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Zylinderkopf Samba Member
Joined: September 09, 2012 Posts: 679 Location: SE Oklahoma
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 7:04 pm Post subject: Horn ring only works on left side |
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OK - I had to walk away from my bug after working on a horn ring issue for 2 hours now and ready to pull my gray hair out!
I replaced the horn ring on my '66 after the old one broke. Installed a replacement but now the horn only works when I press down on the left side of the ring. I tried loosening and tightening the screws but without success. Maybe a common problem? Anyone have a fix/suggestion for me? Thanks _________________ 1963 Beetle
1966 Beetle 1300
1970 Karmann Ghia Coupe
1971 Super Beetle
1974 Thing
"A lot of people never use their initiative because no one told them to." |
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grandpa pete Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2008 Posts: 6426 Location: St. Petersburg, FL
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hitest Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2008 Posts: 10296 Location: Prime Meridian, ID
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 9:28 pm Post subject: |
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The most fussy parts in those for me are the three little opaque white insulators. If one is cracked, when the ring on one side is depressed, the spring and screw swim a little in their individual mounting tubes. I'm probably really wrong here, but I'd assume that lowers the effectiveness of the needed ground from the horn ring to the metal of the wheel. Also, it's just as important to have clean screw threads in here as anywhere else on the car you need a good ground (turn signals, taillights, etc.)
In essence, I'm guessing the side that works has a better insulator. What happens when you press evenly around the whole ring? Good luck and report back! _________________
EverettB wrote: |
I wonder what the nut looks like.
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'62 L390 151, '62 L469 117, '63 L380 113, '64 L87 311, '65 L512 265, '65 L31 SO-42, '66 L360 251, '68 L30k 141, '71 L12 113, '74 ORG 181
FU#5 |
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pdowty68 Samba Member
Joined: April 07, 2014 Posts: 224 Location: Long Island, New York
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2015 6:25 am Post subject: |
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Id try to clean up the contacts |
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Cusser Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2006 Posts: 31271 Location: Hot Arizona
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2015 9:05 am Post subject: |
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For me the trick is to not tighten the three little screws fully, to tighten them to get the horn ring evenly spaced from the contacts. I think your one side if "off". _________________ 1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297 |
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Zylinderkopf Samba Member
Joined: September 09, 2012 Posts: 679 Location: SE Oklahoma
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2015 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks everyone. I followed all of your advice and got the horn to work. Not sure what did it, but I have a feeling it was a combination of cleaning the contacts and losening the screws a little at a time. Had them bottomed out before. So, for the next person that needs to get this done, here is how I did it:
Take off horn button using fingernail at bottom and pressing up. This releases the metal tab at the top of the horn button.
Then unscrew the horn ring and ground wire, being careful not to lose screws, plastic washers and springs. I cleaned that brass ring along the inside of the steering wheel with emory cloth. Then I did the same to the ground wire and to the brass contact ring. I reassembled everything. Note: lining up the screws, plastic washers and springs through the horn ring and contact ring is a bitch! Everything kept falling apart before I could get it lined up with the holes inside the steering wheel. But finally I got it. Then I tightened the 3 screws and backed them up again a few turns until the horn ring can be pressed down on each side and it springs back up. Attach the ground wire. test the horn (must have driven my neighbors nuts, but at least I had the garage door closed). Adjust the 3 screws a little at a time as necessary to get both sides of horn ring to work.
_________________ 1963 Beetle
1966 Beetle 1300
1970 Karmann Ghia Coupe
1971 Super Beetle
1974 Thing
"A lot of people never use their initiative because no one told them to." |
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codycat Samba Member
Joined: July 18, 2006 Posts: 1163 Location: Mobile, Alabama
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2015 6:39 pm Post subject: |
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Awesome - I have the exact same problem - thanks for the instructions and the visual aid lol _________________ Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?
Winnie the Pooh
Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.
Dr. Seuss |
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