Klayfish

As much as I've been obsessed with cars, I've never learned much about how to fix them myself, but I've always really wanted to. I've been hesitant to do anything to the Olds myself besides changing its' oil, for fear of "messing it up". In fact, I had recently started to search for another project car to tinker with. But I need to get over that stupid fear of messing the Olds up. It's not a concourse show car, I didn't pay a fortune for it, and unless I'm wrong, it's a pretty simplistic car. Plus, as big as it is, there's tons of room for a novice's fumbling fingers. The only way to learn is to get in there and do it, and if I get stuck, I can always get a mechanic to help me.

I'm going to start real small…well, at least I hope it's small. This is an electrical issue. The horn works fine when I press the horn button. However, the horn is also going off about 2/3 of the times I touch the turn signal stalk. It seems to happen more frequently if I touch the stalk farther out towards the end and less if I grab it near the steering column. When it honks, it's not one long honk, it's several short ones. Gives quite a shock to everyone nearby…horns back then were a lot louder than modern ones!! Ideas on what's causing this and how to fix it? Keep in mind I'm new at this. Thanks.

oldcutlass

Yes, the older cars in genearal are pretty simple!

When you say touch, do you mean operate?? Possibly a chafed wire in the steering column, basically your horn is looking for a ground to operate the relay!

Klayfish

Yes, when I go to activate the turn signal, it's often accompanied by a honk of the horn. It happens just about as soon as I touch the stalk. How do I check the wires in the column?

Blaster

Sounds like rotted or frayed insulation on a horn wire in the steering column, & movement of the turn stalk is causing the wire to make ground or contact where it normally shouldn't ... ...

jaunty75

If you're going to be taking apart the steering column, you should definitely get a '65 Olds Chassis service manual if you don't have one.

Alternatively, you can see it for free at the wildaboutcars.com website, which you would have to join but which is free to do.

oldcutlass

This is very good advice!! You will need to remove the steering wheel to get a look inside the column! Like I said above quite possibly a chafed wire!

Klayfish

Thanks!! Would the chassis service manual go step by step on how to remove the wheel? Even though I "understand" cars, like I said, never done this stuff before myself.

redoldsman

Funny, I remember my 60 Impala doing that. People in the intersection would get really pizzed since they thought you were blowing you horn at them. There was some part in there I replaced but it has been so long ago I can't remember. Apparently it was fairly common. The Impala was only about 5 years old at the time (it was a Roman Red convertible with 3 2's and a 4-speed and it hurts to think about it).

RAMBOW

is the turnsignal arm loose?

About 6 months ago my 3 year old son broke mine while playing in my car- The switch inside the collumn that the arm attaches to broke- the arm was still hooked, but loose- and when the metal handle touched the metal steering column housing.... HOOOOONNNNNKKKKKK.... Each time we'd tap the arm it would honk.

This happened at a friends house and i had to drive home. I wrapped the arm with kleenex to keep it from grounding & honking.

It was a simple fix, just a new turn signal switch. It was really easy to change in the early cars. Removed Wheel, removed a couple bolts holding the switch into place remove screw holding the arm to the switch... unplugged wires under the dash. Reverse to re-install.

That is- assuming thats the problem. You can test it by wrapping the turnsignal arm in tape or soething at the base where it goes into the steering collumn to see if the problem goes away. If it does, likely you switch is broken.

jaunty75

Yes. Get yourself over to the wildaboutcars.com website, register, find the Oldsmobile factory publications link on the left. Click on that, then click on Factory Service Manuals, then click on 1965 Service Manuals, then click on the second document..Factory Service Manual Part 2. Then click on the last document, section 8, Steering. What you want starts on page 8-32, which shows disassembly of the steernig column and much more.

Red Delta

LOL! It's really cute when they love to be in your old car. I also had to ban my boy from playing in there. He was really rough with the signal stalk and pulled all of the buttons off of the dash and it took a while to find one. That, as they say, was the end of that.

Klayfish

Thanks again! I'll download the service manuals for sure.

Red Delta, I feel your pain. I've got 3 little ones. Oldest is 7, and I have twins that are 4. They love to sit in Daddy's cars. Before they get in, I always tell them not to touch the stalks. Not that they always listen... Anyway, I'm pretty sure my stalk isn't broken. It works fine and doesn't have any "play" in it. My steering wheel looks like the one you have in the picture. The horn buttons are on the spokes, not the center of the wheel.