By iCarsoft Official Store Technical Team, Automotive Diagnostics Editors · Updated October 17, 2026 · Technical sources checked
Quick Answer
In the verified FCA application, B0028-13 identifies an open right-side seat-airbag squib circuit. It does not prove that the passenger side-airbag inflator is defective, the occupancy sensor has failed or B0028 always means low resistance. Save the full OEM record for qualified, VIN-specific SRS diagnosis.
What Does the B0028 Code Mean?
FCA bulletin 10-001-20 explicitly describes full B0028-13 as Right Side Seat Deployment Squib 1 — Circuit Open on its listed applications. The historical Gunson base-code table instead says passenger-side deployment-loop resistance low. The OEM and suffix are essential; a bare B0028 cannot select either electrical branch. The full fault record determines the test branch.
The verified FCA example concerns a front-seat side-airbag deployment circuit. Its seat harness and seat-to-body connections belong to the supervised path, separate from the frontal airbag, roof curtain and occupant-classification functions. A shared warning lamp does not make those systems interchangeable.
The complete -13 code identifies an open branch in that application. It must not be processed as the opposite low-resistance condition because an old base-code table uses that wording. The controller record, installed equipment and current OEM information establish which actual circuit requires qualified diagnosis.
A full B0028-13 in the verified FCA case is an open classification. The older low-resistance base label cannot override that OEM fault type or authorize an opposite diagnostic branch.
FCA 10-001-20 lists 2014–2017 Cherokee and 2015–2017 Chrysler 200 applications with the stated seat-side-airbag equipment. JLR SSM74654, last modified December 6, 2019, separately documents B0028-13 open/high-resistance concerns in a defined 2020 Evoque population. Neither source makes its model list or repair method universal.
JLR's documented example identifies poor front-seat harness terminal tension and warns that whole-harness replacement is not guaranteed to cure it. That supports targeted approved connection diagnosis, not an automatic inflator verdict. The historical message anticipated a later TOPIx update, so current service information must determine today's procedure.
Save the full module wording and suffix before clearing; they can change the test path.
Separate B0028 from adjacent fault families
| Code | General description | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|
| B0028-13, FCA | Right-side seat squib 1 circuit open | Verified full-code application; not low-resistance logic. |
| B0028, legacy | Passenger-side deployment-loop resistance low | Older base-code wording cannot override an OEM suffix. |
| B0020-13, FCA | Left-side seat squib 1 circuit open | The paired left-side channel is separately identified. |
| B0029, legacy | Passenger-side deployment loop open | Older separate base code; do not merge OEM mappings. |
Record the complete B0028 description. The suffix, reporting module and companion faults can change the diagnostic path. Use the manufacturer's full wording and test procedure for the exact vehicle.
B0028 Symptoms and Likely Causes
Record B0028 symptoms and fault status; symptoms alone cannot identify a failed part.
Check whether companion faults share a proven cause.
Record exact wording and status. The warning does not identify which seat-side component has failed.
JLR documents both warning patterns in its defined population. Neither pattern alone isolates the terminal defect.
Keep the actual upholstery, seat or harness work history. Timing can guide qualified inspection without proving causation.
If a lookup says resistance low while the OEM record says -13 open, preserve both and resolve the OEM definition before parts.
Practical cause-checking order
- Full-code interpretation: The older B0028 low-resistance translation can be wrongly applied to an OEM -13 open fault. Verify the full record, module and current code index first.
- Seat-side equipment identity: A seat-side circuit can be confused with a frontal, curtain or occupancy system. Establish the installed equipment and actual connector path from the VIN diagram.
- Connector terminal condition: JLR's specified Evoque example identifies poor terminal tension. That finding requires the current professional inspection and approved repair procedure, not owner-level connector manipulation.
- Specified harness path: A damaged or incorrectly routed seat harness remains a conditional branch. Do not infer a complete harness or inflator failure merely because the code returns with a warning.
- Required configuration: Seat work can require OEM-specific setup and verification. Those requirements belong to the actual application; do not copy another manufacturer's calibration routine as universal.
Did B0028 appear after recent front-seat, upholstery, restraint-harness or collision repair? Recheck the documented connections, parts and setup steps affected by that work. Record battery and software history; a post-repair code does not prove the new part is defective.
How Serious Is B0028, and Can You Drive?
Arrange qualified SRS diagnosis promptly and follow the owner's manual and any VIN-specific do-not-drive recall. Normal operation does not certify crash protection. The code cannot establish restraint availability or a safe driving distance. Stop safely for immediate hazards or abnormal vehicle control.
Record warning messages, operating conditions and service history. Do not induce wheel slip, emergency braking or a handling event on public roads. A red stop warning or abnormal control overrides any verification plan.
Stop and arrange a tow if there is smoke, heat, damaged restraint wiring, an abnormal vehicle-control condition, a deployed restraint after a crash or an owner-manual stop warning.
Do not probe deployment-circuit connectors with a multimeter or test light, install bypass resistors, bridge wires, apply voltage, command deployment or remove an airbag using generic instructions. Do not erase crash data or promise a reset restores protection. Battery isolation, discharge time, handling and reconnection are manufacturer-specific professional procedures.
How to Diagnose B0028 in the Right Order
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Preserve B0028 with its full -13 context
Save the complete SRS report, B0028 suffix, status, warning timing and companion codes before clearing. Record actual seat or upholstery work. Preserve any disagreement between a short scanner label and OEM wording; a base code must not erase the open-versus-low-resistance distinction.
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Identify the seat-side circuit
Use current VIN-specific information to establish side, seat, installed side-airbag equipment and the actual path. For the verified FCA -13 application, use its explicit open-circuit description. Do not confuse that path with a roof curtain, frontal airbag or occupancy sensor. A common lamp or recent seat removal cannot identify the faulty subsystem.
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Check exact bulletin eligibility
Check the precise model, market, equipment or VIN-range conditions before applying FCA 10-001-20 or JLR SSM74654. Use their current superseding service information. The FCA header and supersession dates are inconsistent, and JLR anticipated a later update; neither historical document should be presented as a current repair instruction for all vehicles.
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Require qualified terminal and harness evidence
A qualified SRS technician assesses the specified connections, retention and routing under the exact OEM safety procedure. JLR's terminal-tension example supports careful connection evidence rather than automatic whole-harness replacement. Direct inflator measurements, substitute resistors, live connector experiments and universal battery waiting values are excluded from owner-level troubleshooting.
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Confirm the repair and setup path
Require the proven defect, current OEM-permitted correction and any setup associated with the actual seat work. Do not reproduce harness bypass routing or another manufacturer's configuration routine. An inflator or controller replacement must follow failed-test evidence, not the base B0028 label.
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Complete non-deployment restraint verification
After the proven repair, complete the exact OEM reassembly, required setup and non-deployment SRS verification. Reread every relevant full code and compare the original warning conditions with the final report. Do not use a clear command as certification of inflator condition, and retain any unresolved intermittent limitation instead of declaring protection restored from a clean scan alone.
Specifications are vehicle-specific. Use the exact VIN specifications, approved test points and required operating state. No generic value or drive cycle can replace the applicable procedure. Manufacturer examples here do not establish specifications for other applications.
B0028 Repairs and Cost Planning
A B0028 repair must address the demonstrated failure. Do not replace an assembly from the code alone.
Recheck installation and required setup after repair. Seat-side, curtain and occupancy systems have separate paths and setup requirements. Sharing a warning lamp does not make their components interchangeable.
Ask the shop to name the failed branch and the measurement supporting each proposed repair.
Authorize diagnosis before parts while the cause remains uncertain.
| Possible path | Quote basis |
|---|---|
| Qualified OEM full-code and seat-side circuit diagnosis | VIN-specific quote |
| Proven approved terminal or connector correction | VIN-specific quote |
| Confirmed OEM-permitted harness or restraint repair with required setup | VIN-specific quote |
| Non-deployment SRS prove-out and final full-code report | VIN-specific quote |
These are alternative repair paths, not prices to add together. Request a VIN-specific quote separating diagnosis, parts, labor, fluids, taxes, required setup and verification. Ask which failed test supports the proposed repair and whether warranty coverage applies.
Using iCarsoft CR Eagle P for B0028
On a supported vehicle, iCarsoft CR Eagle P can save accessible faults, available freeze frame, live data and diagnostic reports. Preserve the B0028 evidence before clearing.
Compare the saved and final module records. Scan data supports diagnosis but does not replace the OEM reference, physical measurement or safety-system functional check.
Preserve the OEM-identified right seat-side restraint path evidence
iCarsoft CR Eagle P
Review supported codes and relevant live data together. Confirm the exact VIN, controller access, PIDs with iCarsoft before purchase; generic product capabilities do not guarantee a B0028-specific function.
Check current CR Eagle P price and availabilityCheck CR Eagle P compatibility by VINThe official product page describes supported full-system diagnostics, available live data, freeze frame and diagnostic reports; exact ECU access and non-deployment functions depend on the VIN and software. Confirm the requested function by VIN before purchase. Follow OEM prerequisites and stop for abnormal operation.
Know the measurement boundary. Scan data describes ECU-provided information; it does not directly prove the physical condition of the OEM-identified right seat-side restraint path. Where required, use qualified SRS service equipment and the current OEM non-deployment procedure and compare reported values with the relevant measured evidence.
Verify the B0028 Repair
After repair, verify installation, clearance and required setup. Save the final findings and clear only erasable records as instructed. Battery disconnection is not a repair.
Use the manufacturer's non-deployment post-service restraint checks in a qualified workshop. Compare the original operating state with current data for the OEM-identified right seat-side restraint path, and check current and pending faults in related modules. A clean start or idle period does not prove the repair; use the OEM functional check for the affected system.
Compare the original and final fault status. Record the functional-check result and whether the original event returned.
If B0028 returns, compare its suffix, status, failure order and operating conditions with the saved baseline before replacing another part. Revisit the failed branch and inspect anything disturbed. Confirm the prescribed affected-system functional verification separately from code clearing.
Verification follows the system involved. After saving the original evidence, use the OEM procedure to clear erasable records, complete any required calibration or functional check, and compare the final module status with the original warning and fault conditions.
Related OEM-Identified Right Seat-Side Restraint Path Code Guides
Compare the related monitor families below. Shared symptoms or components do not make their repair procedures interchangeable.
B0028 Frequently Asked Questions
Why does B0028-13 say open when an old lookup says low resistance?
The old base-code table and the verified OEM full-code application use different mappings. FCA explicitly defines B0028-13 as an open right-side seat squib circuit on its listed vehicles. Use the OEM descriptor and suffix before qualified diagnosis; do not apply the opposite low-resistance branch.
What should I check first for B0028?
Save every module's codes and freeze frame before clearing. Confirm the full definition, suffix and VIN architecture. Then inspect recent front-seat, upholstery, restraint-harness or collision repair, connectors and shared supplies. Those facts determine whether the next test needs qualified SRS service equipment and the current OEM non-deployment procedure or a qualified non-deployment restraint procedure.
Can I drive with the B0028 code?
Arrange qualified SRS diagnosis promptly and follow the owner's manual and any VIN-specific do-not-drive recall. Normal operation does not certify crash protection. The code cannot establish restraint availability or a safe driving distance. Stop safely for immediate hazards or abnormal vehicle control.
Why did B0028 return after a part was replaced?
A returning code after airbag or whole-harness replacement may leave the terminal defect or required configuration unresolved. Compare the full status and original event; an installed new assembly is not itself evidence that the path is healthy.
What should a B0028 repair estimate include?
Ask for the failed-test evidence and a VIN-specific breakdown of diagnosis, parts, labor, taxes, required setup and verification. A code alone cannot establish the repair price.
Can CR Eagle P diagnose and clear B0028?
On a supported vehicle, CR Eagle P can organize available faults, freeze frame, live data and reports, and can clear erasable records after repair. Confirm exact ECU coverage. It must not be used to deploy, bypass or erase crash data and cannot replace the qualified OEM procedure for the OEM-identified right seat-side restraint path.
The iCarsoft Official Store Technical Team maintains the store's fault-code library. This guide organizes published technical references and verified product information; it does not document a hands-on test of a particular vehicle or claim an individual engineer's review.
Technical and cost references
- FCA 10-001-20 — Airbag Warning Lamp Illuminated B0028-13 and B0020-13. Displayed October 17, 2020; exact listed seat-side application and -13 open definition only. Header/supersession dates conflict; use current OEM procedure.
- JLR SSM74654 — L551 20MY Airbag Warning Light, B0020-13/B0028-13 Open Circuit. Last modified December 6, 2019; specified Evoque VIN range and terminal-tension example. Historical source, not a universal repair.
- Gunson Instruction 77031 — EOBDII Fault Code Reader, Standard B-code table. Undated legacy wording: B0028 passenger-side loop resistance low. Not current SAE authority and not the verified -13 definition.
Product information: Official iCarsoft CR Eagle P page.
Editorial note: General diagnostic education, not a substitute for the owner's manual, current VIN-specific service information or professional inspection. Test limits, procedures, coverage and costs vary. Related articles provide context; apply only the specifications and repair procedures that match the vehicle. No universal failure rate, repair price or outcome is implied.
