Horn wiring?


The workhorse

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Post Tue Aug 01, 2017 12:05 pm

Horn wiring?

I'm the proud owner of a 1964 Loadstar 1600 farm truck, and working to get it freshened up.

The horn button was in the glove box, missing the spring and cap, which I was able to obtain at a local parts yard.

It still doesn't work, and so I need to do some troubleshooting. Where does the juice come in and leave?

Thanks in advance.

Golden Jubilee
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Post Tue Aug 01, 2017 12:15 pm

Re: Horn wiring?

The horn "button" is a grounding circuit. The "power" goes to a relay that transfers the power to the horn when the relay is grounded by the horn button.
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Post Wed Aug 02, 2017 12:15 pm

Re: Horn wiring?

nikkinutshop wrote:The horn "button" is a grounding circuit. The "power" goes to a relay that transfers the power to the horn when the relay is grounded by the horn button.


I'm struggling to figure out just how that happens, and hope someone can help.

When the "Bakelite" horn button is pressed, the metal ring makes contact with the round piece below mounted into the top of the steering wheel. I can't figure out how making that connection provides a ground. Also I wonder where the relay is located that actually sounds the horn?

Thanks.

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Post Wed Aug 02, 2017 6:34 pm

Re: Horn wiring?

The wire for the horn, comes up through the center of the column, If there is no wire there, then the horn will never work the way it is supposed to. The "ground" is provided by the mounting surfaces of the horn, steering column. best I can do, someone else may be be better able

Golden Jubilee
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Post Thu Aug 03, 2017 5:14 pm

Re: Horn wiring?

There has not been a following reply, so I am thinking the OP has figured this simple wiring out or walked away to a different hobby. On the off-chance neither is the case, GOOGLE vintage vehicle grounding circuit for a horn relay. I Googled for this information and dozens of wiring diagrams popped up in less than a second.
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/attachm ... 1063477579 Here is one example.
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive

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Post Thu Aug 03, 2017 10:19 pm

Re: Horn wiring?

nikkinutshop wrote:There has not been a following reply, so I am thinking the OP has figured this simple wiring out or walked away to a different hobby. On the off-chance neither is the case, GOOGLE vintage vehicle grounding circuit for a horn relay. I Googled for this information and dozens of wiring diagrams popped up in less than a second.
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/attachm ... 1063477579 Here is one example.


The OP responded to your post, and is still working to figure things out. Thank you for the link.

Golden Jubilee
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Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Fri Aug 04, 2017 7:26 am

Re: Horn wiring?

The wiring diagram is simple and easy to follow. Understanding what is happening may not be necessary . Here is a hint. When a person depresses the horn button, they are not blowing the horn, but activating a relay. The relay is an electromagnetic switch, when activated completes a secondary elecric circuit, in this case, the horn to the battery. The primary electric circuit is also powered by the battery. The primary circuit needs to have a grounding source, in this case that would be the horn button. Your truck may have the wire from the horn button missing. Depending on the Vintage of the truck, this ground wire could be inside the steering shaft the steering wheel is attached to, or outside of that shaft through some sort of slip ring circuit.
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