Just going in for a inspection sticker and realized my horn is not working. I took off the horn and cleaned all the connections and I bench tested the horn which works and reinstalled it, nothing. I noticed on the install that there are two plug commectors coming off the horn line so I tried them both with no success, any ideas? There is no fuse in the horn line is there?
Horn won't work
- Thread starter spence340
- Start date
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67gtx
Well-Known Member
Maybe no ground? Volt meter on the connections.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
What model/ year vehicle?
Horns are pretty simple. You already know the horn works, "direct wired."
The relay has three connections. One obvious large wire should be hot at all times.
The horn hooks to a second
The third goes to the horn button, and is grounded to key the relay.
You should be able to work the horn ring/ button and hear the relay click. If not, make sure you have battery to the relay, go out and short the button wire with a clip lead to ground, and if that works, then you have a wiring issue to the button, or in the button itself.
Obviously, if the relay won't work when manually shorted, it just might be the relay.
And yeah, make sure the horns are grounded. Best way to do that is install them, hook them up, and troubleshoot right on the car. You can short across the battery/ horn terminals on the relay and they should work. Watch yourself, you can get a nasty "inductive shock" that way. They work just like an ignition coil.
Horns are pretty simple. You already know the horn works, "direct wired."
The relay has three connections. One obvious large wire should be hot at all times.
The horn hooks to a second
The third goes to the horn button, and is grounded to key the relay.
You should be able to work the horn ring/ button and hear the relay click. If not, make sure you have battery to the relay, go out and short the button wire with a clip lead to ground, and if that works, then you have a wiring issue to the button, or in the button itself.
Obviously, if the relay won't work when manually shorted, it just might be the relay.
And yeah, make sure the horns are grounded. Best way to do that is install them, hook them up, and troubleshoot right on the car. You can short across the battery/ horn terminals on the relay and they should work. Watch yourself, you can get a nasty "inductive shock" that way. They work just like an ignition coil.
Dart_Doctor
Asa style
thank i didnt even ask for it lol mine is not working too ...but it will be now
waggin
moving on ain't easy if you drive a Ford :p
Use finger........
Every connector on the horn relay should show power with a test light except the one going to the horns. The one wire ( probably black with white tracer ) going to the switch in the steering wheel is completes the path to ground and closes the relay.
The car is a 1973 Duster 340 all pretty much original and am I right in assuming that the ground is the bolt that holds the horn on. On the horn mounting flange there is a little tit that sticks out and fits into a hole next to the mounting bolt that I figured located the horn but also helped ground it also. I cleaned up the bolt and the area around where the horn mounts to make sure I would get a good ground.
67 Dart I am following most of what you say but not all of it. I took a wire, stripped both ends and put one on the horn and one on the positive battery terminal and the horn works so I am assuming the ground is good.
The horn relay plug is under the glove box and if you look at it straight on so it is a pyramid (two leads on bottom, one on top) the bottom left one lights the test light with the key on. The other two do nothing even when I reach over and push one of the three horn buttons. By the way this car had no relay in it but the horn did work before.
I need to get this inspected so I bought a cheap horn button today, does anyone know how to wire these in?
The horn relay plug is under the glove box and if you look at it straight on so it is a pyramid (two leads on bottom, one on top) the bottom left one lights the test light with the key on. The other two do nothing even when I reach over and push one of the three horn buttons. By the way this car had no relay in it but the horn did work before.
I need to get this inspected so I bought a cheap horn button today, does anyone know how to wire these in?
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
You sure you have the right connector? There either has to be a relay or someone wired one in somewhere else.
To identify the connections, do this:
(Hook up the horns under the hood)
You know which one is battery, it's hot
You need to find out which one is horns. Hook your 12V test lamp into the hot connection, check it to ground to be sure you get a light, then plug the light into either of the unknown connections.
If the light does not light, try the horn button. IF the light "lights" you've found the right connector, and the button works.
If the light comes on without pushing the button, go out and disconnect the horns, and the light should go out.
If not, put your probe into the other unknown connector and the light should light, if so, go out and unhook the horns to confirm. If the test above showed you the horn connection, once again push the horn button and see if you get a light. IF so, the button is OK, and you need a horn relay.
To identify the connections, do this:
(Hook up the horns under the hood)
You know which one is battery, it's hot
You need to find out which one is horns. Hook your 12V test lamp into the hot connection, check it to ground to be sure you get a light, then plug the light into either of the unknown connections.
If the light does not light, try the horn button. IF the light "lights" you've found the right connector, and the button works.
If the light comes on without pushing the button, go out and disconnect the horns, and the light should go out.
If not, put your probe into the other unknown connector and the light should light, if so, go out and unhook the horns to confirm. If the test above showed you the horn connection, once again push the horn button and see if you get a light. IF so, the button is OK, and you need a horn relay.
Check out an old post a few down titled "stupid horn question" and see slantsixdan's reply about six down. He mentions using no relay and I am sure the horn worked on this car but the relay plug under the glove box was empty.
Just went outside to look at the car because I read a post saying the horn relay was near the fuse box on the left kick panel. Well sure enough when I looked up there I saw what looked like a horn relay with a three prong plug and a single. When I started moving the three prong plug the key buzzer started buzzing so I knew good things were happening. Touched the horn button and happy days are here again, started honking like crazy. Whew! I love easy fixes. Thanks for all the help! (Don't know what the relay was for under the glove box).
Just went outside to look at the car because I read a post saying the horn relay was near the fuse box on the left kick panel. Well sure enough when I looked up there I saw what looked like a horn relay with a three prong plug and a single. When I started moving the three prong plug the key buzzer started buzzing so I knew good things were happening. Touched the horn button and happy days are here again, started honking like crazy. Whew! I love easy fixes. Thanks for all the help! (Don't know what the relay was for under the glove box).
66plyValiant
Well-Known Member
I was just gonna post that, dang!:mrgreen:
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
Problem is, they're so damn busy textin' 'n doin' "other" stuff down in their lap, they don't SEE anything that subtle!!
When I was stationed at Miramar in the 70s I got so tired of slow hippie Vee dubs on the freeway I bought a set of those air/ electric horns for the RR. Sometimes it helped.
The first owner of the car used to have a 65 Chevelle with a 350 in. He had a 400 watt inverter --quite unique, back then-- installed in the car, and had the primary power rigged through a solenoid switched to the horn button. The "default" was with the horn button switched to the inverter, and plugged into the inverter -- under the hood -- was a great big 120V AC submarine KLAXTON. AAAAAAOOOOOHHHHGGGAAAAA!!!!
Dart_Doctor
Asa style
ok my dad had a sticker on his old 65 val wagon that said .... Horn broke watch for finger
cudajim
cudajim
Now that's a good story! I'm heading to Miramar tomorrow as well as MCRD San Diego for the Marine Corps League convention.
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