Swapped out OG steering wheel for a 13.5” grant wheel, which I don’t love but it was free, and better than the old 16” wheel (I think). Either way plan on getting a better, wood wheel but having a time trying to find one I like. In any case….

Center cap suddenly popped off while parked in my driveway (which I’ve read is a common problem w Grant), and horn blared uncontrollably, so I disconnected the lead. (The plastic contact ring from the kit was resting on the metal part of the wheel).

I disconnected / removed battery to both reconnect center cap (which holds plastic contact ring in place and off the metal) and also perform some work to the front end (swapped out the headlight housing on driver side, which was a bigger hassle than I expected, having to loosen entire bumper to get the damn thing in and out). Digressing….

reconnected battery, tested horn… nothing but a puff of smoke from beneath the center cap… not in the column, definitely from behind the wheel.

removed everything to the column, including grant hub adapter. Nothing looks burnt or melted, though the spring (OG) looks to be blackened on one end…

thoughts?

fyi, I can blow the horns by tapping the relay with my finger, to make the contact work. Could it be the relay anyway?

pics up in request…

 

Not familiar with grant steering wheels or adapters but generally speaking if you get a puff of smoke it means there was a short to ground that cause heat and burning of something. If you can only see evidence on the spring then maybe, maybe there was some foriegn substance there, dust, mouse house, a piece of old wire insulation, something that burnt when there was a short in the area of the spring. If your fuse didn't blow then it was a current less than what the fuse is rated at but it seems that would not be probable, check your fuse. Bottom line, there is something amiss within the grant wheel horn button assembly.

 

there's a fuse? I checked the box and the spec sheets and didn't see one for the horn. Looking online just now I also don't see one labeled horn for a 68. But here's another confusing element. Just about all the videos/pics I see of the column with the wheel removed show a black plate over the plastic horn cam. LIke this one:

My 68 doesn't have that... And, all the instructions I see show the horn cam at the 10 o'clock position, but, without that black cover, mine cam can be placed anywhere on the shaft (as I think it should, so it has constant contact with the horn plunger). While, I don't think this is a major factor in the overall functionality of the horn, I am trying to get everything back to the factory-correct setup, and having the cam seated correctly seems like it might be important for one reason or another. Here are some pics.

PS — the pic where I am holding the cam: is that the correct placement for the tubular metal ring?

 

The black metal plate with the spokes on the outer edge are for locking the steering wheel. It looks like you have the correct placement of the parts although again I am not familiar with the metal plate in the last photo. The plastic ring with the copper ring attached is so that the wire from your horn button will always be in contact with the copper "button" inside the turn signal canceling cam/emergency flasher switch shown in the first photograph. Then when you depress the horn button on the steering wheel you are completing the circuit to ground and the horns will sound as they are in series with the button, ring, and finally the switch. In the last photo, I think the "top" side of the retainer spring should somehow be held down to keep pressure on the copper contact for the horn wire to the copper ring on the plastic ring, again the aftermarket metal plate is confusing me a bit.

 

I just ran across this thread with a good post buy Joe P. where you can plainly see all the stock parts.

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...4/horn-174397/

 

Thanks Dan,

It seems this car did not come with the steering wheel lock plate (that photograph is of another person's post). Either that or it was removed by a previous owner. I guess I could add it, but I probably won't bother. In any case, the horn works again after reassembling, but, I never found the source of the short.

Ultimately, I believe the short affected the relay, and that was the issue, though not exactly sure how. There are scorch marks on the relay, and, for some reason, sparks fly when I take off the metal cover. However, upon disconnecting and reconnecting, the horn works.

This was the case when I bought the car too — Horn did not work, but after I disconnected, tested and reinstalled the relay it worked again. Seems like it somehow is resetting, but I realize that doesn't really make much sense.

 

Helpful. I am missing the lockplate and the preload spring (it seems the latter is only needed for the former anyway). Again, might add it later but it maybe the '68 didn't come with this anyway.

I have the build manual so I'll check that when I'm able and update here

 

Ok now that you mention the relay acting up I think I agree that the puff of smoke may have come from it since you saw scorch marks. Why not just replace the relay with a new one? I have seen those old style electro/mechanical relays with movable spring contacts get scorched and the contacts become sticky, kind of like the points do in the distributor when they get old and worn. That might be it.

 

yes, probably will do that. And what should have been obvious to me was not: the '68 didn't have a lock plate — the ignition key is on the dash, not the column!

 

Well there you go. I should have remembered that because I have a '68 Vista parts car and the key is on the dash on that too.