring get evaluated live here, and the code clears once the short is gone. Crash data works differently. It is a permanent entry written when an airbag fires, it stays regardless of how the circuits read afterward, and a module reset is the only thing that removes it.
A short is a physical problem, so a reset does not resolve B1052 on its own. Repair or replace the clockspring, the harness, or the airbag, then confirm the loop reads in range. We do handle the other half of the job: when a module is holding crash data from a deployment along with this code, mail it in after the parts are installed and we return it ready to arm.
Both Mercedes-Benz and Nissan list B1052 for driver airbag circuits shorted. The underlying condition is the same on either make, though the clockspring design, connector style, and repair procedure differ, so work from the service information for the specific vehicle.
Unplug the driver airbag and measure the circuit at the clockspring connector, because that single reading separates the inflator from everything upstream. If the short is upstream, turn the wheel lock to lock while watching the meter to catch a clockspring that only shorts at certain positions. Inspect the column harness for pinch damage from prior work. We stock genuine OEM driver airbags and clocksprings for Mercedes and Nissan applications. Related codes: B1044, B1054, B0090-49.
Mail us your original module. We restore it to factory-ready condition for a fraction of dealer cost, the same way we have since 1997.
Genuine OEM, tested, and shipped ground from Jacksonville, Arkansas.
Do not see it listed? Request a part or call 501-988-0611.