Horn Works Intermittenly?

[scottevest]

Oddly, my horn works only sometimes. I thought for sure it was a fuse, but all my fuses seem fine and when pressing the horn about 20 times, it went off just once. I have noticed that over time it seems hit or miss when it works, but has gotten MUCH worse and feel it is dangerous. I suspect it is simply not getting a good contact. Before digging further, wondering if anyone else has had issues like this.

Scott

 

[scottevest]

All fuses seem "ok"

 

[jmackro]

It's probably one of two things:

- The mechanism in the steering wheel/column that grounds the horn signal wire.

- The horn relay, whose contacts may be oxidized.

I would debug it by using a jumper to momentarily ground the connector on the relay that goes to the steering column. If the horn sounds consistently, then the relay is OK, pointing the finger at the steering wheel assembly. If not, then it's the relay.

If the problem is in the steering column, it could be the contact brush:

 

[Dick Steinkamp]

If BOTH horns don't work, it is likely what Jay posted. If one works and one doesn't, it's the horn.

Here's a few tips if that is the case...

Mein Hochtonhorn ist kaputt.

Like it says my high tone horn is broken. It sounds so much better in German though doesn't it? I know they are relatively cheap but they may also be easily repairable so has someone fixed their own tooter. And before I pull it apart is something going to go SPROING followed by the words...

e9coupe.com

 

[Arde]

Well, it is much worse and dangerous when the horn works all the time, as it happened to my Fulvia once. You get to know lots of strangers that somehow want to have a say about you...
In the coupe I did replace the carbon that Jay shows, but it is more likely a ground problem I believe. Unless you replaced the steering wheel.

Oddly, my horn works only sometimes...

Scott

 

[scottevest]

Extremely helpful information. Thank you very much. I’d leave my Clock which was working well for a while stop working and I suspect there might be something similar related as well. I really appreciate this group