Horn issues - pressing horn = horn + wipers!
Discussion
Hi all,
The other day I got cut up somewhere, went for the horn and nothing happened. Kind of forgot about it, but got a reminder yesterday that my MOT is due at the end of Jan, so I should probably look at getting it sorted!
Here's the symptoms:
Ignition off = intermittent (maybe) weak / odd sounding horn. Seemed like I had to wiggle the steering wheel around. I took off the steering wheel boss and cleaned the ring. Still a weak / odd sounding horn, but I think it's solved the intermittent issue at least.
Ignition on = weird sounding horn, but it also makes the wipers do a single wipe (as if you pulled on the stalk to do a wash / wipe)
Searching around has come up with a few things. One post suggested it could possibly the o/s earth point in the transmission tunnel area. I sliced the carpet and that bolt seems tight.
I did find someone suggest that there's some kind of ground under the steering cowl / steering column area, but I'm failing to see anything there?
Another post had issues with the horn making the indicators / high beams / wipers go following a chassis refurb suggested the front frame earth could be the issue - the annoying one under the rad hose. I can just about sort of see the bolt and it doesn't look horrendous at least, but I can't get a spanner on the damn thing.
Is is likely to be this front frame earth? Anything else I could check before having to undo that hose to shift it out of the way and get coolant everywhere?
Cheers
The other day I got cut up somewhere, went for the horn and nothing happened. Kind of forgot about it, but got a reminder yesterday that my MOT is due at the end of Jan, so I should probably look at getting it sorted!
Here's the symptoms:
Ignition off = intermittent (maybe) weak / odd sounding horn. Seemed like I had to wiggle the steering wheel around. I took off the steering wheel boss and cleaned the ring. Still a weak / odd sounding horn, but I think it's solved the intermittent issue at least.
Ignition on = weird sounding horn, but it also makes the wipers do a single wipe (as if you pulled on the stalk to do a wash / wipe)
Searching around has come up with a few things. One post suggested it could possibly the o/s earth point in the transmission tunnel area. I sliced the carpet and that bolt seems tight.
I did find someone suggest that there's some kind of ground under the steering cowl / steering column area, but I'm failing to see anything there?
Another post had issues with the horn making the indicators / high beams / wipers go following a chassis refurb suggested the front frame earth could be the issue - the annoying one under the rad hose. I can just about sort of see the bolt and it doesn't look horrendous at least, but I can't get a spanner on the damn thing.
Is is likely to be this front frame earth? Anything else I could check before having to undo that hose to shift it out of the way and get coolant everywhere?
Cheers
Ok, thanks both!
I just tried running a chunky jump lead from battery to close to the front chassis earth at various points - catch can mounted to upper chassis near rad being the cleanest one - and that made no difference.
Annoyingly it's just started raining. I can try some other points whenever the weather decides to stop!
Oh, also, not sure if it's worth mentioning but I don't seem to have a relay in position 4 either. There's yellow ones in position 1, 2 and 3, then blank 5 and black one in position 5. Horn was working fine and passed MOT last year and I've not touched anything...
I just tried running a chunky jump lead from battery to close to the front chassis earth at various points - catch can mounted to upper chassis near rad being the cleanest one - and that made no difference.
Annoyingly it's just started raining. I can try some other points whenever the weather decides to stop!
Oh, also, not sure if it's worth mentioning but I don't seem to have a relay in position 4 either. There's yellow ones in position 1, 2 and 3, then blank 5 and black one in position 5. Horn was working fine and passed MOT last year and I've not touched anything...
Edited by Mark-ixql7 on Friday 29th December 13:46
Ok, so I tried clipping the jump lead to various places including the door latch, and it made no difference.
It does kind of sound like maybe one of the horns is on its way out or something. I'll try and get a video if that would be useful.
Assume these are the horns (hopefully pics upload)? I've read they're a bit of a nightmare to replace, especially on the later cars with the bar instead of grille, but it doesn't look too bad to me... Famous last words! I may just replace them blindly to be honest as one of them looks a bit scabby! As does the radiator, so I may replace that as well which would presumably give good access to the horns and earth bolt, if it really is a nightmare to replace from the front!
Thank you for your help! I hate car electrics
It does kind of sound like maybe one of the horns is on its way out or something. I'll try and get a video if that would be useful.
Assume these are the horns (hopefully pics upload)? I've read they're a bit of a nightmare to replace, especially on the later cars with the bar instead of grille, but it doesn't look too bad to me... Famous last words! I may just replace them blindly to be honest as one of them looks a bit scabby! As does the radiator, so I may replace that as well which would presumably give good access to the horns and earth bolt, if it really is a nightmare to replace from the front!
Thank you for your help! I hate car electrics
Ah, assume the other horn which I mistook the alarm siren for will be in roughly the same place somewhere? Maybe that's why people say it's a pain, as I couldn't see anything else with my brief look around!
I did wonder whether the door latch bit would be grounded in any way 🙃 but I tried quite a few other points and it made no difference anyway.
Don't suppose anyone would be able to help with which is the horn relay on my car? I don't seem to have relay 4 (as described in a previous post), which seems to commonly referred to as the horn relay. I guess I can probably just pull relays until the horn no longer half-works and assume that's the one?
I did wonder whether the door latch bit would be grounded in any way 🙃 but I tried quite a few other points and it made no difference anyway.
Don't suppose anyone would be able to help with which is the horn relay on my car? I don't seem to have relay 4 (as described in a previous post), which seems to commonly referred to as the horn relay. I guess I can probably just pull relays until the horn no longer half-works and assume that's the one?
Thanks!
Mine doesn't seem to match any there, but some searching suggested it should be in the owners handbook... Which I have! Lo and behold, that seems to match.
I'll give this a go whenever the weather decides to behave for a bit and see what happens. Ta!
Posting a picture here just incase it might help anyone else with what is quoted as the m1238 fusebox. I'm not sure if that's a standard number or specific to this layout etc
Mine doesn't seem to match any there, but some searching suggested it should be in the owners handbook... Which I have! Lo and behold, that seems to match.
I'll give this a go whenever the weather decides to behave for a bit and see what happens. Ta!
Posting a picture here just incase it might help anyone else with what is quoted as the m1238 fusebox. I'm not sure if that's a standard number or specific to this layout etc
Only just got around to looking at this now the weather is improving. I've taken the radiator out to replace with a new one whilst I'm at it. So, it seems to be the drivers side earth from that horn is faulty. After cleaning up the front earth point...
Plugging either horn in to the passenger side and leaving the drivers side unplugged - both horns are working and the wipers don't go.
Plugging either horn in to the drivers side and leaving the passenger side unplugged, horn doesn't sound but the wipers go.
I get no continuity from the drivers side earth lead at the horn. It looks like it's a very short run from there to the front earth point? I'm guessing it must be a break in the wire and the correct thing to do is unwrap it all to try and find it incase there are more breaks... Though it's very tempting to just run a new wire for the horn and call it a day!
Plugging either horn in to the passenger side and leaving the drivers side unplugged - both horns are working and the wipers don't go.
Plugging either horn in to the drivers side and leaving the passenger side unplugged, horn doesn't sound but the wipers go.
I get no continuity from the drivers side earth lead at the horn. It looks like it's a very short run from there to the front earth point? I'm guessing it must be a break in the wire and the correct thing to do is unwrap it all to try and find it incase there are more breaks... Though it's very tempting to just run a new wire for the horn and call it a day!
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