IrishJoker

I wrote a thread on this a few weeks ago when it started. But to refresh your collective memories here is a recap:

1. The battery died.
2. Then the Alternator died
3. Replaced the alternator and battery.
4. Horn now continuously blows.
5. Replaced the Horn relay (this last Saturday) - had to remove the drivers seat and air duct to get both my hands on the realy which on an 81 is located above the fuse block.
6. Reconnected the battery.
7. Horn still sounds off.

OK I will fess up - When I initially went to start the Vette is had now power. I know how to jump start a car - I've done it enough over the last 25 years to check and double check the connections. However - knowing something and doing something are two different things - I confess I could have hooked the leads up wrong on the Vette. I Thought I had the Positive contact at the battery and then looked for a place to ground on the engine block. Where I found was across the top of the Alternator to the engine lift ring. The negative connector could have slipped after I made the connection and touched the Alternator.
I am thinking since the alternator started smoking that I shorted it out. - I replaced the the battery and alternator - and now she fires right up but the DARN HORNS WON'T STOP BLOWING!!

If I shorted the Alternator out I would have thought that I would have had a lot of fuses blown - in actuality I have none. Could I have made a wrong connection with all those wires at the alternator and be causing a short?

There are a couple of gray wires at the alternator and again at the battery - what do they go to? I'll take some pictures of what I am talking about when I get home from work.

I have tried to track down the horn wires from the relay but I can't see where they come out of the firewall. I am not an electrical engineer and wiring diagrams give me a headache, but if anyone has some diagnostic solutions I would be grateful.

tracdogg2

Unplug the turn signal switch under the column. If it stops blowing you have a short in the column. If it still blows you have a short to power under the hood. There shouldn't be any gray wires on the alt.
Mike

IrishJoker

I put everything back on the alternator that came off - that included these mysterious "GRAY wires.

OK I've never done anything with the colum wiring before - what am I looking for to unplug?

Oh wait is it that big connector sometimes called the accordion connector? is the horn wired through that as well?

...Roger...

Yes the horn goes through there---long flat plug with about 12 wires

IrishJoker

Thanks much - that will at least tell me if the problem is in the column or under the hood.

...Roger...

If doing what tracdog doesnt work then you could have fried the theft deterant module.I think on yours its in the compartment with the jack its got a connector with about 10 wires going to it.Unplug that and see if it stops the horn--that is one more source for a ground for the horn relay.

chevygod

Is your car a tilt/tele? If so, there is a plastic retainer/isolator on the steering shaft you can find when the wheel has been pulled. The assist spring on the wheel for the tele sits on this retainer, and this spring also is part of the current flow for the horn. This failed on the TT column in my Monte Carlo (don't ask) and the horn would intermittantly come on or not work, until one day it worked all the time. Replaced the retainer, horn functions as it should.

Good luck,
Tom