Super Beetle Steering Column

[borninabus]

is there something missing here?

im having a problem with the horn honking when i turn the wheel.
i can push the steering wheel & shaft fore & aft about 3/16"
with the steering wheel attached i push it in & turn the wheel & the horn honks intermittently.
if i pull it out & turn the wheel nothing happens; all is good.
so is it missing a spring or something?

the column bearing seems ok.
or is the bearing shot and allowing the shaft to slide back & forth?

thx.
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88 Van WBX, A/T - 13 JSW TDI 6M/T - 2012 Touareg TDI Sport

[ashman40]

That looks to be a late model Super Beetle steering column and dash. I'm guessing since you didn't mention what model/year Beetle this was?
That style turn signal switch passes the horn negative circuit through the large brass "wing" at the top of the turn signal switch. It contacts the brass ring on the front face of the steering wheel (are you using a stock steering wheel?) This makes the entire steering wheel and the steering shaft part of the horn negative circuit. The switch that closes the circuit is the horn switch. It connects the steering wheel/shaft to the ground wire that comes up the center of the steering shaft.

I can see the plug at the end of the steering shaft but don't see the wire that should come out the end. Where is the ground wire that comes from the steering box?
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AshMan40
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'67 Beetle #1 {project car that never made it to the road }
'75 Beetle 1200LS (RHD Japan model) {junked due to frame rot}
'67 Beetle #2 {2019 project car - Wish me luck!}

[borninabus]

sorry, its a 72 super
yes, stock wheel.
there is no ground wire, per say like a 71 & earlier set-up.
the horn (ground) wire attaches the button to the brass ring on the back of the wheel.
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88 Van WBX, A/T - 13 JSW TDI 6M/T - 2012 Touareg TDI Sport

[borninabus]

what im thinking is that there is play in the shaft u-joints allowing the wheel to sit farther in than it normally does.

i taped off the screw heads that hold the brass horn/turn signal cancel ring on the back of the wheel and it does not honk pushed in or out.
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88 Van WBX, A/T - 13 JSW TDI 6M/T - 2012 Touareg TDI Sport

[ashman40]

If you consider everything between the (horn) switch and the battery as the "hot" (positive) side of the circuit, then the brown wire from the horn button to the ring that contacts the "wing" is not actually the ground wire, but part of the "hot side".

It sounds like part of that ring was contacting the steering column housing or something that offered a path to ground. Once that brown wire, the ring or the "wing" touches ground the horn will sound.
_________________
AshMan40
---------------------------
'67 Beetle #1 {project car that never made it to the road }
'75 Beetle 1200LS (RHD Japan model) {junked due to frame rot}
'67 Beetle #2 {2019 project car - Wish me luck!}

[borninabus]

so i was able to loosen the column screws & move the column forward.
now the fore & aft play is gone & the horn no longer honks when you turn the wheel
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88 Van WBX, A/T - 13 JSW TDI 6M/T - 2012 Touareg TDI Sport

[jamboguru]

looks like the C clip just above the spacer is missing in your picture
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AJ