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pon Samba Member
Joined: November 26, 2007 Posts: 12 Location: oakland
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:57 am Post subject: '79 Horn Problem |
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The horn on my '79 bus doesn't function. The horn itself is OK, there is power to the horn, the horn button works fine and there is a ground connection when the horn button is depressed. The 12 v is not getting to the connection on the horn. The schematics indicate the wire from the horn going to the horn button passes through a connector behind the instrument panel.
My questions are these:
- Does the black wire coming up the center of the steering column to the horn button come all the way up the column or is it in the bundle of wires coming into the steering column just below the ignition switch?
- Regardless of where it comes from, where specifically is the connection that brings the wire into the inside of the bus?
Many thanks..... Wally Oakland,CA |
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Randy in Maine Samba Member

Joined: August 03, 2003 Posts: 34890 Location: The Beach
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:55 am Post subject: |
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| Has your steering wheel been off lately? If so, mount it 180ยบ from where it is now and see what happens. |
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pon Samba Member
Joined: November 26, 2007 Posts: 12 Location: oakland
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 2:26 pm Post subject: |
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The horn didn't work when I bought it so I have no idea if it has been removed recently. I don't understand how I'll pick up the 12v by rotating it. Can you enlighten me please?
Thanks.... Wally |
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renobdarb Samba Member

Joined: September 13, 2005 Posts: 878 Location: Eastern Idaho
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 3:41 pm Post subject: |
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Have you taken the horn off and/or actually tested it out of the system? _________________ ----------
1978 Campmobile, 2000cc w/hydro lifters, dual Weber 44 IDF carbs (50 idle jets, 115 main jets), SVDA distributor w/Compufire. |
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pb24ss Samba Member

Joined: June 30, 2005 Posts: 1665 Location: sitting around the fire with the bluegrass band - colorado
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 4:14 pm Post subject: |
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| the horn itself is unlikely to be bad. check the ground. clean the spade where the horn grounds. make sure the ring connector is connected the plate at the bottom of the steering column. clean all the ground points. |
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renobdarb Samba Member

Joined: September 13, 2005 Posts: 878 Location: Eastern Idaho
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:45 pm Post subject: |
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| pb24ss wrote: |
| the horn itself is unlikely to be bad. check the ground. clean the spade where the horn grounds. make sure the ring connector is connected the plate at the bottom of the steering column. clean all the ground points. |
In my case, the horn was bad. That's why I mentioned it. It's also a good place to start. No need to clean/test a bunch of connections if the horn won't work in the first place.
Horns are also cheap. _________________ ----------
1978 Campmobile, 2000cc w/hydro lifters, dual Weber 44 IDF carbs (50 idle jets, 115 main jets), SVDA distributor w/Compufire. |
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pon Samba Member
Joined: November 26, 2007 Posts: 12 Location: oakland
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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The horn works find when I ground out the ground side of the horn. The continuity from the horn button to ground is fine. The closure of the horn button(switch) on the steering wheel is OK. I'm missing power to the shoe connector on the horn button. I just need to know how/where the black wire connected to the horn button rim via shoe connector is routed. The schematic indicates somewhere behind the instrument panel.
Any ideas where? |
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renobdarb Samba Member

Joined: September 13, 2005 Posts: 878 Location: Eastern Idaho
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:15 am Post subject: |
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| pon wrote: |
The horn works find when I ground out the ground side of the horn. The continuity from the horn button to ground is fine. The closure of the horn button(switch) on the steering wheel is OK. I'm missing power to the shoe connector on the horn button. I just need to know how/where the black wire connected to the horn button rim via shoe connector is routed. The schematic indicates somewhere behind the instrument panel.
Any ideas where? |
If you have power at the horn and it works when you ground it to the frame, my guess is that the the ground in the button isn't working properly, or the wiring to/from the button ground is faulty. _________________ ----------
1978 Campmobile, 2000cc w/hydro lifters, dual Weber 44 IDF carbs (50 idle jets, 115 main jets), SVDA distributor w/Compufire. |
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germansupplyscott Samba Member

Joined: May 22, 2004 Posts: 7275 Location: toronto
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:44 am Post subject: |
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| pon wrote: |
I just need to know how/where the black wire connected to the horn button rim via shoe connector is routed. The schematic indicates somewhere behind the instrument panel.
Any ideas where? |
the black wire inside the steering column tube travels down the tube and terminates at one of the screws that connect the steering coupler to the steering box. then a short pigtail wire jumps across the rubber coupler to provide ground continuity to ground. so in effect, the black wire in the column goes nowhere, only to ground, jumping across the rubber coupler. from the horn itself, one wire goes to the tab on the bottom of the outer tube of the steering column, the other to fuse #11.
check that the small jumper wire across the steering coupler is good. check that the horn wire is connected to the tab on the bottom of the steering column outer tube. _________________ SL |
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pon Samba Member
Joined: November 26, 2007 Posts: 12 Location: oakland
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:30 pm Post subject: '79 Horn Problem |
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Scott.... Thanks for the previous info on my horn problem. I've checked all the ground connections on the steering box and column and they are good. My problem is I'm not getting the 12 volts at the horn button itself. I have power to the horn - but not at the button. If I ground out the back side of the horn it works fine. I've followed the wires, as much as I can, from the horn trying to find the power connection to the horn button but to no avail. The grounds are good, the power to the horn is good - I'm just missing the power to the steering column button. Any idea where that connection is made??
Thanks.... Wally |
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luckybus Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2006 Posts: 2
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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remove the base plate at the bottom of the steering column inside the bus.(two screws) there is a wire going from the bottom where the steering bolts on to the top,right under that plate. wire is about 4inches long. make sure that is connected. then make sure that copper tab under the horn button is making contact to the bottom of the steering wheel.(that is what was wrong with mine 78 westy)hope this helps
Dominic |
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