PROBLEM WITH HORN

[ANDKAT]

Hi all
I've recently developed a problem with my horn, it doesn't work.
When you try to sound it the horn does make a very faint noise as if it is trying to work but nothing else.
It is a single horn on an 85 caravelle, also purchased a new horn.

I've gone through the forums and tried several solutions but i'm still stuck.
My battery is now down and only reading 10 volts but the horn wouldn't work prior to this.

At the steering wheel i get 10 volts across the contacts when the horn is pressed, however at the horn I only get 5 volts.
I have very little idea about the wiring and can't make a lot of sense of the haynes manual.
I have run + and - direct from the battery to the horn at the same time and it works fine so now I am confused.

If anyone can offer me some guidance on what if anything i can do/replace in idiot proof terms it would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Andy

[CovKid]

To save a bit of time, test the horn directly on the battery. If it doesn't work, thats your prob. If it does, investigate horn circuit some more.

[ANDKAT]

Hi
Already tested it directly on battery and it works fine, i'm really struggling with the wiring circuit as I can't figure out how it goes.

[tonytech]

To save a bit of time, test the horn directly on the battery. If it doesn't work, thats your prob. If it does, investigate horn circuit some more.

He says he has run wires to the horn and it works.

Horn should get a +ve feed from ignition switch via fuse 16.
wire runs through the stering column to the switch then to chasis.

Most horn faults are the switch and the contact ring that connects it.
Do you have a non std steering wheel?

A closed switch should have no voltage accross it.

t

[ANDKAT]

Hi Tony
Still got the original steering wheel.
Sorry for my ignorance but is a closed switch when you are pressing the horn to make it work?

[Red Westie]

I agree, you have proven that the horn works with the direct feed and after that the second most obvious fault is the connection between the horn ring a sprung contact (you may need to take your steering wheel off to check this (bend it, clean it...re-apply a film of vasoline) so it touches properly.
As he says....is this a standard steering wheel? as non standards often have horn issues.
Martin

[tonytech]

Yes the horn switch is a push to close switch. Push it to make the electrical connection.

T

[ANDKAT]

Already removed the steering wheel and cleaned and bent the contacts. The horn is making a very soft noise like it's trying to work, it's quite hard to describe really. also the ignition light dims slightly when i push the horn.

[Hacksawbob]

there is a wire under the steering column cowling that jumps across a section where the safety break point is from memory, I have this jumped with an aligator clip as the old one was curfudlled, I keep meaning to fix it but the horn works OK like this for now.

[ANDKAT]

I'll have to have a look for that then. Sorry for my ignorance but what is the safety breakpoint?
If I can't fix it with a hammer i tend to struggle

[Bowton Lad]

HSB mentioned checking under the plastic shroud on the steering column for a wire link. That is where the earth for the horn is connected to the steering column. It is a common fault for the earth connection to work loose or even come off altogther. Well worth checking.

[asahartz]

Mine never did work on the centre push; someone had fitted an alternative push button in the dash. That was too far away for my taste; I like my horn close to hand

So I investigated the entire system. I found that there was no earth to the actual column, and that the wire link described was missing. However replacing that didn't solve it either - I couldn't work out why I was getting no earth that way, but that was the problem.

My solution is a bit Heath-Robinson but it works:- I made a "brush contact" to the steel of the column by attaching a suitably-sized terry clip to the mounting bracket! Lubricated with vaseline, it squeaks occasionally but at least the horn works as it should now!

[hightower]

This is identical to my problem and it seems to be with the horn switch. power and earth were fine, all contacts cleaned up but everytime i pressed the horn button it would work once but not again and when looking at the contacts in the switch they showed signs of burning, cleaned it up again and same thing each time. only 12.4 volts coming through the positive. After wasting alot of time on this and getting frustrated beyond belief as to why it was doing it i just went to Halfords and brought a cheap 2 pole switch and fixed it to the horn button and the horn works fine now using the existing wiring.
I brought a good quality 2nd hand steering wheel while at vanfest (had to buy the whole wheel as no one was selling the horn switches seperate) and when i can be bothered i will be fitting this to see if the switch works.

[ANDKAT]

Hi all,
Thanks for your help so far although I still haven't solved it.
Does anyone know where the wire that attches to the steering column goes? It seems to vanish down a pipe into obscurity.

[Pepperami]

I have a door bell push on the dash saved a lot of problems.