How to test the horn

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gdizzle

gdizzle

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I've searched few some of the threads dealing with the horns. I tried the connect a jumper to the terminals on the relay like the manual says but I got no sound.

How do I test that the horn actually works? Someone said he connected directly to the battery? What is the instructions for trying that out without blowing up my horn.

66 dd l6 with 2 horns mounted on left side near radiator. horn relay is mounted on firewall.
 
Horns draw a fair amount of current. You need a large wire, say n0 14, and not a "Radio Shack clip lead" LOL to test them.

Usually if they are bad, they will sort of "click". There's an adjustment screw which in reality is adjusting the electrical contact. These often get corroded, and sometimes you can "work" the adjustment back and forth a 1/2 turn or so and get it to start working again.
 
OKAY- does anyone have a diagram of how the horn should be wired?

should be pretty straight forward correct?

horn - ground and power to the horn button?
 
Could horn problems be bad steering column ground issues? Just wondering.
 
BIG-B-Barracuda said:
OKAY- does anyone have a diagram of how the horn should be wired?

should be pretty straight forward correct?

horn - ground and power to the horn button?
Click to expand...

You mean in the car?

No the button grounds a terminal on the horn RELAY which activates the relay and sends power to the horn.

So, "what year" are we workin on? Some relays were out "under the hood," some plug into the fuse panel.
 
67Dart273 said:
You mean in the car?

No the button grounds a terminal on the horn RELAY which activates the relay and sends power to the horn.

So, "what year" are we workin on? Some relays were out "under the hood," some plug into the fuse panel.
Click to expand...

OKAY-

HORN -> to relay -> relay to horn button... :cheers:
 
slightly confused how to connect battery to horn.
ground horn body to ground, then attach the other horn terminal directly to the battery +?
 
Hook booster cables up to the battery + - , place the other - cable on the bracket of the horn to ground it then touch where the 1 wire goes with the + cable. Beep beep.
 
If you still have problems after a direct check take a look at the ground connection at the rag joint in the steering.
 
ok horn works loud when directly connected to battery. It is already grounded by the mounting so all I had to do was touch a wire from terminal to battery +.

So if horn works, how can I determine if horn relay is bad?
 
gdizzle said:
So if horn works, how can I determine if horn relay is bad?
Click to expand...

Good question, I have the same issue. I can't even find the dern relay. When I try and blow the horn, all I get is click click.

I'll be watchin' this.
 
gdizzle said:
ok horn works loud when directly connected to battery. It is already grounded by the mounting so all I had to do was touch a wire from terminal to battery +.

So if horn works, how can I determine if horn relay is bad?
Click to expand...

Access the column connector, the horn button wire, and ground it with a probe. You can also do so at the relay, the small black wire.


You do have? by now? a shop manual.
 
i cant find my relay either.

- i think i found it under my drive side kick panel but not entirely sure.
 
i need to bring this back from the dead. I popped off the steering wheel cover and I can see the black wire attached. How do I trace that wire? DO i have to remove the steering wheel? I dont see any instructions in the manual about how to access the internal wire connectors inside the steering column. Also I should mention the light for the shift indicator is not working, how do I trace that? Lastly I do see this short black ground wire with large ring on one end and small ring on other. It is attached to the steering column mount bolt , where does the other end attach? Thanks guys. Really need to get this horn blowing. I am driving the car now and too many bad drivers in my way, I need to honk at them ASAP.
 
gdizzle said:
i need to bring this back from the dead. I popped off the steering wheel cover and I can see the black wire attached. How do I trace that wire? DO i have to remove the steering wheel? I dont see any instructions in the manual about how to access the internal wire connectors inside the steering column. Also I should mention the light for the shift indicator is not working, how do I trace that? Lastly I do see this short black ground wire with large ring on one end and small ring on other. It is attached to the steering column mount bolt , where does the other end attach? Thanks guys. Really need to get this horn blowing. I am driving the car now and too many bad drivers in my way, I need to honk at them ASAP.
Click to expand...
You need to connect the ground wire first. It may solve you other two problems. The horn wire and the gear indicator lamp ground to the column, so if the column is not grounded to the chassis/body, guess what happens? Nothing. That's what you have. All the column connections are in a white connector under the steering column.
 

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Update: I tested horn switch all the way to the engine side wire (the wire that goes to the relay) and wire was good, switch was good.

So I ordered a new relay for $7.99 at Oreillys, got it, and BEEP BEEP, . works fine. I have no idea how it is grounding as the ground wire that I thought was coming out of the column is not connected to anything.

So now my only issue is the illumination of the Gear selector. I am still unclear how I get to that bulb. I am going to assume that I have to remove the steering wheel, right?

Thanks for all the help guys. my neighbors are pissed right now cause I just got so excited I was honking the horn for the past 30 minutes. BEEB BEEP. Dart goes Beep.

Any ideas how to get to that bulb in the column?
 
gdizzle said:
Update: I tested horn switch all the way to the engine side wire (the wire that goes to the relay) and wire was good, switch was good.

So I ordered a new relay for $7.99 at Oreillys, got it, and BEEP BEEP, . works fine. I have no idea how it is grounding as the ground wire that I thought was coming out of the column is not connected to anything.

So now my only issue is the illumination of the Gear selector. I am still unclear how I get to that bulb. I am going to assume that I have to remove the steering wheel, right?

Thanks for all the help guys. my neighbors are pissed right now cause I just got so excited I was honking the horn for the past 30 minutes. BEEB BEEP. Dart goes Beep.

Any ideas how to get to that bulb in the column?
Click to expand...
The bulb is accessed by removing the steering wheel. On this 1968 Valiant it is a #1445 bulb.
 

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nice picture. I got the the bulb today, I had to attach a ground to it in order to get it to work. And then the amount of light that is coming out is completely useless. There is a tiny slot in the metal tube, then the blue cap on it. I drove around tonight and could not see any visble light on the gear selector. maybe I need to modify that metal tube? cut a bigger opening?
 
Be aware.. On many schematic drawings the HORN (connector L on the firewall connector) and the ignition circuit (connector T on the firewall connector) are reversed.

The problem is on the engine compartment schematic, the wiring is correct.

I have not used the schematic before. I am only sending it because it fits on a page nicely for printing
It does appear that the horn is hooked to L terminal correctly.

Hope this helps
 

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