1998 LeSabre; hoping Bonnie is similar enough to get an answer to my question...

My airbag light stays on intermittently. I want to check the connection at the airbag module located under the front passenger seat.

FSM says I have to remove the seat, the carpet, and the underlayment to get to the module. Is this really true? Might I be able to access the module (or at least just the connector) without removing the seat?

The manual would be correct on that location. It'* doubtful that you could reach it without removing the seat.

You'll have to remove the seat. No other way. You'll find corrosion on the connector when you get to it. Hopefully, cleaning that up will solve your problem. That'* the dumbest place to put that stupid thing. We've had a member that had airbags deploy due to that corrosion.

Disconnect the battery before you even begin to remove the seat. Don't even breathe on it with the battery connected.

Yep...... it'* at the lowest part of the floor pan where all the water is going to run to when your car develops a leak. :?

And as the Brothers Bill have stated, there'* no way around removing the seat, carpet, and matting. Been there a couple of months ago...... never would have thought that would be where GM would have put something that important.

Ressurecting an old thread as a follow-up:

Finally got around to fixing my airbag intermittent light problem yesterday.

FSM said that disabling SIR system is as easy as: pull fuse, drop shields under dash, and unhook both airbag harnesses. Did that, and didn't have any later deployment problems.

Fiddled with yellow connector from sensor to brain unit (yellow connector tucked behind PCM) to ensure good connection.

Then unbolted front passenger seat. Didn't have a torx big enough to undo the "load rail" (long rail connected at same point as middle seat belt), but luckily I could just pivot the whole front seat upwards and backwards and lay it in the rear footwell without undoing that torx.

Removed trim, pulled up carpet and underlayment, and there was the brain unit. Luckily, no moisture or rust at all on floorpan or module. Made sure that connection was good and tight, then reattached the seats, reconnected the airbags, then replaced the dash trim and put the fuse back in.

None of the connections seemed loose, but at least one must have been, because the light hasn't come on again since.

Entire operation took about 90 minutes (including oxi-clean-ing some coffee stains under the seats!)

LOL coffee stains...

The torx bolt you encountered was for the seatbelt. IIRC it'* a T47, oddball GM size.