B176A-00

This DTC indicates the airbag control unit (SRS ECU) detects a 0-ohm resistance in the left rear seatbelt pretensioner circuit, indicating a Short to Ground fault — Atto 8

Safety System

This DTC indicates the airbag control unit (SRS ECU) detects a 0-ohm resistance in the left rear seatbelt pretensioner circuit, indicating a Short to Ground fault.

As a pyrotechnic actuator, the pretensioner normally has a resistance of 2.0Ω-3.0Ω (depending on the vehicle model, typically 2.2Ω±0.3Ω).

A 0-ohm resistance means current returns directly to ground without passing through the load.

The SRS system identifies the pretensioner circuit as faulty.

During a collision, the pretensioner may fail to activate and tighten the seatbelt, severely compromising occupant protection.

This is a hard fault.

Once confirmed, the system continuously illuminates the airbag warning light.

Disconnecting the power usually fails to clear this fault.

4
Cases Logged
BYD DTC AI Analysis

Seat track pinch caused wiring harness short circuit

A 2017 Qin EV300 had the SRS warning light on constantly. DTC B176A-00 stored. Inspection found the left rear seat had been removed; the floor harness was routed off-spec and trapped under the seat slide rail. Long-term seat movement wore through the insulation, exposing copper and shorting to ground. Removing the seat revealed crush marks and chafed insulation on the harness. Repair: Cut out the damaged section, soldered the wires and insulated with heat-shrink tubing, then re-routed and secured the harness to spec with >20mm clearance from the seat rails. Fault resolved.
BYD DTC AI Analysis

Water ingress in the rear seat area caused connector corrosion and short circuit.

2018 BYD Qin EV450. After driving in rain, the dashboard displayed an airbag fault. Scan tool retrieved DTC B176A-00. Found water and green corrosion inside the left rear seatbelt pretensioner connector (yellow plug) beneath the left rear seat. The owner confirmed the vehicle had been driven through water up to sill level. Water seeped through the floor into the connector, shorting the pretensioner circuit pins. Fix: Thoroughly cleaned the connector with electronic cleaner, blew it dry, and applied precision instrument grease to the pins. Measured pretensioner resistance at 2.1Ω (normal). Cleared the fault codes and the system returned to normal. Also inspected and cleared the drain holes to prevent further water ingress.
BYD DTC AI Analysis

Replace pretensioner assembly due to internal fault

A 2017 BYD Qin 100 with no accident history suddenly illuminated the SRS warning light. Diagnosis revealed DTC B176A-00. Disconnecting the pretensioner connector, we measured 0.2Ω across the pretensioner (near short) against a normal ~2.3Ω. The harness side showed good insulation to ground. Diagnosed as internal pyrotechnic squib short. Replaced the left rear seatbelt assembly (includes pretensioner). Recorded the old part serial number—pretensioners are safety-critical components. Configured the SRS system with the new pretensioner parameters using a diagnostic tool, cleared the fault codes, and road-tested to verify.
BYD DTC AI Analysis

Airbag control module software fault causing false fault codes

A 2017 BYD Qin 80 had an intermittent SRS warning light. Retrieved DTC B176A-00, but measured the pretensioner resistance at 2.2Ω (normal) and found no harness faults. Wiggling the harness wouldn't reproduce the fault, and the light returned several days after clearing the code. The BYD technical bulletin shows this production batch has an SRS ECU software bug that falsely detects pretensioner short circuits during specific temperature or voltage fluctuations. Fix: Updated the airbag control unit software to V2.3 or above. Fault hasn't returned since. Rule out hardware issues before investigating software faults like this.
Data confidence: Community This information is for reference only. Always consult a qualified technician for diagnosis and repair. Do not attempt high-voltage system repairs yourself.