240z horn is weak. Should I replace?

[MarkDixon]

I have a 71' 240z and the horn works but it sounds very very muffeled. It only lasts for a few seconds, even if I continue to press on it.

Do you think I should just replace the horns, or could it be something like the horn relay is bad?

Thanks,

Mark

[zman525]

try checking the connections and maybe disconnect it and then clean everything. You might be gettin a bad ground. This has happened to me on lets see... 6 cars that i have fixed. Could be a really simple thing like that. kinda doubt the horn or relay is gone but if what i say doesnt work try replacing them

[SteveJ]

Check/clean your electrical connections, especially the one on the steering wheel. That's a lot cheaper/easier than replacing the horn relay.

[=Resurected280=]

You can also take the horn apart, just be careful, I took mine apart and cleaned them real good with solvent and compressed air (as well as cleaned the connections) and even though the car sat for 17 years they worked after I did this.

[EScanlon]

That your horn honks when you press the steering wheel horn pad says that your relay is working. That it is muffled or not "loud" can either be due to a bad ground or connection at the actual horn (and actually either one or BOTH horns) as has been mentioned, OR it can be due to a corroded contact at the steering wheel. The LAST possibility is that the horn itself is becoming corroded inside and not able to resonate properly.

To test the horn(s), you can connect a wire from the positive pole on the battery directly to the spade connector on the horn. Be careful as it will be LOUD if it's working properly. If it is not, then that's the first thing to fix. First check to make sure that it is grounded to the chassis properly, and that the spade connector isn't corroded. If both of these checks don't correct it then check the horn itself.

Before you disassemble the horn, check to see if adjusting the screw on the back of the horn will allow it to make sound. Usually all you have to do is to loosen the lock nut and loosen or tighten the set screw to make the horn both change it's note / tone or start working again. Don't make major adjustments, usually all it takes is just a few degrees of turn to change the tone or make it honk.

If the horn worked with the direct connection to the battery, then you need to address either the relay or the steering column wipe contact.

The steering column wipe contact is easiest but it requires removal of the steering wheel to ensure that the copper contact that wipes the back of the steering wheel is making proper contact. Sometimes (rare though) that contact gets corroded and can heat up when electricity flows through it which causes it to bend and loose contact. Usually though, someone has gotten in there and "adjusted" the wipe and it's not making a full flat faced contact with the steering wheel.

The relay? Not much to fix there, just replace it with any standard horn relay. I've yet to have one fail (they don't normally go bad from use, except maybe in Italy or ?)

HTH

Enrique

[MarkDixon]

Thanks guys,

I have refinished my steering wheel so I'm sur my problem is at the horn. I have not gotten around to cleaning this area, as no one sees it, and it has not much to do with making my car work. (i have spent long hours on carbs, breaks, and such)

I will get up there and try these things.

Thanks again,

Mark