DorianC3

Gentlemen.

I need a hand here for something as silly as a horn circuit.

My horn button was “flat”. I stripped the steering column down to find that the lower contact tube was broken and needed to be replaced. I did that. I installed a new contact button. I put the assembly back together and bench tested and continuity never breaks.

Correct me if I’m wrong but: if the horn contact plunger is up, shouldn’t there be interruption of continuity?

Once the contact plunger is fully depressed, shouldn’t there be continuity only then?

I’m getting continuity all the time, even when the plunder is up.

Isn’t the current traveling though the spring ?

DorianC3

I set it up like this.

NeverTooOld

The "button" you are referring to is supposed to have continuous contact and the current DOES pass through the spring like you are assuming. But the ground isn't made until the big button in the middle of your steering wheel is depressed. When the ground is completed the relay energizes and the horns honk (do horns really "honk"? I thought horns blared like the horns on trains).

DorianC3

Thanks NTO!

Let me digest that one. This old Commodore 64 needs to think about this one to fully assimilate it.

The three long retaining screws, should they be snugged up or allow the horn assembly some travel ?

DorianC3

Duh !!!!!

i get it now ! The pluger always carries continuity. When the metal horn button comes down it take the current to a ground.

I’m still trying to figure out how the metal horn button creates the ground and how the travel of the button is ensured.

#computing

DorianC3

Yay !!!! I found where the contact is...

DorianC3

Aaand still no beep. But nonetheless, I am confident I can find the problem now that I know how this works !

Stay tuned !

danh77

After you replaced the lower broken contact tube in what order did you replace the spring/plunger/collar? On mine the p/o had replaced them in the wrong order and I was experiencing the same issue you were. Here’s a bump to the top, I fixed mine with help from some diagrams from Willcox, hopefully he’ll see this and you’ll get it sorted

kansas123

Once I got the "L" to contact that button your replaced, my horn was fixed (except for figuring out where to mount it). My 'stack' of parts looks like yours only I just had one shim.

0Willcox Corvette

The horn is hot all the time waiting for ground. That ground is supplied by depressing the horn button which makes the upper horn contact ground out the system.

So.. when you push the button now, you still don't have a horn? If this is correct, do you hear a clicking noise. The click noise from the engine compartment would be the horn relay is working and the issue is somewhere else.

If you don't hear a clicking noise from the relay then I'd probably remove it, pull the cover off of it, file the contact points and test the electromagnet. If you can't make the relay work on the bench then replace it.

Another thing.. test the horns...

Run 12 volts to the horns possibly from the back of the alternator, and see if they blow. If they don't run a separate ground wire to the horn and test again. If the horns then blow, remove them clean the mounting bracket to the support and re-install. If they don't blow, replace the horns.

You'll just have to run down a few test to figure out where the culprit is at.

Willcox

DorianC3

Okie, so the horns and the horn relay works fine.

The black ground wire lacks continuity from the relay to the contact button. There is continuity from the relay to the “harmonica” connector. It seems it gets lost somewhere going up the column. Tomorrow I’ll yank the steering wheel again to see how far up the colum the continuity goes

DorianC3

So, started tearing down the steering column again. Trying to figure out where the break in continuity is - somewhere between the harmonica connector lower on the column and the lower contact/cancelling cam. Hmm. I guess I have to pop that ring off and check what is going on further down.

DorianC3

And found the countinuity and the culprit. This button isn’t coming out at all and will not brush against the lower contact. I presume it should be spring-loaded

DorianC3

And I had to push the button out from the rear. This is what is left of the spring behind it.

DorianC3

Trying to find a replacement spring, I suspected this pen might have particularly smaller springs that would fit. Indeed ! It checks and the button stands out.

DorianC3

Well, we’re making progress... but we’re not there yet. Now there seems to be a parasite grounding. ;-)

rberman999

Make sure you have continuity across your rag joint. The steering column is grounded through metal fibers in the rag joint rubber. Replacement rag joints don't have the metal in the rubber and become an open in the ground circuit. Easy to check with a VOM, set to continuity and check across the rag joint, if open then run a jumper across the rag joint and if that was your problem, with the jumper in place your horn will work. Lots of luck, Russ

Street Rat

This is exactly what was wrong with mine. I ran a wire from one side of the rag joint to the other.

DorianC3

Parasite grounding as in: when I connect the battery, the horn won’t shut up. ;-p The neighbors love me.

Peterbuilt

You might have a piece of the old broken spring still in the column.
The horn relay might have gone bad.

You need the proper spring.
https://willcoxcorvette.com/corvette...ring-kit-67-82