Is there a part number for the horn membrane? I'd like to just see about buying a new one rather than trying to tinker with the broken one.

 

If there was a part available we woul'nt be doing this fix. I don't think you have a choice. Just be careful when you take it apart.

 

Did you say that you had to remove the 2 Torx screws from the steering wheel and then the assembly will come off? What about replacing it? I remember seeing in the shop manual that you press it back on and I think it meant after replacing the screws. Does it pop back in like the side mirrors?

My horn wouldn't blow so I hit the cover hard several times. Then it blew by itself. It seemed deformed. It was a hot day and after I hit it again many times it stopped blowing. The deformaty on the left side seemed to pop back into place and the horn only blew when pressing on the cover. Now it won't blow again. So I'm up for this repair.
BIGHANK

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U P D A T E

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Removed airbag/horn membrane using TORX 30 BIT. Problem was NOT the membrane but a blown fuse. As a precaution I added a TAP into the black wire which if grounded out will engage the horn relay. For details see my other post about 2 fuse #11s in the forum.

BIGHANK

 

Awesome write up. Thanks for helping the rest of us out!

 

Must buy whole unit for the air bag......$500.00

 

So if my grounds are all clear of corrosion and the horn works fine when hitting the panic button this is the most likely culprit I assume?

My horn works when it wants to basically...Some days it works great and others not at all.

I really do not feel comfortable performing this fix as I'm having a hardtime understanding the part where you discuss step 9 onward...How do you know it's not an open circuit? You also state it's the RH side...
Both my sides work when they want to....WOuld this suggest it isn't the same issue this post is discussing then??

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Josh

 

when hitting the horn on the wheel I had nothing, the fob would honk the horn. I followed the procedure and messed with the spring and connector, cleaned the contact and placed dielectric grease on it and re-assembled. Works fine. Did not have to remove airbag wiring. I did remove the fuse and disconnect the battery.

One note on re-assembly of the airbag/pad into the steering wheel. Insert the two #30 torxs head bolts into the airbag/pad, tighten, then place the airbag/pad in position and apply pressure, the airbag/pad will snap into position.

 

My horn stopped working so I go to the fuse relay and find #11 blown. No big deal right? Well, when I place a new #11 fuse in, the horn blares non-stop. Can I presume this is the membrane switch causing this? Also, I swapped the horn relay with a known good one and the horn still sounds non-stop. It's messed up that GM doesn't make these membrane switches readily available. Finally, not to sound retarded, but what is the "SIR assembly"? I'll probably just disconnect my battery before I attempt this fix anyway. Thanks for the info. This site rocks.

One more thing. I quit Cherry Skoal about 2 1/2 years ago and I bet that I'll continue to miss that more than I miss my stinking #11 fuse being put in until this is fixed!

Sheesh, these Corvettes sure do have some peculiar glitches. Still an awesome car though!

 

Take the danger of the airbag going off by disconnecting the battery and waiting a few minutes. You don't want to take the risk.

 

Bump

Can someone please answer my questions?

Thanks, ......

 

Yes thats your problem and SIR is the acronym for Supplemental Inflatable Restraint Laymens term would be "airbag"

 

Hello,

I just pulled my airbag this weekend to work on the horn, I determined that the membrane is good but I had a no connection between the cancel cam and pin (hooked a wire to the pin & ground and it worked, wire from the cam to ground and it did not), the steering wheel was not going to come off and I noted some brown grease on the cam, so I cleaned off the grease and put on bulb (dielectric) grease where I could get access, rotated the wheel around a few times and the horn works like new.

However: I followed the shop manual procedure to pull the bag and put it back (disconnect battery & #16 fuse on the passengers side foot well), when I turned on the car the airbag light (right and below the speedometer) flashed a few times and now stays on all the time? WTF? Has anyone else have this happened? Know of a fix? Any airbag experts? Reset buttons or combo codes?

The airbag wires seem to make no connection with the cancel cam, could the bulb grease on the cam messed things up? Seems like its 1 step forward and 2 steps back!

 

As I understand it there are 2 normal every day things that can close the horn circuit the membrane switch on the wheel or the security system / key fob panic. A chafed horn power wire that touches a ground will also close the horn circuit

 

 

Thanks Red. Wow, your car looks to be the same magnetic red metallic color as mine. I've been driving around for the last month with no horn because I haven't had the time or motivation to try the OP's fix. I'm up for inspection in January so I better get cracking.

If anyone out there has more experience with this issue, or if someone can reassure an electrical dummy like me what course of action to take first, I'm all ears. I tried the #30 torx screws on the steering wheel but they are embedded pretty deep and my fitting was too fat so I aborted the mission.

I'm not a complete retard. I performed the headlight motor gear fix and the dim climate control pod disassembly on my own but messing around with anything near the airbag doesn't make me feel too adventurous!

 

Slightly OT but I hope someone can help. My horn was intermittent following replacement of the turn signal/headlight switch. Sometimes the horn would blow, then it would stop. I would hit a bump or turn the wheel and the horn would work again. The horn does not work with the remote, the horn button, or alarm

Does this sound like a ground issue? If so, which ground is for the actual horns themselves since the problem seems to be between all the various switches used to make the horn blow and the horns themselves. If it were something in the horn ring under that SIR, would that keep the horn from blowing with the remote when I lock or hit the alarm? I've tried new relays, new fuses, etc. all to no avail.

I'm leaning toward a ground, just want to be sure to give extra attention the one that has the horns on it.

Charlie

 

You can do the cam check with out removing the airbag. But you need to remove the trim around the area and pull the lower cover on the steering column, you can see the cancel cam and pin, q tips can clean off any old grease and popsicle sticks to put the bulb grease.

http://www.permatex.com/products/Aut...-Up_Grease.htm


If you want to pull the bag you will also need to remove the trim. You will need a torx set and a small ratchet drive to get access

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=92630

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91310

Anyone have problems with their airbag light not going off?

 

Not to take anything away from Nastymant's awesome post on fixing the horn membrane switch... Here is exciting news ... C&S Corvettes 5317 Ashton Ct, Sarasota, FL (941) 923-5064 corvettepartscenter@comcast.net has just received their first aftermarket repro C5 horn membrane switches, complete with electrical connectors. Replace using same basic procedure as Nastymant outlined at the beginning of this thread (re cutting the "nibs" etc.) Replacement switches are 59.95 (plus S&H, I assume.) I have done business (locally) with these guys (Lyle and Steve) for years, and highly recommend them. Just bought my switch yesterday, so I haven't installed yet, but Steve told me that they pulled about 20 and tested them, and all tested good. They will be wholesaling to Mid-America and likely others. (And no, I have no business relationship with them. Just trying to "help the hornless.") Beep Beep!

 

THANK YOU for that valuable info! Your a Patriot! Good luck on your replacement!

BC

 

First, thanks for the kind words, Bill! Yes, I AM a patriot!

Put in the replacement reproduction horn membrane switch for C&S Corvettes today (see my post just above this one.) Works great, just as it should.

A few thoughts on doing the replacement....

First... re: accessing the 2 T-30 screws from the back of the steering wheel. (I used a T-30 bit in a 1/4 inch drive socket with a 3" extension and a ratchet. Yes, there IS enough room for the bit to drop into the wheel, so secure it, i.e, use a piece of paper towel over the bit as you push it into the socket. hahaha Happened to me and had to go buy another bit. And yes, I DID retrieve the "dropped" one!) Despite what the factory shop manual says, turn the wheel 90 degrees and access one at a time from the top, i.e. from in front of the instrument panel. Otherwise the screw can't be accessed straight enough. Downside of this is that you need to re-connect the battery to unlock the wheel (with the ignition on, obviously) to turn it 180 degrees after doing one of the screws, and then wait another 30 minutes. (Yes, I AM parnoid about working on an airbag, even though I pulled the #16 (airbag) fuse.....)

Disconnecting the airbag: After you remove the screws and pull the airbag from the wheel, pull the the PCA (position connector assurance - a/k/a the locking thingy) straight up, then the yellow plastic connector can be pulled straight out from the metal thingy part of the airbag. No turning it!) When re-assembling, make sure the connector is ALL the way in before inserting the PCA.

Last.... The biggest pain in the **** about doing this is trying to get the rubber "nibs" up through the nylon plates. Oy! I used a 90 degree pick (do YOu have a set of picks... man... I use them ALL the time..... check out Harbor Freight) to pull them up, BUT .... if i had it to do over again, I think I would pull them up with needlenose, cut them off, and then use silicone on them after the plates were in position, to secure the plates. The airbag DOES (pretty much ??) hold everything in place, but ....

Hope this helps!

80,000 miles on my Z06 - and going STRONG!!! (Can you say "powershift??!!! - I can! )