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Brown wire on steering column
Posted: 19 Apr 2026, 19:15
by Beakster
Dropped my steering column down to remove the dash, putting it back in now and insert this broken wire.
There's a wire coming out of the hole in this picture, is that what is supposed to connect to the spade terminal the Brown wire is on? Anyway to get it out of the hole?
Thanks

Re: Brown wire on steering column
Posted: 19 Apr 2026, 20:30
by jigarai
It’s the earth for your horn. It attached into the other side of the coupling as per photo below (taken from
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewt ... p?t=263625 )
I can’t remember how it attaches in there Im afraid it hopefully this give you an idea where to look.
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Re: Brown wire on steering column
Posted: 20 Apr 2026, 06:10
by shampooefficient
It looks like it may have pulled out of the terminal you can just see peeking out of that hole. In which case I'd probably use pliers to remove the old and crimp a new spade on there.
Re: Brown wire on steering column
Posted: 23 Apr 2026, 06:48
by keynsham1
Mine broke and I fixed it. It broke again. It is the earth for the horn but my horn still works so it is staying broken!!!
Re: Brown wire on steering column
Posted: 23 Apr 2026, 20:26
by BarnyE
Yeah horn earth, it comes out the other end of that pipe at the bottom of the steering rack behind the rubber boot. Pull it out from the other end, repair/replace and poke it back through the pipe and reconnect.
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Re: Brown wire on steering column
Posted: 25 Apr 2026, 09:19
by silverbullet
Yes its an earth continuity conductor for the horn, to bridge the vibration insulating rubber bushes in the lower steering column.
Remake the wire with a new spade connector one end and an 8mm eye terminal the other which goes under the pinch bolt on the lower column where it connects to the steering relay box.