Possible Causes

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

1. Check for hard or intermittent DTCs
   
   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 DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTCS)  under DIAGNOSTICS. Clear continuous DTCs. See CLEARING FAULT CODES  under DIAGNOSTICS. Perform on-demand self-test. See ON-DEMAND SELF-TEST  under DIAGNOSTICS. If DTC B1997 was retrieved during on-demand self-test, fault is hard. Go to next step. If DTC B1997 was not retrieved, fault is intermittent. Go to step  6 .
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 B1997 is retrieved, go to step  4 . If DTC B1997 is not retrieved, go to next step.
   NOTE: Due to shorting bar, short to ground can exist in either circuit.
3. Check right side air bag module circuits for short to ground
   
   Turn ignition switch to OFF position. Access right side air bag module and disconnect harness connector from module. See SIDE AIR BAG MODULE  under REMOVAL & INSTALLATION. Disconnect right side air bag simulator from harness connector. Position right front seat in vehicle. DO NOT activate air bag system at this time. Connect right front seat floor harness connectors. Access RCM and disconnect both harness connectors. See RESTRAINTS CONTROL MODULE (RCM)  under REMOVAL & INSTALLATION. Measure resistance between ground and harness side of RCM connector C2041B, terminal No. 5 (White/Yellow wire). See Figure . Measure resistance between ground and harness side of RCM connector C2041B, terminal No. 6 (Brown/Yellow wire). If resistance is more than 10 k/ohms in both circuits, replace right side air bag module. Go to step  7 . If resistance is less than 10 k/ohms in either circuit, repair short to ground in appropriate wire. See WIRING DIAGRAMS  . Go to step  7 .
   NOTE: Due to shorting bar, short to ground can exist in either circuit.
4. Check right side air bag seat wiring harness
   
   Turn ignition switch to OFF position. Access RCM and disconnect both harness connectors. See RESTRAINTS CONTROL MODULE (RCM)  under REMOVAL & INSTALLATION. Disconnect right side air bag simulator from harness connector. Measure resistance between ground and harness side of RCM connector C2041B, terminal No. 5 (White/Yellow wire). See Figure . Measure resistance between ground and harness side of RCM connector C2041B, terminal No. 6 (Brown/Yellow wire). If resistance is more than 10 k/ohms in both circuits, go to next step. If resistance is less than 10 k/ohms in either circuit, repair short to ground in appropriate wire. See WIRING DIAGRAMS  . Go to step  7 .
5. Inspect right side air bag seat wiring harness
   
   Inspect all crimps, terminals, wires and connectors in circuit No. 1259 (White/Yellow wire) between right side air bag floor harness connector and RCM connector C2041B, terminal No. 5. Inspect all crimps, terminals, wires and connectors in circuit No. 1260 (Brown/Yellow wire) between right side air bag floor harness connector and RCM connector C2041B, terminal No. 6. Check for pinched wires and damaged connector pin terminals. If any damage is found, repair as necessary. Go to step  7 . If no damage is found, replace RCM. Go to step  7 .
6. Check for intermittent fault
   
   If DTC retrieved in step  1 was an intermittent fault, check for cause of intermittent short to ground in White/Light Blue 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 an intermittent fault, go to next step.
7. 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. See DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) IDENTIFICATION  table. DO NOT clear any DTCs until all DTCs have been resolved. 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.