B1362: Driver Pretensioner Resistance Low

Circuit fault

What B1362 means

A pretensioner takes up belt slack in a crash, and it is fired by a squib the same way an airbag is. The SRSCM measures that squib's resistance continuously. A reading that is too low means current is passing more easily than the design allows, which usually means conductors in contact or a partially shorted squib inside the retractor.

On these vehicles the driver pretensioner is built into the retractor at the pillar or mounted on the seat frame. Either location puts the connector near the floor, near the sill, and near the seat rails. Both of those areas see water, dirt, and hardware being removed for interior work.

Common causes

• Corrosion bridging the pretensioner connector terminals at the sill
• A chafed harness where the wiring passes the seat rail or the pillar bracket
• A squib that has shorted internally inside the retractor
• Damage from seat removal or carpet work
• Water in the driver footwell reaching the connector

Crash data or hardware fault?

Because the module is taking a measurement rather than recalling an event, B1362 is a circuit fault. It clears itself when the resistance returns to normal. Crash data behaves differently: it is written when the pretensioner actually fires and stays in the module until the unit is reset.

Does our reset clear it?

Resetting the module does not raise a low resistance reading. Clear B1362 and the module measures the same circuit again within seconds. Repair the wiring or replace the retractor first. If this Kia was in a crash and the module is locked with deployment data, that is the part our mail-in service handles.

Which makes throw it

Kia uses B1362 for the driver front pretensioner. Kia numbers the short to power fault on the same pretensioner separately, so the exact code narrows the electrical condition before you open anything up.

What to do next

Find the pretensioner connector at the driver sill or seat frame and inspect the terminals for green corrosion, which is the leading cause of a low reading in that location. Unplug it and measure from the module side to decide whether the harness or the retractor is at fault. We stock genuine OEM Kia seat belts with pretensioners. Related codes: B1355, B1364, B1C3A.