Horn does not work-Help
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Joined: Apr 2008
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From: Drummonds TN
Horn does not work-Help
The horn on my 78 worked at one time but became sproatic and finally quit. I installed a rebuild kit from Ecklers and the horn still does not work. Circuit Breaker is fine. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Bob
Thanks,
Bob
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2003
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From: Fernandina Beach FL
2023 Restomod of the Year finalist
2020 C3 of the Year Winner - Modified
You've really got 3 parts of a system for the horn.
Horn button at the steering wheel- that when the button is pushed will show a ground. The relay-that takes the ground and hooks the horns directly to battery +12 . Then you have the horns themselves.
Troubleshooting-
Make sure your horns actually work- Test them and make sure wire is good from the relay by putting 12 volts to them-should sound.
Make sure the relay is switching -put a volt meter on the wire leading to the horns (Might be green wire-thats the color on C2 and early C3's) I'm betting this is your problem-You might see 8-9 volts. The contacts get corroded.
Then lastly check and make sure you're getting a ground through the horn button you rebuilt.
Richard
Horn button at the steering wheel- that when the button is pushed will show a ground. The relay-that takes the ground and hooks the horns directly to battery +12 . Then you have the horns themselves.
Troubleshooting-
Make sure your horns actually work- Test them and make sure wire is good from the relay by putting 12 volts to them-should sound.
Make sure the relay is switching -put a volt meter on the wire leading to the horns (Might be green wire-thats the color on C2 and early C3's) I'm betting this is your problem-You might see 8-9 volts. The contacts get corroded.
Then lastly check and make sure you're getting a ground through the horn button you rebuilt.
Richard
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 22,183
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From: Kannapolis NC
Find the horn relay near the fuse box. Ground the black wire in the connector coming out of the relay. If the horn blows, the relay, horns, grounds, and wiring are good and the problem is in the steering wheel contacts. If it does not blow when you ground the black wire, short the red and green wires together, if it now blows, the relay is bad. (If you have 12 volts on the red wire). In the steering wheel, the rebuild kit must be in correctly, there's a spring with a contact on the end that touches a metal ell shaped projection that is part of the contact ring. That is what grounds the black wire in the steering wheel when you push the horn button. Post back after you've tried the horn relay troubleshooting. You can buy a horn relay at O'reilly's for about $5.
Don't forget to eliminate the horns, too. As said above, run 12 volts to the horn contacts at the horn. The horns have to be grounded good, too. I had two bad ones on my 78, they were stuck and would only click a little. I bought an A note and a C note from O'reilly's for $10 bucks apiece that sound good.
Don't forget to eliminate the horns, too. As said above, run 12 volts to the horn contacts at the horn. The horns have to be grounded good, too. I had two bad ones on my 78, they were stuck and would only click a little. I bought an A note and a C note from O'reilly's for $10 bucks apiece that sound good.
Last edited by 65GGvert; Sep 27, 2008 at 05:03 PM.
