dying horn

[cmarino929]

I hit the horn button and i hear a barely audible horn now, which a week ago worked fine. Its so faint i can only hear it with the car turned off. Any ideas if its shot? Or could this be a wiring thing?

[Kaygee]

While someone holds the horn button bang on the horn with a rubber mallet or similiar. It works sometimes.
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[Ghiaddict]

[Banzai KG]

I would suggest inspecting/cleaning your horn connections; dirty ground or loose connections.
If it still barely audible, try refurbishing the horns. Here's a good thread on a DIY: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4819237
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Jim Kikuchi
Sunnyvale (near San Jose), CA
1964 Karmann Ghia coupe
V.V.W.C.A. - Golden Gate Chapter: http://www.ggcvvwca.org/
B.L.T.N. (Better Late Than Never) late model VW Club (San Jose/Santa Clara, CA): https://www.facebook.com/groups/bltnvw/
NorCal Aircooled Group (NAG) Facebook Goup: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NAGVW/

[golfvt1]

With the horn pushed on the steering wheel, put a volt meter across the horns, it should be 12 volts. Stop pushing on the steering wheel, should go to 0 volts. If you have 12 volts, the switch, relay and the circuit up to the horns are working. If not, work your way back to the steering wheel, check the relay etc. If you have 12 volts at horn, you have a bad horn or horns. Disconnect the power to the horns and measure the resistance of each horn.

Basic electronics E=IR, or voltage = current * resistance. Voltage is a constant at 12 volts, current draw depends on the resistance. If the resistance of the horn is low (less than 10 ohms?) the current draw will be high and the volume will be high. If the horns have high resistance, there will be very little sound.

My guess is you have a bad horn or horns. I replaced both of mine, easy and inexpensive.

[golfvt1]

Why do you need a horn? Your from Jersey, use you finger. In Vermont, we use Smith and Wesson when the horn is not working. In the Ghia I use my Walther P38, vintage 1944.

[MinamiKotaro]

Try splaying B*laster penetrating lubricant into it. Worked on a couple of old horns we have.
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[cmarino929]

Haha yes the finger can be a backup but you will probably get a lawsuit for violating someones feelings here.

I will try some of these suggestions and see what works - thanks everyone.

[RMCLARKSON]

Try taking to horn off the circut. go back to the battery. Take the neg to grond and positive and see if the horn works.

Also you can check the screw in the middle and back in out or in while stoping every now and then and see if the sound changes by hooking back up to battery.

I took my appart. Cleaned with a Wire wheel down to the metal cleaned the inside and sanded the little metal tab. Looks like a set of points. Put it back together. Tried the horn battary thing a few time to get max sound, then painted the outside of the horn a nice shiny black and re installed. Works great and save me $$$$.

64 Ghia
Snoopie

[cmarino929]

Ok i will try that out thanks. Another vw guy who was a vw mechanic for awhile told me to hit it with a hammer..... Seems like thats the trick for eveything (had the same problem with my starter before i got a new one).