The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay horn help

i have a 65 chevy c 10 . i put in a new horn button in the steering wheel . know the horn goes off all the time like the new button is stuck .can any one tell me how to fix

thanks when i replaced the button i put it back togeather like it came apart. how would i check horn relay.

If the horn wasn't blowing all the time before you installed the horn button and it is now, logic would dictate the problem is in the installation of the new button. Something is making contact where it shouldn't. Odds that the relay suddenly went bad are not good. It could happen but not likely. As much of a pain as it sounds the best thing to do is pull the button assy apart until you find the problem.

You may be dealing with the problem I had initially when I installed some missing pieces in my steering wheel horn assembly on my 66 pu. If you tighten the 3 attaching screws for the inner cup of the horn button (attaching the plastic sleeves), it pulls the inner cup down and flattens out the spring behind it, making continual contact with the horn spring, making the horn sound all the time.
You need to back off on those 3 screws enough to allow the inner cup to have some back and forth play.
Bert

Pop the button off with the plate and screws still installed, disconnect the wire from the horn plate, if it still goes off replace the relay.
If it doesn't go off make sure the button fits correctly and isn't hitting the wheel or nut anywhere.

However, if it's still going off and you know the relay is good, check this:
-The spring that goes over the wheel nut should only be touching the plastic/formica side of the button plate. If the spring touches metal the horn goes off.

The three screws that hold the plate in place have a stepped shank to set the height of the heads and provide proper clearance for the switch. Unless the replacmeent part is wrong or they are the wrong screws you should be able to tighten them w/o the horn plate touching the wheel. If not, do what BurBert said.
The screws should not be contacting the metal portion of the plate either.

Freq2002,
Thanks for your information.

I am currently trying to fix my horn as well - last thing to do before I can have it registered and insured.

You, said something about disconnecting the wire from the horn plate, and the spring should be only touching the plastic side of the button plate.

I am a little confused, as my set up sounds like it is different, but perhaps mine is missing parts.

I have looked at all the diagrams I can find, but none clearly lay out the parts in order. Perhaps someone has a more detailed one of the horn assembly.

Starting at the dash, in order of appearance or location;
1. wiring from harness
2. horn ring (metal circle behind the turn signal unit).
3. Copper spring, plug and plastic sleeve (goes thru steering wheel)
4. steering wheel with metal center (for attaching all the horn button bits)
5. plate spring with 3 holes
6. plastic insert plus screws to hold spring,and inner cup
7. Horn button (rubber rim pushes into the cup) which pushes inner cup down to make connection.

Is this order correct?
I do not have any wire connecting to the spring - does this means something is missing?

Also I don't have a spring over the wheel nut, other than the spring plate. Is that what you were referring to?

Not trying to be a pest or a hijacker, but wanted to make sure I understand, or know what I am missing.

Thanks for your time.
Bert.

Sorry, got mixed up. If you disconnect the wire at the bottom of the steering column and apply power it will tell you if the relay is stuck or the steering wheel is the issue.
Have a look at those wires too, make sure it's not shorting to the column either.

The rest of it is just checking one part at a time. The electrical path is up through the steering wheel via the contact and spring, into the horn button plate, and finally grounded to the wheel when the button is pushed. Assuming the relay is good, find the point of contact and you find your problem.