Steering Shaft/Column Ground

[MWehmeyer]

OK, have figured out that my lack of horns is 'cause the steering shaft/column ground isn't grounded. How's the circuit supposed to work - don't see any missing connectors, etc.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Philip]

It grounds threw the rag joint in the engine bay. Take a pair of jumper cables and hook one side above the joint and the other end below the joint. If the horn works then your joint has lost its connection. I have seen this many times over the year.



Just make a jumper wire and jump from one of the rag joint mounting bolts to the other side of the joint. This should give you a ground.

 

[Greenleaf]

There must be a path for ground through the clock spring. My speed control buttons function however, there is no current for the horn button through my spring.





Scott

 

[edford]

I got the same problem. My manual shows a ground clip at the left column mount. When I hook a jumper across this clip I blow the the red wire fuse link "replaced fuse".

 

[Greenleaf]

I posted my original r eply back in Feb of 2005 almost four years ago. My horn will not ground from the buttom to anywhere on the column. It has power though.



I just drive the thing with out the horn. I did mount a button down under the dash, but I have to reach down under there to sound the horn. (I wonder if that would pass state insection?)



My cruise works beautifuly.

 

[PToombs]

I know mine has a small metal clip that goes around the plastic insulator on the left column stud. This is right behind the fuse box location.

The horn works by relay. The relay grounds thru the button, that's why it has power.



There must be a short if it blows the fusable link out. I hope the scant facts I have given will help. Mine always works good, so I haven't been down this road. Yet.

 

[edford]

PToombs,
Thanks for the sanity check. I found the ground clip and that is what I jumpered across to get the horn to work and that must have showed up the short somewhere else.

Greenleaf, I found the thread on the search forum and was wondering what others had found and done. I too am thinking about an alternate horn button. My cruise works good. I have priced a new ignition switch but plan on doing some more checking before I do. That short should be findable.

 

[PToombs]

I wonder if the short is in the column, and burned the clip thru? Now that you have it jumpered, it's blowing the link.

Do you have a tilt wheel? When trucks get as old as ours, the wires can be chafed thru from tipping it up and down. You may have to dig in deeper there.



Oh, GL, I know here that horn button is legal. I've put in a few.