Horn honks when turning

[bearwin]

So i was driving my 64 bug going to work, horn suddenly honks when turnng, so i disconnected the wire connected to the horn ring. Put tape on the wire. Still honking when turning... so i discovered when i jiggle my steering wheel, it turns out the canceller hits the tube, thats why it activates d horn. What should i do? Or is there something i shld check out? Thanks for d help guys

[chrism0107]

I had this happen to me turned out the wire was rubbing on the bottom of the fuel tank where it exits the shaft

[saintperez]

[Rome]

Remember that the horn on a '64, and most other years as of approx. 1960 has power going to it whenever the ignition is on. The circuit is completed so that the horn sounds when you connect the ground side of the horn. The wire for the ground is the one that bridges the rubber steering joint at the steering box, then travels up inside the steering column to end at the steering wheel hub horn contacts. If you disconnect the wire terminal at the steering wheel horn ring and tape it off yet the horn still sounds, then this indicates the wire inside the steering column has a bare spot that is touching metal and giving your ground.

30 yrs ago on my '64 Ghia which has the same setup as a Beetle, it would also honk when I turned the steering wheel... I ran a new insulated electrical wire up the column, think it was 18 gauge, and that cleared up the problem.

[saintperez]

[REDKAFER]

The turn signal cancelling tabs should not have anything to do with the horn honking as the turn signal housing + steering column tube + steering shaft are the same polarity (they are always in contact with each other so incidental contact with the cancelling tabs should make no difference). The wire that runs from the horn ring to the steering box is your only ground there as the chassis ground is electrically isolated from the steering shaft via the rubber coupling so if you've disconnected that wire and its still honking I reckon you've: got a bare spot on the wire (unlikely if its new but hey, ive seen less likely stuff happen), the connector is brushing up against something with a + polarity (make sure the little push-on connector at the steering coupling is plenty clear of the bolts that connect to the shaft), your rubber insulators for the steering tube have rotten out and theres a short there somewhere (check the rubber seal through the firewall and more likely the rubber ring that separates the steering tube and the bracket under the dash), or lastly you've got a short inside your turn signal switch (which I would imagine causing other electrical goofiness with lights as well).

Good hunting.

[saintperez]

[REDKAFER]

[Sharp64]

Ive seen it so that the wire comes out of the hole in the shaft and over the rag joint to attached to a tab on the bolt that makes contact with the steering box shaft. I have also seen it where the tab was on the driver side of the rag joint and attached to the same bolt, just on the drivers side of the rag joint, not the steering box side.
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1960 Indigo Blue Ragtop (Blue Barry)
1967 Ghia
1985 Westy Money Pit
“...some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” - Michael Caine

[saintperez]

[glutamodo]

I've been working all week so I'm late to this discussion...

When I had a problem with unintentional horn action in my 62, it was due to missing having the rubber bumper between the column tube and the body, with that not in place, the two can contact, eventually the paint will start to wear thin and that can give the horn another ground path.

http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=211881895

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Andy T.


IMAGE NOTE: It has been noted that Chrome based browsers may have issues in displaying my vast image library, which use non-secure links and are on an FTP server. Images should still be viewable if the link is clicked though.
I do not know how to fix this. All I can say is it all works fine for me with what I use, Firefox.

[als1963stockbug]

SAME PROBLEM: Hello... I have owned two beetles that had horn issues... for years, this drove me crazy as, at one point I even disconnected (AND REMOVED) the horn wire that runs up the column of the 1963 stock beetle (Horn itself still connected under the fender) and the thing still sounded off when I would turn right or left... what tha!!!!

SOLUTION: As it turns out, when the rubber steering coupling disk between the steering column and the steering gear box wears out and the rubber deteriorates, the wire reinforcing inside the rubber disc will ground out on the four bolts that run through the disc. This creates a ground tot he system that you would normally get with your horn button on the steering wheel and, wa-la... BEEEEP!!!

SO, replace that rubber disc... fairly straight forward operation... I unbolted my gas tank and set it to the side (had just enough slack in the fuel line...you may not), and completed the task in short order. NO MORE "BEEP"!!!

I give credit for this solution to Chris Vallone of "Classic VW Bugs" up in New York. I sent him an e-mail about it and he nailed on the first response as he has seen this many a time before... so, all this "wire shorting out" stuff is a lot of bunk. Replace the steering coupling Disc!

[glutamodo]

I kind of glossed over this latest reply. I'm surprised to hear of an original German coupler disk having this problem. However, it is a KNOWN issue with some aftermarket steering couplers.
_________________
Andy T.


IMAGE NOTE: It has been noted that Chrome based browsers may have issues in displaying my vast image library, which use non-secure links and are on an FTP server. Images should still be viewable if the link is clicked though.
I do not know how to fix this. All I can say is it all works fine for me with what I use, Firefox.

[buggeezer]

Please let me comment about the horn problem in this 1958 EUROPEAN bug I am restoring. I just started the Facebook page, " VW Mania" about VW restorations. This bug horn blows when the steering shaft is moved, and I found out why. Here is how the horn works on this European bug and probably other 58's as well. The horn wire runs down the inside of the steering wheel shaft and comes out and connects to a copper contact area all around the shaft about a foot down on the shaft. The rubber coupling has NOTHING to do with the horn on this model.. So.... the horn has constant battery power and when the ground terminal is grounded by way of the horn brush and holder, which is mounted on the steering column housing, and horn button too, of course, and the horn brush rides on the copper contact area on the shaft. My problem is that the horn brush holder and brush does not align with the copper contact area on the shaft. Think about this. The wheel and column has to be at a certain gap, no exceptions, for the turn signal to work properly. So... what I am saying to you is, that it cannot be "adjusted out' and this 1858 must have a different, incorrect, column housing or steering shaft. My solution, as I see it, unless you have better solution, is to relocate the steering brush holder to match the contact area on the shaft. Comments?

[buggeezer]

Maybe these photos will clarify why I had to move the horn brush holder. I cannot give a reason why the brush holder and the brush contact area on the steering shaft did not line up. The brush was barely touching the contact area and sometimes contacting the shaft causing the horn to blow.

[/img]

[buggeezer]

One final photo of the completed horn brush holder that fixed my horn problem. Also a link to "VW Beetlemania" about repairs and restorations to Vw's.[img]

[/img]https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086344580438&is_tour_completed=true