Electrical Help

[Vicenç Feliú]

I have a really minor problem but I have no real experience with electrical problems so I am asking for ideas.  

Saturday morning we took Montse out for a long drive (out to New Castle, DE) and she did really well.  However, on the way back we stopped for lunch and about twenty minutes into our stop the horn just went off.  Not knowing what to do I just disconnected one of the wires leading to the horn.  I tried changing fuse, the extend of my capacity here, but no change.

Does anyone have any ideas of what I might try to do next?

Thanks in advance for your help! 

Vicenç - (bee sense)
Pembroke Pines, FL
1986 Aston - BCW Model 52 - "Montse II"

(1983 FiberFab MiGi II - "Montse")

[Peter C. King]

Vincec,

 

Having the horn go off at a lunch stop is better than in traffic.

 

You have either a frayed wire that is now completing the horn circuit or a stuck horn button. It’s hard to ground a circuit on a fiberglass car. I’m betting on the horn button. Disconnect the wires from the button, reconnect the horn and touch the button wires together. If the horn goes off buy a new horn button. If the horn starts blaring when you reconnect the horn then follow the wires and look for a frayed spot.  If the horn stops blowing when you move the wire, wrap the frayed spot in electrical tape and figure out a way to secure the wore away from whatever rubbed through it.

 

Parts stores sell a variety of horn buttons. This one goes for $4.55.

 

 

http://www.zoro.com/i/G3088592/?utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google_Shopping_Feed&gclid=CJH37MvqhsECFcti7Aodpy0AZw

 

 

[Vicenç Feliú]

Thanks, Peter.  I’m pretty sure it’s not the horn button, that is one of the things that had to be replaced to get the thing inspected.  So I am going to disconnect the wires from the button, reconnect the horn, and see what happens.  Then I will go from there.

Again, I really appreciate the help.

Vicenç - (bee sense)
Pembroke Pines, FL
1986 Aston - BCW Model 52 - "Montse II"

(1983 FiberFab MiGi II - "Montse")

[Dave B.]

Vicenç,

I recently had a sticky horn button on mine.  To maintain tranquility in the neighborhood, I disconnected the horn and temporarily put a test lamp in its place as I diagnosed and fixed the problem.

-Dave

[Rich Kallenberger]

Assuming that your replica is VW based and that you want the horn ” system” to function as Hans and Gunter intended this link will be helpful. http://www.thebugshop.org/bsfqhorn.htm

Be forewarned that diagnosing this problem will probably require pulling the gas tank and nest to access all parts of the steering shaft. That’s also a good time to repair any looseness due to worn or missing steering bushings, coupling bolts, misalignment with the steering gearbox. You’ll be glad you did.

Been there done that. 😕 Kall2014-09-29 18:17:07

[edward ericson]

I’m with the others. Up under your steering wheel there is probably a minor problem. If you changed out the spring and the button it’s probably a problem you caused. Find the wire under there that’s hitting something.

Failing that, look around and see if you have a horn relay. Most new cars have them. Should be the multi-pronged thingie near the horns. There was a bad batch of Bosch-branded ones at the parts stores a year or so back. i got one. it went bad on the way home from a picnic. Changed it out and have been fine since. 

Failing that, look down the steering shaft to where the rubber “biscuit” attaches the long, upper part of your shaft to the short part of the shaft that leads into the steering box bolted to your front axle beam.

There should be a wire there, a green wire, connecting one of the bolts on the top part to one of the bolts on the bottom part. It will snake around the “biscuit.” See if it isn’t rubbing on something. Maybe another wire or something metal that could ground it. Mine got buggered-up by a slight misfit of the shaft to the fiberglass tub.

[Vicenç Feliú]

Thanks, guys!  It looks like I might have a little work to do.  😉

Vicenç - (bee sense)
Pembroke Pines, FL
1986 Aston - BCW Model 52 - "Montse II"

(1983 FiberFab MiGi II - "Montse")

[Paul Mossberg]

One other place to check, but in the same genre as the above.

If the builder used the stock VW steering column wiring harness, the wire to the horn is not long enough. It had to be patched, lengthened, however you want to phrase it.

That’s often done by crimping a spade connector to a length of wire, and running that to the horn. The wire runs along the lengthened steering column. If the connection is not well insulated, it may ground on the column and may activate the horn.

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

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