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[LethalWolfe]

Long story short, my car horn is stuck "on" so I've had the fuse pulled for 3 months 'cause I don't have the $500 to get it fixed. What I want to do is rig a toggle switch (mounted on the dash) to the fusebox so I can turn my horn off & on. The only thing I'm unsure of is the best way to wire it to the fusebox. Suggestions?

Lethal

 

[JC]

Are you sure it's not just a stuck horn relay? That should be cheap and easy to fix. Why is it $500 to fix?

JC

 

[LethalWolfe]

<< Are you sure it's not just a stuck horn relay? That should be cheap and easy to fix. Why is it $500 to fix?

JC >>



One of the horn "sensors" in the steering wheel has gotten ulta-sensitive to the point that normal road vibrations will set it off. And the sensors in the steering wheel and the airbag are housed in one big unit. So the only way to replace the bad sensor is to replace the airbag too. *That* (thank you GM) is why it'll cost $500 (plus labor) to fix this properly.


Lethal

 

[JC]

Well then I think you just need to identify the horn wire that runs up the steering column (piece of cake, right? ) and hook it to your new dash-mounted switch. The other wire
on your switch just goes to ground. Any help?

JC

 

[LethalWolfe]

<< Well then I think you just need to identify the horn wire that runs up the steering column (piece of cake, right? ) and hook it to your new dash-mounted switch. The other wire
on your switch just goes to ground. Any help?

JC >>



Hmmm... never thought 'bout doing it that way. So ramming a coupla wires into the fusebox (where the "horn" fuse would go) is a bad way to go at this? Just asking 'cause, obviously, I haven't done this before.

Lethal

 

[JC]

Oh you just want to turn the power on and off, I see. I suppose, but what if the horn switch starts working or takes a complete dump? Prolly a spotty fix. Bypassing the horn switch
is probably the better fix.

JC

 

[LethalWolfe]

Good point. Hehehe time to bust out the tools Muh-Muh-Muhahaha. If something goes wrong I'll make sure my next of kin post of my demise


Lethal

 

[JC]

Ahhhh, it's only 12 volts....but if the air bag went off in your face, ouch j/k

JC

 

[mastertech01]

Expensive horn button isnt it.. Some Fords are made this way. If it has less than 50000 miles on the car it should be covered by the safety warranty of the car. Otherwise do it like JC1V said. You dont really want to use the fuse as it may control other accessories, like the cruise control.

 

[LethalWolfe]

<< Expensive horn button isnt it.. Some Fords are made this way. If it has less than 50000 miles on the car it should be covered by the safety warranty of the car. Otherwise do it like JC1V said. You dont really want to use the fuse as it may control other accessories, like the cruise control. >>



She's got 82k miles on her. The horn has it's own fuse (it's been pulled since July and everything else works). Now I can be all cool and say things like "hey, baby. Wanna see my horn kill switch?"


Lethal

 

[mastertech01]

If it has 2 horn buttons in the pad like many I have seen, you may be able to remove the airbag and disable the bad switch and stil use the good switch. If it just has one in the center you will be left with what you already know.

 

[LethalWolfe]

<< If it has 2 horn buttons in the pad like many I have seen, you may be able to remove the airbag and disable the bad switch and stil use the good switch. If it just has one in the center you will be left with what you already know. >>




It actually has 4 (one in each corner of the padl). I've pulled the unit out (thinking of doing what you just suggested) and it's connected by plug that's made up of two wires. I'm assuming one is for the horn, the other for the airbag. I think the 4 pad buttons all converge and "exit" the pad via the same wire, but I don't wanna go diggin' 'round my airbag to find out.

Lethal

 

[mastertech01]

Cool, I dont recommend digging around an Air Bag either..to risky. Well your only other alternatives are to go with a salvage yard or call up GM if you are the original owner and Biatch like a banshee... sometimes they will pay half the replacement or even all of it on safety related items like that.

 

[LethalWolfe]

Unfortunetly, I'm not the original owner. I've heard that some insurance companies will pay to have yer airbag replaced if it deploys (I haven't had a chance to confirm this w/my insurance company yet, though). If my insurance would pay for it then my problem is half solved...
Insurnace: So, you came out to your car in the morning to go to work and you noticed the airbag had deployed?
Me: That's correct.
Insurance: But when you left your car last night the airbag _was not_ deployed?
Me: That's correct. I'm thinking it might have been a stray cat...



Lethal

 

[mastertech01]

They might replace it simply due to the horn problem, seeing it as a safety issue. It may be hard to convince them of a self deployment. Ive removed thousands of airbags with the battery connected and system active and never had one deploy. In all these years Ive only seen one self deploy and the undercarriage of the car showed suspect damage underneath. And in most airbag deployments other damage can occur, like windows get blown out.. etc

 

[rival]

if you get a new horn or whatever, get one that goes "AWOOOOOOOOGGGGAA" really really load