Flashing airbag light on 2010 Platinum

[KSICTArmada]

For no obvious reason, the airbag light on the instrument cluster started flashing. I have tried the reset procedure several times, but the light starts flashing again moments later. I hooked up an OBD2 scanner today and it shows a B1049 fault code. For reference, all of the buttons on the steering wheel, and the horn, work fine. What, exactly, does that mean, and how is that fixed? Estimated cost to repair?

[VStar650CL]

When spiral cables crap out, they usually fail gradually one conductor at a time. There's a remote possibility the bag or other wiring besides the cable is causing the code, but the spiral is very probably your culprit. I've seen exactly one driver's bag code in the last 12 years which wasn't caused by a bad spiral or somebody pinching a wire during repair. Since you didn't mention anybody working on it, I'd say the spiral is a 99.9% proposition.

[Podrius]

The same issue was experienced on my 2010 qx56. Sprial cable was the culprit. Symptoms included the flashing airbag light you are describing but also my cruise control indicator was also flashing and not responding to button selections on the wheel to engage it.

Decided to replace the entire multi-function switch which not only comes with a new spiral cable + steering position sensor but also new switch levers/light controls/wiper controls.

What I failed to notice in the service manual is that this will also need to be "re-programmed" to allow for the new parts to talk with the existing BCM/ECM. This includes steering position neutral-position recalibration and calibration of the Decel G sensor using a "Consult-III" device which the dealer/service department has access to.

Total cost to fix: $447.89 + about 30 minutes of my time to physically swap out the multi-function switch
1. multi-function switch = $327.89 USD
2. Reprogram with a Nissan/Infiniti Consult device = $120 USD by the dealer

[VStar650CL]

On the older Armada/QX56's, the Steering Angle Sensor (SAS) is detachable from the clockspring and switches. It's the only portion which needs any calibration, the clockspring and switches are dumbware. So the best advice is, don't replace the SAS if it isn't broke. Tran-sfer your old SAS to the new clockspring and save the new SAS for a rainy day. They do fail occasionally and they're hideously expensive to buy alone (more than the whole combination assembly), so you don't want to trash it. Nonetheless, only if you need a new SAS do you need to do any programming. If your old SAS is good, leave it alone and save the dealer fee.

[VStar650CL]

PS - It's actually the ABS (and ADAS if equipped) which SAS talks to on most models, and calibration is almost always done as a subset of ABS work support. Generally the ECM and BCM don't hear from it at all, simply because they don't need to.