B1016 — 10 documented meanings by make

B1016 does not mean the same thing on every car — manufacturers reuse the number for different faults. 10 makes document it: Chevrolet (USA), Chrysler, Ford, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Opel / Vauxhall, Saab, Subaru, Suzuki. Find your make below.

B1016 on Chevrolet (USA)

On Chevrolet (USA) vehicles B1016 is documented as: Passenger's deployment loop, low resistance. B1016 is stored when the ECU sees signal too low on airbag / restraint system. That describes how the circuit is behaving, not which part has failed — the wiring, the connector and the component itself can all produce it, which is why the checks below start with the cheapest.

Usually one of: High resistance in the supply or ground path, dragging the signal down; Corroded connector adding resistance the module reads as a low reading; Sensor drifted out of tolerance with age; Partial short to ground somewhere in the signal line.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. Read the live value on a scanner and compare with a known-good reading
2. Clean and re-seat the connector, then re-test before replacing anything
3. Check the ground point for that circuit — a poor ground causes this far more often than a bad sensor
4. Measure the sensor against specification with the connector back-probed
5. Replace the sensor only once the wiring and ground have been ruled out

Related Chevrolet (USA) codes:

B1016 on Chrysler

On Chrysler vehicles B1016 is documented as: Rear defroster switch request input circuit low. B1016 is stored when the ECU sees signal too low on the circuit named in the code (rear). That describes how the circuit is behaving, not which part has failed — the wiring, the connector and the component itself can all produce it, which is why the checks below start with the cheapest.

Usually one of: High resistance in the supply or ground path, dragging the signal down; Corroded connector adding resistance the module reads as a low reading; Sensor drifted out of tolerance with age; Partial short to ground somewhere in the signal line.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. Read the live value on a scanner and compare with a known-good reading
2. Clean and re-seat the connector, then re-test before replacing anything
3. Check the ground point for that circuit — a poor ground causes this far more often than a bad sensor
4. Measure the sensor against specification with the connector back-probed
5. Replace the sensor only once the wiring and ground have been ruled out

Related Chrysler codes:

B1016 on Ford, Mazda

On Ford, Mazda vehicles B1016 is documented as: Jump start control module fault. B1016 is stored when the ECU sees malfunction on control module. That describes how the circuit is behaving, not which part has failed — the wiring, the connector and the component itself can all produce it, which is why the checks below start with the cheapest.

Usually one of: Wiring or connector fault in the circuit; Component failed electrically; Supply or ground problem feeding the circuit; Controlling module fault, though this is the least common of the four.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. Read all stored codes — a general fault code is often the symptom of a more specific one
2. Inspect the connector and wiring for the named component
3. Check supply and ground at the component
4. Measure the component against specification
5. Replace the component once wiring and supply are ruled out

Related Ford, Mazda codes:

B1016 on Mercedes-Benz

On Mercedes-Benz vehicles B1016 is documented as: EIS no enable from control module EWM (electronic selector lever module). B1016 points at control module. The standard definition names the system involved; which part inside it has actually failed is what the checks below establish, cheapest first.

Related Mercedes-Benz codes:

B1016 on Mitsubishi

On Mitsubishi vehicles B1016 is documented as: Heater water temperature sensor low. B1016 is stored when the ECU sees signal too low on the circuit named in the code. That describes how the circuit is behaving, not which part has failed — the wiring, the connector and the component itself can all produce it, which is why the checks below start with the cheapest.

Usually one of: High resistance in the supply or ground path, dragging the signal down; Corroded connector adding resistance the module reads as a low reading; Sensor drifted out of tolerance with age; Partial short to ground somewhere in the signal line.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. Read the live value on a scanner and compare with a known-good reading
2. Clean and re-seat the connector, then re-test before replacing anything
3. Check the ground point for that circuit — a poor ground causes this far more often than a bad sensor
4. Measure the sensor against specification with the connector back-probed
5. Replace the sensor only once the wiring and ground have been ruled out

Related Mitsubishi codes:

B1016 on Opel / Vauxhall

On Opel / Vauxhall vehicles B1016 is documented as: Vehicle identification number not programmed; Passenger's airbag squib circuit, low resistance. B1016 is stored when the ECU sees not configured on the circuit named in the code. That describes how the circuit is behaving, not which part has failed — the wiring, the connector and the component itself can all produce it, which is why the checks below start with the cheapest.

Usually one of: Replacement module fitted but never coded to the car; Configuration lost after a battery or software event; Wrong part number for this vehicle specification; Adaptation or learning procedure not carried out after a repair.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. This is a coding fault, not a broken part — do not replace anything yet
2. Confirm the fitted module part number matches the vehicle specification
3. Run the coding or adaptation procedure with equipment that supports this brand
4. Re-check for the code after the adaptation completes

Related Opel / Vauxhall codes:

B1016 on Saab

On Saab vehicles B1016 is documented as: Control module not added. B1016 is stored when the ECU sees not configured on control module. That describes how the circuit is behaving, not which part has failed — the wiring, the connector and the component itself can all produce it, which is why the checks below start with the cheapest.

Usually one of: Replacement module fitted but never coded to the car; Configuration lost after a battery or software event; Wrong part number for this vehicle specification; Adaptation or learning procedure not carried out after a repair.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. This is a coding fault, not a broken part — do not replace anything yet
2. Confirm the fitted module part number matches the vehicle specification
3. Run the coding or adaptation procedure with equipment that supports this brand
4. Re-check for the code after the adaptation completes

Related Saab codes:

B1016 on Subaru

On Subaru vehicles B1016 is documented as: Passenger's airbag, low resistance. B1016 is stored when the ECU sees signal too low on airbag / restraint system. That describes how the circuit is behaving, not which part has failed — the wiring, the connector and the component itself can all produce it, which is why the checks below start with the cheapest.

Usually one of: High resistance in the supply or ground path, dragging the signal down; Corroded connector adding resistance the module reads as a low reading; Sensor drifted out of tolerance with age; Partial short to ground somewhere in the signal line.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. Read the live value on a scanner and compare with a known-good reading
2. Clean and re-seat the connector, then re-test before replacing anything
3. Check the ground point for that circuit — a poor ground causes this far more often than a bad sensor
4. Measure the sensor against specification with the connector back-probed
5. Replace the sensor only once the wiring and ground have been ruled out

Related Subaru codes:

B1016 on Suzuki

On Suzuki vehicles B1016 is documented as: Passenger's airbag initiator circuit, low resistance or power source voltage too high. B1016 is stored when the ECU sees signal too low on airbag / restraint system. That describes how the circuit is behaving, not which part has failed — the wiring, the connector and the component itself can all produce it, which is why the checks below start with the cheapest.

Usually one of: High resistance in the supply or ground path, dragging the signal down; Corroded connector adding resistance the module reads as a low reading; Sensor drifted out of tolerance with age; Partial short to ground somewhere in the signal line.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. Read the live value on a scanner and compare with a known-good reading
2. Clean and re-seat the connector, then re-test before replacing anything
3. Check the ground point for that circuit — a poor ground causes this far more often than a bad sensor
4. Measure the sensor against specification with the connector back-probed
5. Replace the sensor only once the wiring and ground have been ruled out

Related Suzuki codes:

Which one is yours

A generic OBD reader gives you the number, not which of these meanings your manufacturer assigned to it. To get to the specific one:

1. Use a brand-specific scanner — VCDS for VAG, INPA or ISTA for BMW, XENTRY for Mercedes, Forscan for Ford. It shows the manufacturer's own text rather than the generic one.
2. Read all stored codes together — the neighbouring ones usually point at which system is involved and narrow the list.
3. Check freeze-frame data: the RPM, temperature and load at the moment it triggered indicate which system was active.
4. If you have no brand scanner, tell me the make and model below and I will tell you which of these applies to your car.

Code family

B1xxx is body systems, manufacturer-specific.

Severity

Manufacturer-specific body system — needs a brand scanner to read the actual cause.

That is what holds for B1016 in general. From here it depends on your engine — tell me which car it is and what it does, and I will give you the steps for it: real procedures, torque figures and diagrams instead of general advice.