'86 GL Wgn HORN Disfunctional

[6 Star]

The horn in my red 1986 Subaru GL wagon has never worked, ever since I purchased it years ago.
I have put up with it for a while, but the need to... communicate... with other drivers is no longer able to be ignored.

 

I have checked fuses:

They are in good order.

 

I have not dug into the wiring too much:

However everything appears to be plugged in as it should.

 

I took apart the steering wheel's horn button/pad:

I did not see anything out of the ordinary, and it appears the horn pad makes contact as it should.

 

Taking the horn wire that comes out of the hub and grounding it to metal does nothing.

In other cars I have tried this on, it would make the horn sound.

 

The only thing I sourced up from searching was this thread:

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/18736-two-problems-with-subaru-leone-1800-gl/

thealleyboy and MilesFox's posts in that thread were most helpful to my case, but only a tad.

 

Has anyone else dealt with this issue before?

Here is a pic of my wheel for reference:

 

 

 

Thank you in advance for any advice. 

[turbosubarubrat]

Have you replaced the actual horn/horns or checked the connections. I've had horns go bad before and replaced them before i tore apart the column.

[coxy]

Do not be surprised that the contact arm behind the Steering wheel hub has worn and is not making proper contact with the ring assembly to transfer electrical signals back down the column. There will be a brass ring on the back of the steering wheel hub and a springy contact that touches it from the column side I suggest the problem may be there.

You will have to pull the steering wheel to check and fix if that is the case, unless you have a steering wheel puller make sure you apply pressure evenly and leave the nut partially threaded on otherwise you will clout yourself with a steering wheel when it comes off the tapered spline, The will usually come off with arms behind the steering wheel applying pressure with the nut partially loose.

Edited September 13, 2015 by coxy

[Subarule]

The horn on my '86 always worked but it was so wimpy it sounded like a distressed goose. I replace it with a loud horn, now people don't laugh when I beep it, they move! 

 

Replace the horn and then troubleshoot if it doesn't work.

[wagonist]

What did you touch the wire inside the wheel against? Not everything is conductive. but the shaft inside the main nut will be.

Take the steering wheel off like others have suggested & check the contact ring.

Also, does the contact inside the wheel move enough to make a connection when you push?

 

Do you have a test light or multimeter? If you disconnect the wire inside the wheel, and then unplug the horns & bypass them, you should have 12V at the wire inside the wheel.

[6 Star]

Have you replaced the actual horn/horns or checked the connections. I've had horns go bad before and replaced them before i tore apart the column.

 

They're still the o.g horns as far as I know.

 

 

 

Do not be surprised that the contact arm behind the Steering wheel hub has worn and is not making proper contact with the ring assembly to transfer electrical signals back down the column. There will be a brass ring on the back of the steering wheel hub and a springy contact that touches it from the column side I suggest the problem may be there.

You will have to pull the steering wheel to check and fix if that is the case, unless you have a steering wheel puller make sure you apply pressure evenly and leave the nut partially threaded on otherwise you will clout yourself with a steering wheel when it comes off the tapered spline, The will usually come off with arms behind the steering wheel applying pressure with the nut partially loose.

 

That is something I haven't looked at yet. I do happen to have a steering wheel puller.

 

 

 

The horn on my '86 always worked but it was so wimpy it sounded like a distressed goose. I replace it with a loud horn, now people don't laugh when I beep it, they move! 

 

Replace the horn and then troubleshoot if it doesn't work.

 

"Horn broke, watch for finger."

Alas the finger sometimes does the opposite of making people move.

 

 

 

What did you touch the wire inside the wheel against? Not everything is conductive. but the shaft inside the main nut will be.

Take the steering wheel off like others have suggested & check the contact ring.

Also, does the contact inside the wheel move enough to make a connection when you push?

 

Do you have a test light or multimeter? If you disconnect the wire inside the wheel, and then unplug the horns & bypass them, you should have 12V at the wire inside the wheel.

 

I was probing around to most of the metal in the wheel, I cannot remember if I touched the very center.

The button on the pad does make contact, I was playing with it and making a *ting*ting* metal on metal noise.

 

 

I do have a multimeter, I will have to dig around with it and see what kind of power I get to the horns themselves. I will also check the hub to column contact if the meter turns up nothing.

 

Thank you for all of the replies!

[6 Star]

It turned out that the simplest possible solution was the answer, both horns themselves had gone bad. 

 

But I got to test out my steering wheel puller, because I'm a glutton for not starting with the simple solutions.

I discovered that the bolts that came with the puller kit would not fit the threads in the steering wheel. However, trusty Subaru, the intake manifold bolts for the EA82 were a perfect fit.
In this pic the wheel had just popped free from the spline.

 

 

 

So after finding that all was right in the wheel, I switched horns with some from the parts stash.
I have horns again!

Thank you all again for replying!