Horn issues

[Lattimer]

So, my horn didn't work when I got the truck a month ago. As I have been working through various issues, I've been replacing a lot of parts and fixing all sorts of PO screw ups.

Horn itself was no good, so I replaced with a basic Wolo low tone. Wiring in the engine compartment was half melted and bare in spots so I replaced it back to the firewall. Found the plug at the relay disconnected and melted, so I installed a new relay and spliced in a new plug.

I have also replaced the steering column with a new tilt column and replaced the steering wheel with a new Grant wheel, new horn button, etc., so everything except the under dash harness is essentially new.

If I short across the plug at the relay, I can get the horn to honk. And that is the only way. Shorting the horn button inside the column does nothing, so I think my issue is between the column and the horn somewhere. I'm about to splice into the wires at the column and just run all new to the horn from there and abandon the factory wiring, as I am pretty much out of ideas.

Anybody have any insight as to what else I can look for? Anything hidden under the dash I'm not aware of?

[Lattimer]

Bump....Anybody got any ideas for me, or is it probably just a bad wire?

[Stocker]

I read this yesterday and thought there might be replies by now. All you should have to do is ground the wire at the horn button, and that will operate the relay. There may be a connector in the wire but I'm not aware of one. My guess is a bad wire (or possibly a bad connector) from the horn to the relay. This assumes that you are sourcing a good ground at the horn button.....

You've already proven everything good from the relay to the horn.

[VetteVet]

Your horn relay has three terminals that a large 12 gauge red and a 12 gauge green wire connect to in the plug. It also has a smaller black wire in the plug that grounds the coil ain the relay and electrically shorts the green and red wires to blow the horn. If you rewired the plug you might have gotten these wires in the wrong position in the plug. The black wire goes into the harness and up into the column through a crescent shaped connector for the brakes and turn signals and then to the horn button where it is grounded by the horn button and energizes the horn relay. At least that's how it's supposed to work.


The grant steering wheels have a reputation for not working the horn relay and the column may not be grounded as well as it should be. IF you can access the black wire for the horn button, try grounding it to the column and see if the horn blows.

Here's a picture of the relay and the plug and the crescent connector.
The black horn wire is at the top of the connector.

[Ol Blue K20]

I have had the steering shaft loose it's ground at the rubber coupler test for continuity from one side to the other. Sometimes if someone replaces it with a cheap universal fit they don't put the ground strap in it. The steering shaft grounds through the steering box

[Lattimer]

Thanks! Now I have some more stuff to check.

I'm pretty sure I got the connector wires correct, but I will double check.