horn not working

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grassblaster

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mind you this is a 71 challenger. hope no one scolds me for being here.

So I'm working on a couple things. I'm not sure how these things work.

All the horn and wires seem to be in the engine bay with the one wire looks to go into the panel mounted in the fire wall. So it looks all intact.

As for the inside connections i have no clue where to start, other than tear the wheel apart.

I started to take things apart as far as i could.

Here are a couple pictures of that i'm dealing with. I was looking for a broken wire or something. but not sure how to diagnose it from here.
 

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"Simple." LOL

Do you have a good wiring diagram, preferably a factory service manual? Go to MyMopar and download one. You may have to settle for Plymouth as opposed to Dodge.

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=31

Also at MyMopar are these SIMPLIFIED diagrams. These often have options left out, connectors left out, and are not OEM Mopar. But sometimes, they are easier to follow

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1971/71ChallengerA.JPG

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1971/71ChallengerB.JPG

Start by accessing the connector coming out of the steering column, the signal connector. The horn is often a black wire. You can confirm that by measuring power at what you suspect is the horn button wire.........it should be hot at all times, then yank out the horn relay, and that wire should go dead

Once you find that GROUND it, and listen. You should be able to hear the horn relay "click" whether the horns work or not

EDIT just looked at the diagram, and it indeed should be a black wire at one end of the TS switch connector there, coming out of the column

If you hear the relay click, "move" your meter / test lamp out to the horn wire and see if the relay is supplying power.

The relay in your car, by the way, should be plugged into the fuse panel / bulkhead connector assembly if I recall

Likely trouble in no particular order:

Horn button, TS switch harness connector, bad or missing relay, fuses, bad connection through the bulkhead connector, or bad horns or not grounded.
 
67Dart273 said:
"Simple." LOL

Do you have a good wiring diagram, preferably a factory service manual? Go to MyMopar and download one. You may have to settle for Plymouth as opposed to Dodge.

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=31

Also at MyMopar are these SIMPLIFIED diagrams. These often have options left out, connectors left out, and are not OEM Mopar. But sometimes, they are easier to follow

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1971/71ChallengerA.JPG

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1971/71ChallengerB.JPG

Start by accessing the connector coming out of the steering column, the signal connector. The horn is often a black wire. You can confirm that by measuring power at what you suspect is the horn button wire.........it should be hot at all times, then yank out the horn relay, and that wire should go dead

Once you find that GROUND it, and listen. You should be able to hear the horn relay "click" whether the horns work or not

EDIT just looked at the diagram, and it indeed should be a black wire at one end of the TS switch connector there, coming out of the column

If you hear the relay click, "move" your meter / test lamp out to the horn wire and see if the relay is supplying power.

The relay in your car, by the way, should be plugged into the fuse panel / bulkhead connector assembly if I recall

Likely trouble in no particular order:

Horn button, TS switch harness connector, bad or missing relay, fuses, bad connection through the bulkhead connector, or bad horns or not grounded.
Click to expand...


looks like my relay is missing. I think it should go here. Maybe its that simple :)

I just need to figure out what type replay i need. thought i read they changed on my 71. something about a BUZZER included.

don't necessarily want anything buzzing at me
 

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Sure looks like the one, and yes, your photo shows where it goes. I don't remember anymore, I believe there's a way to bend one of the terminals out to disable the buzzer if you don't want it. It was somewhere around 1971 when I did that!!!! ----so it's been "a couple" of years
 
67Dart273 said:
Sure looks like the one, and yes, your photo shows where it goes. I don't remember anymore, I believe there's a way to bend one of the terminals out to disable the buzzer if you don't want it. It was somewhere around 1971 when I did that!!!! ----so it's been "a couple" of years
Click to expand...


Yeah that's been a few years... lol

Ordered. hope its as easy as plugging it in. I'll let ya know what happens.
 
ok so my horns work. Actually they stay on!

I have the cover off. and the wire is not connected so it must be shorting out? right?

so where do i begin finding where the short is?
 
Now most likely in the horn button. Quick way to find out is to pull loose the connector coming out of the column. One is for ignition switch, the other is for turn signals and horn
 
Did you hook the wire back up to the momentary switch assembly? If that wire is grounded the horn honks. Someone could have lost a screw inside the switch assembly and shorted it out as well. Might take it off and examine it closely and tap on the counter lightly and see if anything rattles. Some rocket scientist could have also tapped into the ground lead to power something and cause this too.
 
67Dart273 said:
Now most likely in the horn button. Quick way to find out is to pull loose the connector coming out of the column. One is for ignition switch, the other is for turn signals and horn
Click to expand...


YES!

Let me back up. horn is not stuck on now(relay stuck or something)

anyway when i take this clip apart and ground the black wire. everything works as it should.

so my issue is in my column, my ground wire is not connecting. So the question is

1: how do i get my wheel off? do i need a puller? i got the one nut off but the sleeve portion wont budge.

2: how does the ground travel through the rotating portion of the wheel? I suspect it fell off somewhere there.
 
Getting it apart varies with year / model and even the wheel option. THAT I cannot help you with. Have you downloaded a service manual?
 
Solved!
so someone was in here before and didnt know what they were doing. threw me off. as you can see in the first pic someone connected a wire and screwed it to the bottom of the wheel sleeve.

the wire coming directly off the contact ring is broken.

I'm going to first attempt to braze a connector to the side of it and run the wire up
 

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Well you are makin progress. That's more'n I'm doin LOL
 
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