B1369: Passenger Pretensioner Shorted To Ground

Circuit fault

What B1369 means

The SRSCM keeps both sides of a firing loop isolated from chassis ground so the only current that flows is the current the module commands. A short to ground breaks that isolation. The module detects it, stores B1369, and disables the restraint system, since it can no longer control the circuit the way the design requires.

Grounds happen where wire meets metal. The passenger pretensioner harness passes through the sill and around seat and trim hardware, all of which gives it edges to rub against. A bolt run through a harness during seat or trim installation produces this exact complaint, and so does a connector sitting in water on the floor pan.

Common causes

• Harness insulation worn through against a sill or seat bracket
• A bolt or trim clip driven through the pretensioner wiring
• A wet connector on the passenger floor grounding the circuit
• Corrosion inside the connector after a spill or a door seal leak
• An internal short to the case inside the pretensioner assembly

Crash data or hardware fault?

This code reflects a measurement the module repeats constantly, which makes it a circuit fault rather than a record of anything that happened. Crash data is what gets stored permanently after a deployment, and that is the only category a reset is required to remove.

Does our reset clear it?

A module reset does not lift a wire off ground. Clear B1369 and the module finds the short again on its next check. Repair the harness or replace the pretensioner first, then use the mail-in reset if the module is also locked from a crash. The two problems are separate and both have to be handled.

Which makes throw it

Kia carries B1369 for the passenger front pretensioner. Kia separates short to ground, short to power, and resistance faults into different numbers, so the code narrows the electrical condition before the trim comes off.

What to do next

Trace the passenger pretensioner harness along the sill and check every place a fastener passes near it, because a bolt through the wiring is a frequent cause after seat or carpet work. Disconnect the pretensioner and test for a ground on the module side to split the circuit. We stock genuine OEM Kia passenger seat belts. Related codes: B1364, B1379, B1115.