WTF horn issue

[gregmajor]

Good afternoon, folks!

I’m trying to figure out why my ‘79 does t have a horn. I picked up some parts from LMC in anticipation, but now I’m kinda baffled.

I pulled the steering wheel and started inspecting, but I’m confused by what I’m seeing (and not seeing). Nothing seems to match up to the diagrams I’ve got. The plunger (not the steering lock) doesn’t do anything.

Maybe a bad fuse/relay? I’m hoping someone that has torn into one of these columns recently can give me a hint.

 

[RetroC10Sport]

Looks like you're missing 2-6

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[Matt69olds]

Find the black wire in the turn signal switch connector. Ground that wire, the horn should sound. If so, the problem is definitely in the column.

If not, you have problems over and beyond the missing parts

 

[gregmajor]

Sorry for resurrecting this zombie, but re-reading Matt69olds' reply raised a question for me. I believe that I have all of the required parts now and that they're installed according to all of the instructions I could find (put a pin in that). I also replaced the horn fuse which was blown.

Now if I ground the pin (the one backed by a spring in the turn signal cam) I can hear the horn relay click. That's progress! What I haven't done is pull out the grille and test to make sure I've got 12V to the horn. When I do, I'll of course test the horn to make sure it isn't bad.

What confuses the heck out of me, however, is that despite being able to make the relay click via grounding it to the steering shaft, when I re-assemble the wheel everything seems to be right. The buckling disc sits where it's supposed to and all that. My expectation is that the relay would click when I hit the horn, but instead I get nothing at all.

Re-reading Matt69olds' reply makes me wonder about the wire he's referencing. I don't see a black wire (reference the pictures in my original post). Where would it connect? I'd like to chase this down before I tear the grille off and chase that rabbit.

Thanks folks!

 

[Goldie Driver]

Matt is talking about the wire harness down below the steering column. Specifically, the female connector that the turn signal switch long male multiple prong connector plugs into.

1st pic I found - the white connector in this pic.

https://www.autozone.com/electrical-and-lighting/turn-signal-switch/p/duralast-switch-sw324/65848_0_0?spps.s=2161&cmpid=LIA:US:EN:AD:NL:1000000:IGN:19489353550&&CATARGETID=120054150001290019&CADevice=m&gad_source=1&gclsrc=ds

 

[gregmajor]

Ah! Thank you for that! Boy, I'm sure looking forward to crawling around under the dash again.

 

[Goldie Driver]

At least its a truck and you have some room !

 

[gregmajor]

Progress! I pulled a horn from a buddy’s salvage Tahoe and now if I ground the spring pin to the steering shaft I e got a horn! What I’m really struggling to understand is how the buckling plate assembly is supposed to work.

I’m assuming that spring pin rides against the back of the steering wheel. If that’s the case, why doesn’t the horn blow constantly? After all, it’s all metal. I don’t understand how that buckling plate is supposed to work. This just isn’t making sense to me at all.

If a screwdriver can connect the pin and the steering shaft to make the horn blow, why wouldn’t the solid metal center of the steering wheel? Is there an insulator I’m not seeing in the wheel? Maybe my pin isn’t making contact with the wheel?

Damn this is harder than it should be!

 

[gregmajor]

Hmmm… so I dabbed a little paint on the end of the plunger and then discovered that my steering wheel nut might be stripped. All I know at this point is that the plunger doesn’t seem to make contact with the steering wheel and that I need to make another trip to the parts store.

 

[Goldie Driver]

When the buckling plate flattens out due to the horn pad being pressed it makes contact with that pin and completes the circuit. The pin goes through a hole in the steering wheel and sits in plastic so it is not in contact with any metal in or on the steering wheel.

If you install the plate and it makes contact with the pin and the steering shift as you are positioning it then the horn will blow assuming the rest of the system is correct.

 

[gregmajor]

Oh crud! I’ve been assembling it all wrong. Holy smokes! Thank you for that! It all makes soooo much more sense now!

 

[gregmajor]

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Something seems wrong. The only hole I can even close doesn’t line up at all. Even if it did, I don’t think it would stick out enough, but I’m not sure.

 

[gregmajor]

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The plunger doesn’t even reach the collar. I swear, I’m going to kidnap a bad clown and just crush his nuts and call it a horn to pass inspection.

 

[gregmajor]

Apologies if I’m offensive. It’s “divorce week” and I’ve been struggling with this ‘79 for a few months. Feels like a one step forward situation. I appreciate everyone’s help.

 

[Goldie Driver]

You are still missing some parts. Go back and look at the pictures in your 1st post. It's the black and white horn components one. Now even that one does not show the lock plate that is missing.

This video still shows the lock plate I am referring to.

saginaw column horn parts - Google Search