Need some help with my HORN... NO HORN!

[ZSaint]

I bought my '71 in CA and drove it back to Salem. I totally disassembled the car, restored it and have it back on the road. It did not have any horn when I drove it from Salinas to Salem. After taking the wiring out of it and doing a full over & under paint job and reinstalling the wiring... Still NO HORN. OK, I bought a new horn relay and installed it and... Still NO HORN. What is the process to check out the horn. I have a 11X14 wiring schematic but where do I start? I guess I need to see if I have power at the horn button, right? I can also try to see if my horns work with an APU battery source. I can just hook up each horn to see if it works. OK, if the horns work, where do I go?

Or, should I just take it to the auto electric place and have them trouble shoot it. I would like to TRY and solve this problem. But if all else fails, I will take it to Jefferson Auto Electric. For $100+ they will fix it!

[EScanlon]

Not sure if the horn relay provides constant power or "stutters" it. (i.e. Not a one time connect, but a series of "on-off" bursts as long as the relay is activated.)

Maybe someone can chime in with that. IIRC older horns required the "chatter" relay in order to sound. Remember horns are like speakers,the current to them isn't just "on", it fluctuates. Not sure if the Z had horns with the later armature.

But, to check which way to save money, put a test light into the circuit AT the horn's location and have someone actuate the horn button. Whether you get light or not will tell you if it is the horn or the circuitry (with a possibility of it STILL being the horn).

Then again, there's the ubiquitous "Did you check the fuse?"

HTH

Enrique

[gnosez]

Most horn problems I seen on Zs (and older cars in general) are related to the following issues:

1) no power (fuse or connection)

2) no ground

3) bad horns

4) contact at horn button not touching (either worn or bent)

[kenz240z]

Hi ZSaint, did you repaint the firewall? If so, did you remove the steering column before hand? Then you might remove the bolts that mount the steering column to the firewall (from the passenger compartment side) and chase the threads to remove any paint that is in there.

I had a similar problem with no horn after I refinished the engine bay in my Z. I checked the fuse, verified continuity in the wiring with a DVM, replaced the horn relay, etc... all to no avail. It turns out that depressing the horn button grounds the low current side of the relay, and the path to ground is through the steering column and the bolts that mount it to the firewall. I learned this the hard way...

If memory serves, the horn relay has three contacts: H, S, B. H is the connection to the horns, S is the connection to the horn button and B is the connection to the battery.

Here's a quick way to check for a poor ground: remove the horn button pad. You should see a ring with 3 mounting screws, and a screw with a black wire. Get a jumper wire and connect one end to the screw with the black wire and touch the other end of the jumper to a known good ground. If the horns sound, then you most likely have a grounding problem in the horn button path, and cleaning those threads should help.

[ZSaint]

I have done a few of these things on the Z. I have taken the bolts out of the firewall and made certain they were clean. I have a solid contact there. I have checked the fuzes and they are OK. I have replaced the horn relay. All of the pieces are OK but no power to the horns (so it seems). I will go through the process that was stated. I will check the horn button to see if I have power. After that I will go to the horn relay and see if I have power to the relay. (I will check each horn to make certain they work, as well) I do have an ace in the hole. A buddy of mine is coming down to help with the Z. He is a retired mechanical engineer and is right at home with the electrics. I want to solve this horn problem before he gets here. He is going to help me with the electronic ignition istallation. I do not want to overwhelm him!

One problem I have seen... The horns were very rusty when I got the car. It came from Salinas near the coast. I bead blasted the horns and painted them. I wonder if the "vibrator" in the horns is seized up... rusted? Hmmm. I will check the horns first. I can get other horns. Yeah, that's the ticket!

[ZSaint]

I went thru the drill to find out why the horn did not work, I tested each horn and they both worked. (Kinda weak at first... Not blown for several years!) I then got down and tested the horn relay. I got the horn to work. I then tested the horn button. I grounded the wire but no horn. I removed the steering wheel and tested the brass paddle tensioner. Horn worked. I stretched the brass paddle "spring" to add tension... Still no horn. I then took the horn assy apart thinking the black wire had come apart. It was all intact. Hmmm??? I then started to look at the ring around the back of the hub. I could not see any marks from the brass paddle tensioner. I looked at the adjustment and the spring 'moved'. Aha! I then moved the tensioner a bit wider and the horn started working instantly.

I tightened the spring paddle tensioner (tiny phillips screw) so it would not move (again). Who would have thought that the horn did not work because the brass tensioner had gotten loose and moved off the circular pad that it makes contact with (when the wheel is turned). It apparently was on the plastic piece that separates the horn ring from the wheel hub. I bet this is one for the books!

[sblake01]

When I bought my 810 I had to clean that ring on the back of the steering wheel to get the horn to work. Of course, I looked everywhere else first like you did!

[ZSaint]

I hope this info is stored in the "search" mode. People need to start with the simple things to fix their horns.

[kenz240z]

ZSaint, I'm glad to hear you solved your horn problem. I don't feel so bad about how much time & effort I spent in diagnosing the horns on my Z, sounds like others have had the same experience.

[ZSaint]

GNOSEZ had the correct item listed as #4. I just re-read all of these posts and Gnosez had it right on his list. Well thought out post. I hope everyone who has horn problems will read these posts. I believe we covered this problem and will be able to help most people.

[TomoHawk]

Don't forget to lube the brass contact ring so you don't wear out your paddle button. Also make sure that the paddle won't get loose and let the paddle move around and accidentally touch ground. Mine did once about 10pm (in the driveway!?) one night.:mad:

Just make sure you don't strip the little plastic part the small paddle screw goes into, and don't break it off!

[ZSaint]

I just put the s/wheel back on yesterday. I put some 'sylglide' on the brass ring. It is all tight and lubed. It should last for another 35 years! It is amazing how the horns start working better and better. They actually sound like a Datsun, now. At first, they were very weak and had no volume. After being honked several times, they "healed" themselves!