airtraffic

Was working on my 944 cluster.. I put everything back together and now the horn doesn't work.. If I take the ground wire that comes out of the wheel and touch it to one of the brass posts on the steering wheel completing the circuit, the horn sounds, so it would seem the circuit itself is OK. Similarly, if I take the ground wire and attach it to the little post on the horn pad where it normally goes, then take a wire and jump one of the contacts on the horn pad to one of the brass posts on the wheel, the horn sounds. Each contact works when tested. However, when I try to put the horn pad on the wheel and push it, the horn does not work. I then did an experiment.. I took the black plastic spacers that hold the horn pad in place off (The round plastic **** that holds the springs from the pad.) thus leaving only the brass studs on the steering wheel. I then rested the horn pad on the studs ensuring the contacts made contact with the studs. When I turned the key to "ON" the horn sounded. This leads me to believe that with everything put back together the way it it "Should be" I am not getting the studs to make contact with the horn pad contacts. Can anybody help me with this? I did try to add spaces forcing the stud to stand off farther from the plastic, but that didn't seem to work.

Thanks in advance.
Eric

pnbell

You really just have to push it on there! Make sure the wire is connected to the pad, and the push it on... Should click into place.. I've had mine do this a couple times; feels like its fully on, but still need another push

airtraffic

I do know the wire is on it's post and completing the circuit.. I am using a jumper wire from contact on the back of the horn pad to the brass stud on the steering wheel and the horn does sound. It would not do so if the wire from the steering wheel to the horn pad was not making good contact.

The only thing I cannot figure out is why the horn will not sound when I place the horn pad on the three studs when they are attached to the wheel with the plastic ***** and springs in place. If I put the three brass studs on the wheel, then place the horn pad on the studs without the springs, (This way I KNOW FOR SURE that the contacts on the back of the horn pad contact the studs) the horn sounds.. (Of course I'd annoy myself and all of the other drivers with my horn on constantly) Put the plastic ***** back on the brass studs and no more horn. It's like the plastic is somehow insulating the circuit from grounding.. Or not allowing the contacts on the back of the horn pad to make contact with the studs.

yorkee

you have the 4 pt steering wheels? loosen those golden screws so it stick out more, so when u press the pad the screws will touch the conductor...

airtraffic

Update.. Yorkee.. This is exactly what I did. I added washers so that the contacts on the horn pad would be closer to the brass studs on the wheel. I had to add 6 small washers to each stud! ???

So, the horn worked all right.. A little too well! I was driving down the street and the horn started honking on it's own! Now I didn't have enough clearance! (people thought I was honking at them.. Probably thought some obnoxious Porsche driver wanted them out of the way.) I pulled one washer off the stack, and then the horn stopped working. And would not work again. This is really strange! I didn't do anything to the wheel or the horn pad, I just took it apart to do some work on the cluster, and then put it back together. When I added the washers to push the studs out, they were waaaay out there. I don't understand how this clearance could have changed from what it was originally to whatever it is now. Before there were no washers, and the brass studs barely stuck our from the black plastic grommet. Now they stick way out. 6 washers are too many, 5 are not enough? what's going on here?