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markowyo · 10-29-2007, 04:47 PM

I just went through this last weekend, with my '64 Cutlass' original steering wheel. It is best, and pretty easy, to isolate the problem before trying to fix what you think might be wrong/missing.

1st, test the horns. They are grounded, so just jumper a hot lead from the battery to the horns, at the horn and make sure they work. If not, could be the ground or the horn.

2nd, test the horn relay. This is on my firewall, probably is for yours too. An electrical schematic is desireable here ... but the relay takes the low current circuit that goes through your steering wheel and horn buttons and converts it to a higher current feed to your horns. The coil relay is always hot, and the (on mine) green wire hot going in to the relay gets grounded (mine is black, so green/hot into the relay, black/ground out)) by the horn button which then pulls the horn relay coil down which closes the contact on the always-hot line and thus beeps your horn. You can remove the whole relay and test it off the car, or you can remove the harness connector and jumper on to your relay hot (mine is green) and you should hear the relay go "click". If it is clicking fine, then the problem is probably at the steering wheel.

3rd, the steering wheel button grounds the (mine is green to black) circuit through the relay. You can take off your steering wheel and ground the brass spring loaded contact and your horn should beep (if the above 2 things are working). If they do, than the contacts inside your steering wheel are probably dirty or broken. The contacts are spring loaded and need to press in nicely, onto clean contacts.

Turns out my horns worked (1), I had to clean my realy contacts (2), and my steering wheel contacts and spring were kinda weak and dirty (3). Once I got the horn relay working and the contacts clean, she sings like an opera star.

Hope this helps.

10-29-2007, 04:47 PM	#6 (permalink)
markowyo Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: northern Wyoming Posts: 26	horn troubleshooting I just went through this last weekend, with my '64 Cutlass' original steering wheel. It is best, and pretty easy, to isolate the problem before trying to fix what you think might be wrong/missing. 1st, test the horns. They are grounded, so just jumper a hot lead from the battery to the horns, at the horn and make sure they work. If not, could be the ground or the horn. 2nd, test the horn relay. This is on my firewall, probably is for yours too. An electrical schematic is desireable here ... but the relay takes the low current circuit that goes through your steering wheel and horn buttons and converts it to a higher current feed to your horns. The coil relay is always hot, and the (on mine) green wire hot going in to the relay gets grounded (mine is black, so green/hot into the relay, black/ground out)) by the horn button which then pulls the horn relay coil down which closes the contact on the always-hot line and thus beeps your horn. You can remove the whole relay and test it off the car, or you can remove the harness connector and jumper on to your relay hot (mine is green) and you should hear the relay go "click". If it is clicking fine, then the problem is probably at the steering wheel. 3rd, the steering wheel button grounds the (mine is green to black) circuit through the relay. You can take off your steering wheel and ground the brass spring loaded contact and your horn should beep (if the above 2 things are working). If they do, than the contacts inside your steering wheel are probably dirty or broken. The contacts are spring loaded and need to press in nicely, onto clean contacts. Turns out my horns worked (1), I had to clean my realy contacts (2), and my steering wheel contacts and spring were kinda weak and dirty (3). Once I got the horn relay working and the contacts clean, she sings like an opera star. Hope this helps.