Is my clock spring or contact ring bad?
01-09-2007, 11:41 PM
#1
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Is my clock spring or contact ring bad? Is my clock spring or contact ring bad?
I finally got my horn to sound, but only from pushing the lock/unlock and panic buttons.
I don't get any voltage to the red wires that go to the switches, and the car has had the airbag deployed before. I bought the car, and "restored" it, but I never remember the horn working. Today, I got halfway there.
I found the small 20 amp fuse was blown, so I replaced it, then the horn honked.. but stayed on continuously. So I figured one of the horn switches was sticking, so I removed the airbag (what was left of it) freed up both switches, and then tried the fuse again. The horn then worked, but with the remote only as stated above.
99 camaro, btw
I know it's probably in the column somewhere but where do I go from here? I've never taken apart a modern column before, but I'm willing to easy to fix this annoyance once and for all.
I finally got my horn to sound, but only from pushing the lock/unlock and panic buttons.
I don't get any voltage to the red wires that go to the switches, and the car has had the airbag deployed before. I bought the car, and "restored" it, but I never remember the horn working. Today, I got halfway there.
I found the small 20 amp fuse was blown, so I replaced it, then the horn honked.. but stayed on continuously. So I figured one of the horn switches was sticking, so I removed the airbag (what was left of it) freed up both switches, and then tried the fuse again. The horn then worked, but with the remote only as stated above.
99 camaro, btw
I know it's probably in the column somewhere but where do I go from here? I've never taken apart a modern column before, but I'm willing to easy to fix this annoyance once and for all.
01-10-2007, 01:11 PM
#2
It would not be the contact ring because that wouldn't cause the horn to stick on. It just provides a continuous electrical contact between the stationary column and the rotating wheel.
The two switches are independant but share a common ground. If you're getting power on the red switch wires then check that the switches have a good ground by using a piece of wire to jump one of the red wires to the switch ground point. If the horn blows then you know the ground is good and the switches are the problem. If the horn doesn't blow you need to fix the ground.
The two switches are independant but share a common ground. If you're getting power on the red switch wires then check that the switches have a good ground by using a piece of wire to jump one of the red wires to the switch ground point. If the horn blows then you know the ground is good and the switches are the problem. If the horn doesn't blow you need to fix the ground.
01-10-2007, 03:23 PM
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I think it's a break in the ground somewhere from the relay box to the column.
On the relay, both oranges are hot. The green when jumpered with one orange works, and the other orange activates the green when the panic button is pressed. I can't seem to get the black terminal (bottom left on the relay socket) to get a ground though.
So that's why I was thinking the contact ring.
I'm not getting anything on the red wires at the switches. The horn sticking on before I removed the air bag was just a theory or odd timing, I'm thinking.
Am I correct in thinking the next step should be to trace the ground from the relay to the column for problems?
Could I replace the relay, and run a jumper from the ground terminal to a proper gorund to do a preliminary test?
Thanks tons, I see that you're the horn guru around here.
On the relay, both oranges are hot. The green when jumpered with one orange works, and the other orange activates the green when the panic button is pressed. I can't seem to get the black terminal (bottom left on the relay socket) to get a ground though.
So that's why I was thinking the contact ring.
I'm not getting anything on the red wires at the switches. The horn sticking on before I removed the air bag was just a theory or odd timing, I'm thinking.
Am I correct in thinking the next step should be to trace the ground from the relay to the column for problems?
Could I replace the relay, and run a jumper from the ground terminal to a proper gorund to do a preliminary test?
Thanks tons, I see that you're the horn guru around here.
01-11-2007, 02:41 PM
#5
Here is the wiring schematic for the horns:
As you can see, the black wire for the relay is grounded by either the BCM or the steering wheel switches to energize the relay and blow the horns. The two orange wires are actually branches of the same power supply circuit (so if one works the other will as well unless a wire is broken).
The first thing to test is the relay. Grounding the black wire at the relay should blow the horn. If it doesn't then the relay is probably the source of the problem. If it does then you'll have to track down why the black wire isn't being grounded normally. It connects to the red wires in the steering wheel so the next thing to test is grounding one of the red wires. If the horn blows then you know the wiring is okay and the switch is the problem. If it doesn't then you should test at the base of the column.
You will find the black wire in the 11-pin connector attached to the base of the steering column between a light green wire and a light blue with white wire. There is also another black wire in the same connector on the other side of the light green wire so be careful to get the correct one. Grounding the black wire should blow the horn. If it does then your problem is in the column - probably the contact ring. If it doesn't then there's a break in the wire someplace between the relay and the steering column.
As you can see, the black wire for the relay is grounded by either the BCM or the steering wheel switches to energize the relay and blow the horns. The two orange wires are actually branches of the same power supply circuit (so if one works the other will as well unless a wire is broken).
The first thing to test is the relay. Grounding the black wire at the relay should blow the horn. If it doesn't then the relay is probably the source of the problem. If it does then you'll have to track down why the black wire isn't being grounded normally. It connects to the red wires in the steering wheel so the next thing to test is grounding one of the red wires. If the horn blows then you know the wiring is okay and the switch is the problem. If it doesn't then you should test at the base of the column.
You will find the black wire in the 11-pin connector attached to the base of the steering column between a light green wire and a light blue with white wire. There is also another black wire in the same connector on the other side of the light green wire so be careful to get the correct one. Grounding the black wire should blow the horn. If it does then your problem is in the column - probably the contact ring. If it doesn't then there's a break in the wire someplace between the relay and the steering column.
06-02-2009, 03:42 PM
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Ok, I replaced the worn out steering wheel with a new one and reinstalled the airbag and now the horn doesn't work. The stud/w spring attached to the two wires just gets pressed down in the hole it originally came out of right? The steering wheel is a factory replacement and for some reason the horn doesn't work now, one a brighter note, it looks much better than the ragged out looking one that was there before. Help please?!
-SS
-SS
06-02-2009, 04:05 PM
#7
The horn wire presses in to the white plastic socket and then twists to lock in. If it can't feel it latch in, you may need to replace the turn signal cam. (Which includes the horn wire socket.) Often, the hook that grabs the black pins on the end of the horn wire, breaks off and the wire looses contact.
