Possible Causes

A right side air bag circuit short to battery or ignition voltage could be caused by a short to battery or ignition voltage in White/Yellow wire (circuit No. 1259), short to battery or ignition voltage in Brown/Yellow wire (circuit No. 1260), short to battery or ignition voltage in right side air bag module or RCM internal fault.

1. Check for hard or intermittent DTC
   
   Turn ignition switch to OFF position. Connect scan tool to Data Link Connector (DLC). See USING SCAN TOOL  under DIAGNOSTICS. Turn ignition switch to RUN position. Retrieve and record any continuous DTCs. See RETRIEVING FAULT CODES  under DIAGNOSTICS. Perform on-demand self-test. See ON-DEMAND SELF-TEST  under DIAGNOSTICS. If DTC B1996 was retrieved during on-demand self-test, fault is hard. Go to next step. If DTC B1996 was not retrieved, fault is intermittent. Go to step  7 .
2. Check right side air bag module
   
   Turn ignition switch to OFF position. Disable air bag system. See DISABLING SYSTEM  under DISABLING & ACTIVATING AIR BAG SYSTEM. Turn ignition switch to RUN position. Perform on-demand self-test. If DTC B1996 is retrieved, go to step  5 . If DTC B1996 is not retrieved, go to next step.
3. Check right side air bag circuit for short to voltage
   
   Turn ignition switch to OFF position. Access and disconnect right side air bag module connector from air bag module. See SIDE AIR BAG MODULE  under REMOVAL & INSTALLATION. Turn ignition switch to RUN position. Measure voltage in White/Yellow wire between ground and harness side of right side air bag module connector. If voltage is more than 10 volts, repair short to voltage in White/Yellow wire. See WIRING DIAGRAMS  . Go to step  8 . If voltage is less than 10 volts, go to next step.
4. Check right side air bag circuit for short to voltage
   
   Measure voltage in Brown/Yellow wire between ground and harness side of right side air bag module connector. If voltage is more than 10 volts, repair short to voltage in Brown/Yellow wire. Go to step  8 . If voltage is less than 10 volts, replace right side air bag module. Go to step  8 .
   NOTE: Do not separate or remove shorting bars from connector C2004.
5. Check right side air bag circuit to seat harness
   
   Turn ignition switch to OFF position. Disconnect negative battery cable. Access RCM and disconnect harness connectors C2004 and C2005. See RESTRAINTS CONTROL MODULE (RCM)  under REMOVAL & INSTALLATION. Turn ignition switch to RUN position. Measure resistance between harness side of RCM connector C2004, terminal No. 5 (White/Yellow wire) and harness side of RCM connector C2005, terminal No. 2 (Violet/Orange wire, circuit No. 298). See Figure . If resistance is less than 10 k/ohms, repair short to voltage in White/Yellow wire. Go to step  8 . See WIRING DIAGRAMS  . If resistance is more than 10 k/ohms, go to next step.
6. Check right side air bag circuit to seat harness
   
   Disconnect right side air bag module simulator from harness connector. Inspect all crimps, terminals, wires and connectors in circuit No. 1259 (White/Yellow wire) between right side air bag module floor harness connector and RCM connector C2004, terminal No. 5. Inspect all crimps, terminals, wires and connectors in circuit No. 1260 (Brown/Yellow wire) between right side air bag module floor harness connector and RCM connector C2004, terminal No. 6. Also, check for pinched wires and damaged connector terminals. If any damage is found, repair or replace as necessary. Go to step  8 . If no damage is found, replace RCM. Go to step  8 .
7. Check for intermittent fault
   
   Refer to continuous DTCs recorded in step  1 . If DTC retrieved in step  1 was a intermittent fault, check for cause of intermittent short to voltage in White/Yellow and Brown/Yellow wires. See WIRING DIAGRAMS  . Attempt to recreate fault by flexing wire harness and cycling ignition switch frequently. Repair any intermittent problems found. Go to next step. If DTC retrieved in step  1 was not a intermittent fault, go to next step.
8. Check for additional DTCs
   
   Refer to continuous DTCs recorded in step  1 . If any continuous DTCs were retrieved, go to diagnostic trouble code identification table for direction to appropriate test. DO NOT clear any DTCs until all DTCs have been resolved. See DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) IDENTIFICATION  table. If no DTCs were retrieved, reconnect air bag system. Activate air bag system. See ACTIVATING SYSTEM  under DISABLING & ACTIVATING AIR BAG SYSTEM. Clear all DTCs. See CLEARING FAULT CODES  under DIAGNOSTICS.