Horn troubles

Hi everyone!

Having a bit of trouble with my horn and I can't seem to get to the bottom of it. I get nothing when I press the horn despite a complete circuit being made. The really odd part is I have 0.05 volts across my horn fuse (with or without a fuse in)! So despite the circuit working (voltmeter across horn terminals when pressing horn also shows 0.05v) I still have no sound because the fuse box is only delivering 0.05v to drive it.

* The horn is a brand new one and works fine connected to a 12v battery.
* continuity is fine everywhere on the steering wheel with low resistance
* I took the fuse board out last night (about 6 connectors to the back of it) just to check everything and continuity all seems fine there.
* I will be refitting the fuse board this afternoon and see if any loose wires reseat themselves.

can anyone make better sense of the manual than me on this one?



any help gratefully received!

The horn circuit works like this:-

-Power supplied from a fuse that does horn and hazard warning lights.
-Wire goes from fuse to the horn itself
-Another wire goes from the other terminal of the horn to the steering wheel push switch
-Push switch provides the ground when pressed.

Very simple circuit.

Does your hazard warning lights work?

So check to see if one of the connectors where the fuse goes provides 12v (put on probe of the meter to the body ground, and use the other up the blade fuse plugs)?

Clean the contact locations on the horn, and provide a alternative ground to test (bit of wire going to the bodyshell)

Also there is the steering wheel swivel plate in the circuit - this lets the steering wheel spin without horn wires getting twisted, it is under the steering wheel. Has some brushes on a metal plate.

morning HJ,

thanks for your reply. I'll have to reassemble and check the hazards. I'm pretty sure that they do work which would make my 0.05v across the fuse a little odd. I had already checked all the rotating contacts in the wheel (because I hoped it would be that and nothing under the dash -that I had just refitted!) Will you be around today if I have any updates and still need some tech support!?

cheers,

Steve

Yeah i'll check in from time to time...

In order to get 0.05v across the fuse did you:-

Put both multimeter terminals in the blade fuse holder sockets?
Have the horn pressed or not?

ok so everything is back in and I have 12v across the horn fuse which is progress but I have no power to hazards or horn so I am in the process of tracing the break in the wire between the steering column and the fuse. Am I right in thinking that's where the problem lies? I really hope I don't have to take the dash out again!

ok new symptom: no brake lights! I noticed in the wiring tables that they are linked together somehow so I thought I'd check them but nothing! oh dear! Getting further away from an m.o.t every time I go out there!

I have checked continuity from the red/black connector at the wheel. I traced the red/black to a blue multiplug where it became a purple/white and this ran to one side of the horn. all ok. I cannot find where the other horn connector goes at present so I am trying to find how the horn/hazards/stop switch are all linked as I am hoping the common denominator must be the cause of all my woes!

I would assume that the fault lies between the horn and the fuse as per your circuit description HJ but no b/lights and hazards too? All fuses, relays and plugs are all definitely ok/secure

looks like it has to be the wiring from the fuse to all three if I have 12v one side of the horn fuse. Going back outside to check

Do you get 12v on the horn if you take the button off the steering wheel?

If you take the bulb out of the brake light do you get 12v there if you press the brake pedal down?

Maybe your ground wires are not bolted to the chassis.

You can fix this mate, just slow down and think systematic.

thanks for your encouragement but I'm afraid so far no joy. It must be something I have disturbed while having the dash out so I am having to bite the bullet and remove my entire dash again!  

Taking a small break to clear my head and then back out again....

I will check all the ground wires because I have added some at various points! Serves me right for trying to accessorise a hijet!

Until this morning, I'd never taken a dash out of a Hijet and it is remarkably easy.

Did you test to see if your getting 12v at the brake lights and horn?

Following this with interest, my horn stopped working a couple of days ago.

SUCCESS!

Extremely long story short: don't buy cheap fuses on ebay!

I checked continuity everywhere and everything was fine to both sides of the horn fuse so I tried a 15A fuse instead of a 20 on a desperate whim and low and behold my hazards flashed! I almost banged my head on the doorframe as I jumped in delight! I had already tried 2 or 3 new 20A fuses from my box of assorted but I tried an old 20A fuse from my box of bits and it worked fine so I guess the thickness of the fuses wasn't enough to meet the terminals inside the fuse box!

I do know the colour of all the wires off by heart now Logi! Let me know if you need to identify any! I must say its a shame the wiring tables in the manual don't identify colours for connections. Everything VAG or GM I have ever touched always has!

Ace, great job, shit fuses - that's one to remember!

Now I get to spend my Sunday putting a dash back in a hijet - again! My life is so rock n roll! Thanks again for all your help

It must be bloody frustrating, having the dash in and out then finding it is a dicky fuse. At least you got it sorted in the end.

certainly was! That's my fourth dash in and out since I bought her in 2006 - don't ask! ! You'd think i'd be faster at it!

End result - just needs a clean!

That needs a clean?  You should see mine!

  Everybody's horny now!!! 

Fixed mine too, was the horn connections that were sha66ed, cheap shit Chinese horn(replaced by another as it's what I had lying around)

Glad you got it sorted logi