B1481: Driver Stage 2 High Resistance

Circuit fault

What B1481 means

Dual stage driver airbags carry two inflator charges so the module can tailor deployment force to the crash. Each charge has its own circuit, its own pin at the module, and its own conductors through the clockspring. The SRSCM measures both independently, and a high reading on the second stage sets B1481 while the first stage may read perfectly normal.

Having one stage good and one stage high is a useful clue. It usually means the trouble is in something that carries the two circuits separately, like individual clockspring conductors, individual terminals in the airbag connector, or specific pins at the module. A problem affecting the whole harness would normally show up on both stages.

Common causes

• A clockspring conductor for the second stage worn or making poor contact
• One corroded terminal in the driver airbag connector while its neighbors stay clean
• A backed out or spread pin at the module connector on the second stage circuit
• A driver airbag whose second stage inflator resistance has drifted out of range
• Damage from a previous steering wheel or column repair affecting one circuit

Crash data or hardware fault?

Measured live, this reading is reported only while the circuit sits out of range, which puts B1481 in the same category as any other resistance fault. Stored crash data is the opposite kind of record: written into memory after a deployment and permanent, with no scan tool able to erase it.

Does our reset clear it?

What a loop measures does not change because a module was reset. The mail-in service restores modules locked on crash data, which is what a car needs after its airbags deploy. For B1481, repair the clockspring, connector, or airbag first. If the module is holding deployment data alongside this code, send it to us once the circuit reads correctly.

Which makes throw it

Hyundai reports B1481 for the driver airbag second stage. Because Hyundai codes the two stages separately, the code number alone tells you which loop to measure instead of leaving you to test both.

What to do next

Measure both stages at the module connector and compare them, since a normal first stage next to a high second stage points straight at the parts that carry the circuits separately. Disconnect the airbag and measure again to divide the clockspring from the inflator. When the second stage in the airbag is out of range, the assembly gets replaced, and we stock genuine OEM Hyundai driver airbags and clocksprings. Related codes: B1473, B1489, B1B01.