Tally Ho

The horn in my 82 does not work when pressing the horn button on the steering wheel. The horns will activate if the alarm goes off. The fuse is new. Is there a way to test the contacts under the horn button (cap)? Would the horns work at all if the horn relay is bad? As I stated, the horns will work if the alarm is activated. Thanks.

jnb5101

rust forms between the two pieces(plates) of steel that are held together by the plastic rivets. this prevents current flow. test the circuit by grouding the horn contact button(the spring loaded cylinder that the horn contact finger pushes against) and see if that sounds the horn. if the horn sounds, it's a bad contact. remove the rivets and wire brush, or buy a new one.

Jim Shea

This paper is pretty good at explaining how the horn works along with diagnostics.

http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/wp-co...osis13JN06.doc

This picture is very accurate as to your steering wheel and horn parts.
http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/wp-co...sRev08AU04.doc

Jim

Tally Ho

Jim - I just wanted to thank you for the link on the parts breakdown and assembly. It was one valuable piece of paper this evening. I bought a new horn kit from Corvette Central and installed it this evening. The contact pin that fits in the spring was missing. The other pieces were pretty rusty as well. Everything is new inside and I now have a fully operational horn. Thanks again for your help.

DZRick

What program do I need to view these documents, Jim?

While removing my wheel the spring and all the parts shot out at me and I think I reinstalled them incorrectly. The horn doesn't work now and the car needs an inspection by the end of the month.

Jim Shea

Those papers are posted in Microsoft Word. I just have been way too busy to update my papers to pdf format. Sorry.

BTW, the small spring (similar to a ball point pen spring) goes into the horn tower first. Then the plunger (aka eyelet, that looks like a small blunt nail) with the upset end first against the spring. Then the plastic bushing (aka insulator). That bushing is either a press fit to the plastic horn tower or the tower will have a channel and the bushing may have a tab that cams into the channel.

Some kits come with an eyelet that is too long and you are expected to cut the pin to length. You want the eyelet to be spring loaded against a leg on the underside of the upper horn contact #7. It should always be in contact with the leg but not "crushing" the spring.


You can see the spring #2, eyelet #3, and insulator #4 in the above picture.
Jim

DZRick

Thanks Jim, mine is a '68 but I assume those three pieces are the same?
I just hope I found all three after they sprang out at me or that I can find the third piece. I only remember two.

DZRick

Just wanted to say thank you again Jim, I just put it back together correctly and have a working horn again.