Horn/Cruise Help

[jdmaccordnut]

Okay, I've done a lot of searching and found out the horn and cruise share the same circuit. I checked all my fuses, they're all good. I took apart my wheel, and the buttons work. I checked the leads going to the wheel, and they are getting around 12V. I then unplugged my passenger side horn... and here is where I'm confused... it's getting a steady 12V. Yet the horn makes no noise.

So question A:

If my horn is getting 12V, why isn't it making noise?

Question B: Why are the horn leads having 12V if I'm not pressing the horn button?

Any help on troubleshooting this would be awesome!

Thx!

[evil88accordLX]

can horns burn out like a speaker? if so that could be the no sound issue.

[Oldblueaccord]

Okay, I've done a lot of searching and found out the horn and cruise share the same circuit. I checked all my fuses, they're all good. I took apart my wheel, and the buttons work. I checked the leads going to the wheel, and they are getting around 12V. I then unplugged my passenger side horn... and here is where I'm confused... it's getting a steady 12V. Yet the horn makes no noise.

So question A:

If my horn is getting 12V, why isn't it making noise?

Question B: Why are the horn leads having 12V if I'm not pressing the horn button?

Any help on troubleshooting this would be awesome!

Thx!

the need to be grounded to blow. The switch is the ground.

"sink to ground" is the term


wp

[jdmaccordnut]

the need to be grounded to blow. The switch is the ground.

"sink to ground" is the term


wp

What?

[Hazwan]

The horn is getting 12v at all times, the button is what triggers the ground.

[2drSE-i]

its getting a constant 12v positive, but not a negative source. It is getting power but its not getting a ground.

[jdmaccordnut]

its getting a constant 12v positive, but not a negative source. It is getting power but its not getting a ground.

Uh.... I still don't understand. I unhooked my horn. It has TWO wires. I hooked those wires up to a multimeter, and it read 12Volts. To me, that means power is running in one and out the other, and the horn should be blowing. I tried a few horns that I have laying around, none of htem were blowing.

[2drSE-i]

Uh.... I still don't understand. I unhooked my horn. It has TWO wires. I hooked those wires up to a multimeter, and it read 12Volts. To me, that means power is running in one and out the other, and the horn should be blowing. I tried a few horns that I have laying around, none of htem were blowing.

right, one wire is to a power source, the other wire goes to the steering wheel. The horn only has a complete circuit when the button is pressed and a ground is provided. obviously there is something wrong somewhere if you cant get your horn to blow.

[A18A]

thats how it goes

[jdmaccordnut]

thats how it goes

Thanks for the drawing... but if I'm getting 12V with my multimeter, without pressing the horn button, how is that possible? It's getting 12V WITHOUT me pressing the horn button, that is what I don't get. If I taped my buttons down, so that the horn circuit was complete, I would understand the 12v reading.

[Hazwan]

Thanks for the drawing... but if I'm getting 12V with my multimeter, without pressing the horn button, how is that possible? It's getting 12V WITHOUT me pressing the horn button, that is what I don't get. If I taped my buttons down, so that the horn circuit was complete, I would understand the 12v reading.

Thats because the 12V positive is directly connected to the battery.

[jdmaccordnut]

Thats because the 12V positive is directly connected to the battery.

But without the button being pressed down, there is no circuit. Hence, it should not be reading 12V. It should be reading zero. The circuit is open, not closed.

[carotman]

where are you putting your multimeter leads? In both wires from the horn?

[jdmaccordnut]

where are you putting your multimeter leads? In both wires from the horn?

Yep. Which is why I don't understand the 12V reading if the circuit is supposed to be 'open' until I hit the horn button.

[Oldblueaccord]

jdm you answered your own question really. It is normally open --] [-- until you close the connection buy compeleting it to ground with the horn button.

Try not to read to much into it. It is an unusual way to do things that way on a 12 volts system.

I ran into the same thing on a blower motor on my 92 wagon. Theres a power wire and then a ground wire. The ground runs through differant resistors to change the speeds of the fan. So it has some funny readings if you read it with a meter.


wp

[jdmaccordnut]

jdm you answered your own question really. It is normally open --] [-- until you close the connection buy compeleting it to ground with the horn button.

Then why am I getting 12V WITHOUT pressing the horn button? That is what I don't understand.

Also, is there a relay somewhere? And are the horns wired in parallel or in series? Does anyone have a schematic for the horn/cruise sections?

[jdmaccordnut]

I tried the online manuals, no dice. Anybody have a scan of the horn schematics?

[Oldblueaccord]

Well if your using a meter one probe must be on a ground or you wont get a reading. If your using a 12 volt test light one end needs to be grounded to make the light bulb light.

I think there is a relay related to the horns that might be bad if there not honking. Im not sure how the buttons in the steering are set up I never had it apart but I bet that rings is not making contact.

wp

[jdmaccordnut]

Well if your using a meter one probe must be on a ground or you wont get a reading. If your using a 12 volt test light one end needs to be grounded to make the light bulb light.

I think there is a relay related to the horns that might be bad if there not honking. Im not sure how the buttons in the steering are set up I never had it apart but I bet that rings is not making contact.

wp

The ring is fine, I tested the leads on the column after removing the wheel. And no, you don't need to put the meter on a ground, because the horn has TWO wires. One is ground, the other is hot.

[Oldblueaccord]

Looking at the helms book p 25-21 wht/yel is + blu/red is switched to ground at the steering wheel.


wp

[jdmaccordnut]

Looking at the helms book p 25-21 wht/yel is + blu/red is switched to ground at the steering wheel.


wp

So no relay? Just a switch on the wheel?

[Oldblueaccord]

I cannot see a relay but I also can't find a good schematic either. One horn is low sound and one is high.

wp

[lostforawhile]

ok this is simple, the horns have a constant hot, both ground wires come together and that wire goes to the steering wheel. when you press the button it grounds and the horns sound. the reason you measure 12 volts, is it's an open circuit without a ground, your meter has a high impedence,this is what keeps the horn from sounding when you put the probes across it. you are measuring 12 volts across an open circuit. if the horn button was pushed you would measure o volts. the cruise control uses this open circuit voltage to send a signal to the control unit. when you push a button on the cruise, it closes a circuit from the positive 12 volts to the wire going to the control. the reason for doing it this way,was to use fewer sliding contacts in the cruise control,horn ring. this makes it a lot eaisier to make.

[Blkblurr]

Did you leave your window open during a rain storm? if so you have a mild short. You are getting 12v at the voltmeter but not enough current due to the high resistance of the short. Your voltmeter does not provide enough load on the circuit to load it down to show what the horn is actually seeing. I also think your horn is shot. Pull it out and connect it dirextly to the battery. That will tell you if it works.

[lostforawhile]

Did you leave your window open during a rain storm? if so you have a mild short. You are getting 12v at the voltmeter but not enough current due to the high resistance of the short. Your voltmeter does not provide enough load on the circuit to load it down to show what the horn is actually seeing. I also think your horn is shot. Pull it out and connect it dirextly to the battery. That will tell you if it works.

wtf did you just say? that makes no sense whatsoever i just explained it. this is simple put a voltmeter at the connections of each horn, have someone press the button, if you get voltage the horn is bad. you are always going to read 12 volts across the horn switch terminals with the circuit open. the current is trying to flow through the voltmeter to complete the circuit, but it's reisitance is so high, it won't complete the circuit,