Module - Occupant Restraint Controller: Removal

WARNING: To avoid personal injury or death, on vehicles equipped with airbags, disable the supplemental restraint system before attempting any steering wheel, steering column, airbag, occupant classification system, seat belt tensioner, impact sensor, or instrument panel component diagnosis or service. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative (ground) cable, then wait two minutes for the system capacitor to discharge before performing further diagnosis or service. This is the only sure way to disable the supplemental restraint system. Failure to take the proper precautions could result in accidental airbag deployment.

WARNING: To avoid personal injury or death, never strike or drop the occupant restraint controller, as it can damage the impact sensor or affect its calibration. The occupant restraint controller contains the impact sensor, which enables the system to deploy the supplemental restraints. If an occupant restraint controller is accidentally dropped during service, the module must be scrapped and replaced with a new unit. Failure to observe this warning could result in accidental, incomplete, or improper supplemental restraint deployment.

CAUTION: On vehicles equipped with the Occupant Classification System (OCS), never replace both the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) and the Occupant Classification Module (OCM) at the same time. If both require replacement, replace one. Then perform the supplemental restraint verification test before replacing the other. Both the ORC and the OCM store OCS calibration data, which they transfer to one another when one of them is replaced. If both are replaced at the same time, an irreversible fault will be set in both modules.

Fig 1: Removing Occupant Restraint Controller

Courtesy of MITSUBISHI MOTOR SALES OF AMERICA.

1. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative cable. Wait two minutes for the system capacitor to discharge before further service.
2. Disconnect the instrument panel (1) and body (3) wire harness connectors from the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) (2) connector receptacles located on the left facing side of the module. To disconnect the connectors from the ORC:
   1. Slide the red Connector Position Assurance (CPA) lock on the top of the connector toward the left side of the vehicle.
   2. Depress the edge of the CPA lock closest to the ORC to release the connector latch tab and pull the connector straight away from the ORC connector receptacle.
3. Remove the instrument panel from the vehicle. (Refer to REMOVAL ).
4. Remove the floor distribution duct from the bottom of the heater-air conditioner housing. (Refer to REMOVAL ).
   Fig 2: Removing Three Nuts Securing ORC

   Courtesy of MITSUBISHI MOTOR SALES OF AMERICA.
5. Remove the three nuts (2) that secure the ORC (1) to the studs of the ORC mount (4) welded onto the top of the floor panel transmission tunnel (3).
6. Remove the ORC from the ORC mount.