horn button help

[bigblue]

bought a new 'wood' steering wheel and im trying to find out how to wire up the horn button on it rather than having a button below the dash where the guy who partly restored my car. the button has two different terminals on it. the upper one lets the horn be on all the time and the lower one does nothing. im guessing the top is ground and the bottom is positive?
_________________
1966 Sedan (Dad owned in Germany '74-'75)
1970 Yukon Yellow Sedan 'Puddin' SOLD
1970 Beetle Convertible (under restoration) SOLD
1970 Sedan (fresh restoration)Trophy Queen
1973 Super Beetle (Totaled in '99)
1972 Standard Beetle SOLD

looking for a 1969 Beetle hardtop

i mess with sasquatch on weekends.

[bigblue]

resolved.
_________________
1966 Sedan (Dad owned in Germany '74-'75)
1970 Yukon Yellow Sedan 'Puddin' SOLD
1970 Beetle Convertible (under restoration) SOLD
1970 Sedan (fresh restoration)Trophy Queen
1973 Super Beetle (Totaled in '99)
1972 Standard Beetle SOLD

looking for a 1969 Beetle hardtop

i mess with sasquatch on weekends.

[zerzat]

How? I think I have the same problem. I figured out that there seems to be no connection to the live wire (the steering column) but don't have a clean way to connect

[vwoldbug]

Bigblue can you show what fixed it ,was it the ground .

[ashman40]

Hmmm, not sure you will get a reply on a 1.5 year old post.

Depending on the model year of your Beetle the path of power and the path to ground for the horn switch is different.

If you consider the horn button/switch as the "center" of the horn circuit with a path to ground on one side and a source of positive current coming from the other side...

'68-'70 -

Positive side includes:
upper steering shaft bearing
steering shaft
steering wheel

Ground side:
the wire that runs inside the steering shaft
grounded to the steering box

'71 -

Positive side includes:
turn signal switch assembly
horn contact ring in turn signal cancel disc under steering wheel
steering wheel+ steering shaft

Ground side:
the wire that runs inside the steering shaft
grounded to the steering box

'72 -

Positive side includes:
turn signal switch assembly
horn contact ring in turn signal cancel disc under steering wheel

Ground side:
steering wheel+ steering shaft
grounded to the steering box

So if you have a '71-earlier the steering wheel is part of the positive side of the horn switch and the wire coming out the center of the steering shaft is your path to ground.
From '72-later the wire coming thru the steering wheel is the positive side and the steering wheel is your path to ground.
When using an aftermarket steering wheel you need to consider if the wheel+adapter still allow the current to flow the same way the stock system did. For my Grant steering wheel the horn button had two terminals. By default, one was shorted to the steering wheel and not needed if your steering wheel was part of the horn circuit. If it wasn't, you could snip a small wire and then the horn button was entirely independent of the steering wheel and you had to wire BOTH terminals. Pressing the horn button closed the contacts between the two wires.

If you are uncertain which arrangement you have....
Check the rubber (insulating) steering coupler near the steering box. If the steering shaft has a wire electrically connecting the bolt for the steering box to the bolt for the steering shaft you know your shaft is grounded.

If there is a wire running from the steering box bolt and it goes up inside the steering shaft you know your shaft is NOT supposed to be grounded and the shaft is likely part of the positive side of the horn switch.

_________________
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!}

[zerzat]

Looks like I got two replies on a 1.5 year old post 😁. I've seen enough people get mad at people for asking questions already asked so I decided to play it safe and ask on the only thread that seemed close.

By accidentally brushing the wire against the shaft I confirmed that it is ground. I'm in a 74 super so no wire coming through the shaft and your post confirmed it @ashman40

Red/black is coming from turn cancelling ring and green is wire I added going to shaft/ground.

Hopefully this thread is now useful for the next schmuck searching a year and a half from now

Edit: for the history books, it was a volante steering wheel purchased from jbugs with appropriate hub and button.

[virusdoc]

[quantumchaos]

Hello All,

Can you clarify where the red and black wires are attached, I have the same exact issue.

Thanks