What's up with my horn?

Discussion in 'Technical' started by soooulpower, Apr 29, 2009.

  1. soooulpower

    soooulpower Semi-Informed Tinkerer

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    Well the horn on the gold Maverick is not working. I don't know much a bout horns, so I'm stuck. There is only one blue wire coming off of it and it leads to a wiring harness. Shouldn't it be grounded or something? How would I wire in an aftermarket if the horn button is broken?
     
  2. DaMadman

    DaMadman 3 pedals & 8cylinders=FUN

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    It is probably the horn its self. I have the same problem. Horn worked fine one day and the next time I when to "beep beep" there was nothing. The goofy thing about our cars is there is no fuse in the fuse box for the horn, it is a circuit breaker that is built into the headlight switch.

    As far as ground wire, the horn is metal and is grounded through the case to the inner fender that it is bolted to.

    To test and see if it is the horn or something else, hook a multimeter (set on the 12 volt range) to the wire and ask someone to push the horn button, of course you have to do this while the car (or at least the key) is in the on position. But when they push the horn button you should get 12 volts between the wire going to the horn and a good ground.
     
  3. soooulpower

    soooulpower Semi-Informed Tinkerer

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    That's good to know. I was completely out of my element when looking at that horn. I was just like "What the heck is this? What's going on here? How did it work in the first place?" I have 2 other horns so I think I'll be fine. Thanks. :tiphat:
     
  4. cdeal28078

    cdeal28078 Member

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    All I know anything about is the 67-72 F100's but a lot of that transfers over. On those the horn button works by making a connection in the steering wheel. When you hit the button you are completing the path to ground.
    If that path the ground is broke in the steering column the horn does not work. There is a metal strap where the steering column connects to the steering box at the Rag joint. This looks like a round piece of conveyor belt.
    This piece of metal makes the ground path between the steering column and the steering gear box. If it breaks the horn won't work.
    Take a piece of wire and temp. connect it to the steering column and the body or chassis somewhere and try the horn. If it works there is your problem.
    On my trucks I always fix up a small jumper wire for more permanent use.
    If that does not work there is bound to be a horn relay somewhere on the firewall or inner fender. I would see if that has power to it.
    I'll get used to these Mavericks pretty soon but from what I just looked at the 72 Rag joint looks just like the one on my 71 F100
    clint
     

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