C2 Not another horn question????? Help Please

[Bad65]

OK now that I am feeling safe since I bought a fire extinguisher for my vette this week, I noticed today my horn has stopped working. I have faith that with your help I can figure it out. After all I did figure out the glove box light drawl (Light wasnt shutting off when glove box was closed) problem that the previous owner couldn't figure out for eight years (he told me to just disconnect the battery if I wasnt going to use the vette for a few days).

Back to the horn. It has worked for the past two years but something must have come loose.

Need some basics on what to check for horn problems. I noticed that when I pressed on the horn and had my hand on the metal shifter I felt a shock when I was driving today. (Probably not a good sign). So any advice?

Thanks!
Vanessa
Bad 65

 

[67HEAVEN]

I noticed that when I pressed on the horn and had my hand on the metal shifter I felt a shock when I was driving today. (Probably not a good sign). So any advice?

Yep.........don't press the horn button while shifting.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Sounds like a wiring problem inside the column. You may have to pull the steering wheel.

Watch for other answers soon.

 

[Bad65]

Also, what and where is the horn relay????

 

[Bad65]

OK 67 Heaven And the real advice??? Any basics I can check for???

 

[67HEAVEN]

OK 67 Heaven And the real advice??? Any basics I can check for???

Sounds like a wiring problem inside the column. You may have to pull the steering wheel.

The horn relay is at the driver-front near the radiator on my '67 big block. Yours may be on the passenger side. Assuming all connections there appear to be secure, I would suspect an intermittent short inside the steering column. Like I said, you may have to pull the steering wheel to investigate. To do that, you will need to borrow or rent a puller.

 

[tigernut]

You should be able to eliminate anything in the column without taking it apart, if memory serves me. Get a meter, put one end to ground, the other to the wire going into the circular connector at the bottom of the steering column (this goes into the column up to the horn assembly, think it is 20B on the schematics).

Then push the horn button in and doing so should set this wire to ground causing the meter to read continuity.

Hope this makes sense.

 

[1964*Coupe]

Use a Jumper wire from horn to battery

I think it would be alot easier by running a "jumper wire" from the terminal on the horn (behind grill), and on the other end connect to the metal part of a screwdriver. While holding the plasic or perferably wooden handle of the screwdriver, monentarly touch the metal screwdriver tip to the positive side of the battery. You hear the horn, and if your not prepared **** your pants.
Also check to make sure the horn is connected to a good ground. The horn requires 12 volts on one side, ground on the other. If the ground is rusted, it will not work.
This should tell you is you have an internal wiring problem or is its just the horn.
Beep-Beep.

 

[studiog]

I would work my way backward from the horn (as suggested) to the relay, then to the column basically from the easiest to the hardest. Can you hear the relay click when you press the horn button? But if you are getting a mild shock while pressing the horn and touching the shifter 67 Heaven probably has it pegged with the steer column short. Or maybe just the horn contacts under the horn button

 

[studiog]

I would work my way backward from the horn (as suggested) to the relay, then to the column basically from the easiest to the hardest. Can you hear the relay click when you press the horn button? But if you are getting a mild shock while pressing the horn and touching the shifter 67 Heaven probably has it pegged with the steer column short.

 

[dennisinmaryland]

I did figure out the glove box light drawl (Light wasnt shutting off when glove box was closed) problem that the previous owner couldn't figure out for eight years (he told me to just disconnect the battery if I wasnt going to use the vette for a few days).

O.K. I gotta ask, how did you know the light wasn't going out in the glovr box....climb in and pull the door shut?....:L ..sorry, couldn't help it.

 

[ChuckG]

When you push the horn button, you're completing the ground circuit. If you felt a shock, YOU became part of the circuit. If it worked before, you might want to check the "rag joint". See if the ground/copper strap has come off. Also, it's possible something has come loose within the column...under the horn button, preventing "ground" contact when you push the button. Chuck

 

[Bad65]

I found a black wire with a plug in type end hanging behind my dash. I looked into the assembly manual and noticed that there was one of these that plugs right into the very top of the dash, however when I felt up there with my hands, there was one plugged in. Where and what is this black wire? Any ideas if it could be the ground for my horn?

 

[Bad65]

I think that ChuckG has me going in the right direction. The rag joint was replaced last year and it looks like the copper strap is only connected on the lower steering column metal piece and not the top piece.

 

[ChuckG]

Try reconnecting the loose top piece. Should go under one of the nuts/bolts. That will restore continuity to the column, and your horn should honk. Chuck

 

[Bad65]

Chuck,
It is bolted across one bolt on the bottom to another bolt on the bottom, so I need to go take it apart and fix the continuity as you mention above. Thanks!

 

[Bad65]

I fixed the copper strap from being on both bottom bolts of the rag joint and now it is connected from the bottom to the top of the steering. I now get a "clicking" noise when I press the horn from the relay, but the horns still don't work. Does this mean that the problem is with the horn relay power going to the horns?

 

[JohnZ]

Pull the green wire connection off the relay (that's the power feed from the relay to the horns), and use a jumper wire to that connector from the positive battery post; the horns should blow. If not, the problem is beyond the relay, either in the green wire or the horns aren't grounding metal-to-metal to the radiator support. Also use a test light to check for power at the relay terminal you pulled the green wire connector off of when the relay "clicks" - if it clicks and there's no power on that terminal, the relay has failed internally.

 

[Bad65]

Mission Complete. Took the horns off and tested them and cleaned the bracket that grounds them. One horn worked the other is dead. Installed the working horn. THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP, couldn't have done it without the vette experts from this forum and a couple of tools from the neighbors!

 

[ChuckG]

Don't you love it when a plan comes together. Congrats. Don't know if you're a NCRS type (like me), but IF you have your original dated horns, the broken one can be rebuilt/restored. I'll tell you where to take it IF you're interested. You could also pick up a junk yard horn....make sure you get the correct high or low note...and adapt it for use. You can usually buy a working junk yard horn for about $5.00. Chuck