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88 with no horn

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Old Oct 5, 2009 | 01:42 PM
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Default 88 with no horn

Greetings All,

....out of town at present with no helms here..... found that i have no horn this morning and no helms service manual with me.

....I checked the fuse panel near passenger door and find no fuses blown at present...if i remember, the horn is fed HOT+ via fusible link to a fuse and then incorporated into the vats system and is located behind the center instrument panel cover where there is an unknown value fuse...am i right or wrong?..is the horn relay in the same place...thanks!
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Old Oct 5, 2009 | 05:13 PM
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.......ttt.......
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 07:58 AM
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I had the no horn concern on a 1985 Vette. I found that there is a 10 amp fuse behind the driver's info center in the dash. Not sure it is the same for you. Check the fuse and replace it either way. When I did mine I also found that somehow it was connected to the radio and door locks. If you still have an issue, you may want to check those areas for a short concern. I found a couple of bare wires at the radio harness. When repaired, everything worked excellent. Bob.
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 08:03 AM
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Originally Posted by '08coupe
I had the no horn concern on a 1985 Vette. I found that there is a 10 amp fuse behind the driver's info center in the dash. Not sure it is the same for you. Check the fuse and replace it either way. When I did mine I also found that somehow it was connected to the radio and door locks. If you still have an issue, you may want to check those areas for a short concern. I found a couple of bare wires at the radio harness. When repaired, everything worked excellent. Bob.
...thanks for the reply...i was able to contact a friend last night whom verified the info i placed in the 1st post and i was correct. as you have mentioned, yours is different then mine as everything else works...i am almost positive the fuse is history and i will obviously check same. the only thing i have not done is check out the v.a.t.s system to trigger the alarm.....may tackle this today if the rain lets up....i see you are new here, welcome to the forum.
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 08:43 AM
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http://members.shaw.ca/agent86/Horn%20Electrical.pdf
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 08:49 AM
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..thanks for the reply...yup,, that is what i thought and what was mailed to me last night....thanks....:chee rs:
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 01:54 PM
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UPDATE:

....took apart center dash and checked all fuses both visually and with an ohm meter and all check GOOD.....ugh!...so, i checked the pink/red hot+ wire to ground and have voltage......popped the cap/cover off of the relay and can manually activate the relay and horn(s)......

....so, replaced the relay "just in case" (only $6) and now this may lead me to suspect that problem may lie in the horn button in steering wheel or some connector under hush panel at drivers side....

...so, as i am home at present and using helms manual, WHERE is the horn BUTTON removal procedure in the book as i cannot locate it.....thanks!
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 09:33 PM
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Section 3B5
When you had access to the relay, you should have checked to see if ground was being supplied by the steering wheel switch, when depressed.
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 09:40 PM
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Both my hornes were bad when I got my car replaced both now ok
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 09:43 PM
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Originally Posted by AGENT 86
Section 3B5
When you had access to the relay, you should have checked to see if ground was being supplied by the steering wheel switch, when depressed.
...thanks for the reply...the dash is still "an open wound" so, i still have access....all i see for the most part are a few wires to the horn relay... i can activate the horns after removing the cover of the relay...and pushing the "plunger" inside...if you ever had one apart it is quite different then the typical relay...either way, the horns work...i can press the horn button and do not hear or actually see (when cover of relay off) the relay being activated....so, i would surmise that i would need to remove the horn button and see what's up and then see if i can locate the connector under the drivers hush panel along the steering column....
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 09:45 PM
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Originally Posted by tblt44
Both my hornes were bad when I got my car replaced both now ok
...NOT an issue here as i had previously stated that my actual horn units work but, simply cannot be activated by the horn button.....
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Old Oct 7, 2009 | 03:35 AM
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Activate the UTDS. The ground for the Horn Relay comes from the Horn Button or the UTD Module. If the horns pulse when the alarm is activated, your problem is between the Relay and the Horn Button. As you surmise, the problem is most likely in the Horn Button or wiring from it to the Relay.
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Old Oct 7, 2009 | 04:54 AM
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Originally Posted by Ray Quayle
Activate the UTDS. The ground for the Horn Relay comes from the Horn Button or the UTD Module. If the horns pulse when the alarm is activated, your problem is between the Relay and the Horn Button. As you surmise, the problem is most likely in the Horn Button or wiring from it to the Relay.
.....thanks for the reply...."UTDS"??.....will try and get the horn button off today (Wed.) and see what gives...
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Old Oct 7, 2009 | 09:12 AM
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**UPDATE**

...found the problem...it is a broken connection at a connector just under the horn button and starting down the steering column...so, removed the wheel to attempt to retrieve the other broken end of the connector with no luck and no steering wheel puller handy....i took a #12 butt connector and slightly crimped down one end and slipped and twisted it onto the connector part in the column..then, with a new pigtail coming out the other end, attached it to the horn button...i took a few dabs of weatherstrip adhesive and placed it onto the butt connector end sticking up into the horn housing area and onto the inside of the horn housing directly under the horn button......this should assure that the connector will not twist, come loose, or pop - off....all seems to work now but, will give an overnight dry time...

Last edited by Da Mail Man; Oct 7, 2009 at 11:02 AM.
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Old Oct 7, 2009 | 11:07 AM
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Originally Posted by Da Mail Man
.....thanks for the reply...."UTDS"??.....will try and get the horn button off today (Wed.) and see what gives...
That's FSMspeak for Universal Theft Deterrent System. Quick and dirty test to half split a horn problem. Arm and set off the alarm. If the horns work, horns, fuse and relay are good and the problem is in the button or wiring to the relay. Saves dismantling the center dash for nothing.
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Old Oct 7, 2009 | 12:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Ray Quayle
That's FSMspeak for Universal Theft Deterrent System. Quick and dirty test to half split a horn problem. Arm and set off the alarm. If the horns work, horns, fuse and relay are good and the problem is in the button or wiring to the relay. Saves dismantling the center dash for nothing.

...thanks for the reply..ya coulda' just said vats...grin.....at any rate, i had to dismantle dash to ck fuses and relay which at first thought i replaced for nothing.... but, looking at the clamps that hold it in place, the sides of the relay over years and time were severely bent it so, not a total waste...grin....thanks again all for the assistance!
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Old Oct 7, 2009 | 01:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Da Mail Man
...thanks for the reply..ya coulda' just said vats...grin.....
That's exactly why I didn't! They are two distinctly different systems on '86-'89 Corvettes, each with their own module. If you have the proper key you can start the car and happily drive down the road with the horns blaring if the UTDS was tripped.

Glad you goter-dun. You're right, it wasn't wasted effort if that relay was that bad.
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