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My C5 was an alarm clock for the entire neighborhood this morning at 6:00 am!!! I want to give a huge thank you to 8VETTE7 for his comprehensive post last night. It took me all of 5 minutes to figure out the problem, how to fix it, and where to purchase a replacement diaphragm switch.
That's why I LOVE this forum. I'll still do a quick confirmation with the multimeter before ordering a new diaphragm switch but that post saved me a lot of time and made this job safer knowing more about how to defuse that Improvised Explosive Device planted on top of my steering wheel.
THANK YOU!!!
Last edited by Cratecruncher; Nov 18, 2015 at 08:29 AM.
Since the horn sounds with the use of the key fob it is NOT, the relay and NOT fuse 11 and NOT the grounds at the horn location and NOT the horns themselves.
Problem MUST be in the steering wheel. Either the membrane switch, the ground for the membrane switch or the horn brush slip ring.
From the wiring diagram provided the electrical path from the BCM (triggered by the keyless remote) to the horns is functional eliminating any parts on the right side of the diagram. However when you press on the steering wheel the horn does NOT sound meaning the problem is on that side of the diagram.....
Personally I would prefer the problem be on the right side of the diagram as the resolution would be much easier than you face.
You are looking at minimally removing the air bag cover to get to the membrane switch. Refer to the links I provided earlier and disconnect the negative battery cable BEFORE you start......
The least expensive alternative is going to be YOU pulling the air bag cover off and if necessary purchasing and installing an aftermarket replacement membrane switch. The dealer will ONLY replace the entire air bag. Read that BIG $$$ to the dealer.
ok replaced the membrane an the horn is now working now my seat belt light on the dash stays lit what up with that do you have a fix for that ? thanks
Since the horn sounds with the use of the key fob it is NOT, the relay and NOT fuse 11 and NOT the grounds at the horn location and NOT the horns themselves.
Problem MUST be in the steering wheel. Either the membrane switch, the ground for the membrane switch or the horn brush slip ring.
From the wiring diagram provided the electrical path from the BCM (triggered by the keyless remote) to the horns is functional eliminating any parts on the right side of the diagram. However when you press on the steering wheel the horn does NOT sound meaning the problem is on that side of the diagram.....
Personally I would prefer the problem be on the right side of the diagram as the resolution would be much easier than you face.
You are looking at minimally removing the air bag cover to get to the membrane switch. Refer to the links I provided earlier and disconnect the negative battery cable BEFORE you start......
The least expensive alternative is going to be YOU pulling the air bag cover off and if necessary purchasing and installing an aftermarket replacement membrane switch. The dealer will ONLY replace the entire air bag. Read that BIG $$$ to the dealer.
Thank you!!. for some time my horn has been working intermittently but today it was not working at all. After searching this forum it looked as if I was going have to remove the air bag to replace the horn membrane, a job I could do, but as a last resort. Then I found your thread and tested to see if the horn would work when I locked the car with the fob. It did not. I could hear the relay click but no horn. I switched the relay with the one from the fog lights and the horn works fine and now the fogs don't. Tomorrow I'll stop by the parts store and pick up a couple of relays. Always a good feeling to fix it yourself. Again, thanks.
Thank you!!. for some time my horn has been working intermittently but today it was not working at all. After searching this forum it looked as if I was going have to remove the air bag to replace the horn membrane, a job I could do, but as a last resort. Then I found your thread and tested to see if the horn would work when I locked the car with the fob. It did not. I could hear the relay click but no horn. I switched the relay with the one from the fog lights and the horn works fine and now the fogs don't. Tomorrow I'll stop by the parts store and pick up a couple of relays. Always a good feeling to fix it yourself. Again, thanks.
Thanks to Chuck and nice find... good job and thanks for posting what you found and the fix, it will serve to help others in the future
My horn hadn't been working for a few years, tested relay and it was good so I figured it was membrane, I went ahead and ordered a new membrane from Corvette Central and then watched as many You Tube Videos as I could about replacement.
I disconnected the battery a full hour before starting any work on the pad.
What I didn't do PRIOR to disconnecting and removing the pad was telescope the wheel out as far as it would go to allow plenty of room for tools to access the T27 Torx screws that hold the pad on. It was a struggle with the limited room. Be sure to move wheel out as far as possible before disconnecting battery.
After I got the pad loose I faced a dilemma, it was very apparent to me that some how, some way the ground wire from the horn pad had become disconnected and was most likely the reason the horn wasn't working, I decided to go ahead and replace the membrane anyway as the car is an 03 and I really didn't want to reassemble and find I still had an issue.
Any video I have seen that show the removal of the yellow air bag electrical connection show prying it out, which I did. Reinstall shows forcing the yellow plug back in. Forcing it back in was kicking my butt so upon inspection of the plug I noticed that there was a "lock" on those 2 pieces of the plug that snap into place so the plug doesn't fall out.
The 2 pictures I am attaching show the "lock" as a horizontal piece about 1/4" x 1/2" on the back side of the plug, that "lock" is attached by a loop to the top of the plug. With a small, thin blade screwdriver or similar tool, gently pry that horizontal piece up and free from being inserted. This makes the re installing the plug super easy and had I seen that or though about it prior to prying the plug out, it would have made that easier too.
(I tested to original membrane with an ohm meter after I had installed the new one and found the original still good..so it was the ground after all. How the ground had become disconnected is way beyond me)
