How do I fix this?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 344
Likes: 122
How do I fix this?
Just finished replacing all of the wiring harness installation in my '61. Everything is perfect with one exception. I installed the steering wheel without the horn assembly on and when I went to move it out of the garage the horns intermittently honked as i turned the steering wheel. Pulled the steering wheel and disconnected the horns. When I lightly push the end of the steering shaft diagonally towards the mast jacket and against the top mast jacket bearing the horn relay engages so if they were hooked up the horns would honk. The mast jacket top bearing is new as is the wiring harness it's connected to. I pulled the hub and removed the turn signal loom from the mast jacket along with the lead from the top mast jacket bearing. Reconnected the horn lead to the mast jacket bearing wire outside of the mast jacket and lightly pushed on the end of the steering shaft and once again the horn relay engaged.
Anybody have an idea of what's causing this and how to fix it? Thanks in advance.
Anybody have an idea of what's causing this and how to fix it? Thanks in advance.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 7,463
Likes: 2,643
From: Really Central IL Illinois
I am not a C1 guy.
Anyway, I don't have a wiring schematic to find out what hot wire feeds the horn button from the relay (I think). I am pretty sure it is hot and unfused, so I would disconnect the battery until one of the electrical gurus wake up from their nap. You don't want to burn up the new harness nor the car. If you can post a schematic, I can read most of them and give you an idea about which wire that feeds the horn button to disconnect. The proper fix is to disassemble the column again and hook it up properly in there.
I am sure one of the experts will chime in once they are well rested.
Ron
Anyway, I don't have a wiring schematic to find out what hot wire feeds the horn button from the relay (I think). I am pretty sure it is hot and unfused, so I would disconnect the battery until one of the electrical gurus wake up from their nap. You don't want to burn up the new harness nor the car. If you can post a schematic, I can read most of them and give you an idea about which wire that feeds the horn button to disconnect. The proper fix is to disassemble the column again and hook it up properly in there.
I am sure one of the experts will chime in once they are well rested.
Ron
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 7,359
Likes: 871
From: Norcal CA
2018 C1 of Year Finalist
Shim it with a piece of paper. Seriously, I had this problem and figured out that the contact was touching on one side. I tried bending the contact but reinstalling the horn would cause it to contact. If that sounds similar. Somewhere its grounding out causing the connection. In my case it was at the horn contact where the horn button fits inside.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,214
Likes: 447
From: NJ Hockey beer league
The black horn wire that should run INSIDE the mast tube and be attached to the upper bearing assembly completes the horn circuit when it touches ground, the turn signal wires have nothing to do with it. It seems you have a short to ground which is causing the horn to blow. Did you attach the black wire in the correct position on the new bearing? Did it get pinched in the tube?
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 2,743
Likes: 146
From: Chuckanut WA
OK I'll take a stab at it,
A tan wire from your horn relay connects to a black pigtail connected to your upper mast bearing assembly. The horn button spring ring completes the circuit to ground when you push the button.The upper bearing contact ring must be insulated from the mast housing and the upper mast bearing, If sideways pressure on the steering shaft causes the horn to sound then a the insulation between contact ring, mast housing, and or upper bearing is compromised. With contact ring lead wire disconnected at harness and upper bearing assembly installed, take an ohm meter and touch one lead to the contact ring and other to steering shaft and you should not get continuity between the two, Now put sideways pressure on steering shaft and see if you get continuity. Repeat with one probe on contact ring and one on mast jacket.
If in either case you have continuity between the contact ring and either the steering shaft or mast housing then they are not properly insulated from the contact ring assembly,
Hope that helps you to troubleshoot the problem.
A tan wire from your horn relay connects to a black pigtail connected to your upper mast bearing assembly. The horn button spring ring completes the circuit to ground when you push the button.The upper bearing contact ring must be insulated from the mast housing and the upper mast bearing, If sideways pressure on the steering shaft causes the horn to sound then a the insulation between contact ring, mast housing, and or upper bearing is compromised. With contact ring lead wire disconnected at harness and upper bearing assembly installed, take an ohm meter and touch one lead to the contact ring and other to steering shaft and you should not get continuity between the two, Now put sideways pressure on steering shaft and see if you get continuity. Repeat with one probe on contact ring and one on mast jacket.
If in either case you have continuity between the contact ring and either the steering shaft or mast housing then they are not properly insulated from the contact ring assembly,
Hope that helps you to troubleshoot the problem.
Last edited by K2; Dec 15, 2019 at 01:53 AM.
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