I'm a dumb-ass.

[COBALT]

Yep, it doesn't happen very often, and there's been a lot of people in my life that give me grief because they claim I NEVER admit it when I screw up, so here it is.

Sunday I had to run an errand for the wife in the truck. On the way back I saw her across the street and decided to get her attention by smacking the horn button a couple of times. Boy, did I. The horn stuck. BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE..... It's blasting away, and I had to run around, pop the hood, and disconnect it before it made me deaf, and I had a gang of people after me with torches and pitch-forks.

Long story short I drove home, parked the truck, and decided to fix it later.

This morning I went out to drive my truck to work. Dead battery. It took me a couple of seconds to realize what an idiot I am.

...so I have to take the steering column apart AGAIN to figure out why my horn is sticking. Anyone have any problems with their horns? That spring loaded pin on the turn signal canceling cam and that round thin metal plate that connects to it I think are the culprits. Something is shorting it out and making the horn go off.

Any ideas?

[70GMC_BOB]

I have had the thrun spring break on 3 diff trucks. the last was on my 72 w/ a dual airhorn decide to go off at 2am monday morning. I had a whole apartment building pissed off, but it was so loud all I heard was a couple who said was thankyou. but then again I wasn't hearing much of anything at that point!

[70c10]

I recently replaced the turn signal lever when I put in a new switch in my dad's truck. Now his horn goes off on left turns, lol. The screw that holds the turn signal lever arm on, is making contact with the back of the steering wheel. I am going to grind a tad off the face of the screw to make it shallower and I know it will be fixed. This is my plan anyway. Good luck Cobalt.

[JimKshortstep4x4]

It sounds like the metal diaphragm is caught on the mounting tabs of the insulator which will keep it in contact with the steering wheel.

Jim

[silvertonguedevil]

These things came with horns??



(Mine has never worked!)

[BurnoutNova]

i had the same probleom in my 76 nova, the P.O. had installed an aftermarket steering wheel with a cheap adapter and the horn wire got pinched inbetween the wheel and adapter plate. i drove it for a few blocks before pulling over. it made it even worse it had air horns on it... it was a little embarassing.

[Dick Dale]

I had a truck that the horn would go off when I put the clutch in. That was actually funny once in a while.

[moneyguru]

Well, old ex girlfriend, actually she became my ex wife, had a plymouth volare.

Biggest P.O.S!!!

Well anyway, plymouth put the highest grade foam in the steering wheel for the horn.
Along came winter and the foam contracted and the horn would start screaming! I pondered for days how was I going to fix this (cheaply), and then I was opening up some boxes (worked on a receiving dock then) and unwrapped this lovely foam from around a smaller box.

Couple cuts with a knive and in it went, never to go off by itself again.


Now back to GMC topic, I heard a rumor these trucks could have a horn as an option...what do I need to do to install one in my 67? LOL

[useRc10]

mine does it...the turnsignal shorts out and makes the horn go off...fun when theres a cop behind you and you either have to blast the horn or not signal a lane change

[special-K]

So what happened once you got her attention?

[67ChevyRedneck]

I had the same problem. Real simple fix. It's been unhooked for about 6 years. Get a dixie horn. When someone cuts you off and you blow the horn at them you can't stay mad when dixie comes out! Da da duh duh da da da da duh duh da da.

[Alexis]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

Da da duh duh da da da da duh duh da da.

[COBALT]

Originally Posted by special-K

So what happened once you got her attention?

She covered her face and pretended not to know me. She told me later that some guy standing on the corner with her said something like "man. it sounds like his horn is stuck. Do you know him?"

She reluctantly said, "Yes, he's my husband."

found the problem. It's this stupid turn signal switch/wiring harness in the column. The wires that go into the switch (all 8000 of them) keep getting pinched when I try to route them around inside the turn signal housing to keep them away from the screws. The first time around the white one got pinched (part of the circuit that controls the panel lights, the dome light, and the tail lights???). It kept blowing fuses. This one was the black one that goes to the spring loaded pin on the turn signal switch for the horn.

First, I had to go get a new battery. I tried to jump it but it wouldn't take a charge long enough to get the truck running. When I pulled it to take it to an auto parts store to get it charged I found out it was leaking. I went and got a gel core sealed battery that cost me about $130 but I'm tired of these cheap-ass batteries that rot out my battery tray.

Second, I disconnected the horn and used my 12v probe tester (with the bulb in the handle) to bypass the horn. Then I could see when the circuit was live rather than hear it till I was deaf.

Third I took the column apart until the light went out. When I went to remove one of those 3 big phillips head screws that hold the switch inside the housing the light suddenly went out. There it was....pinched black wire with copper sticking out and touching the screw.

so...after patching that and CRAMMING the wires back in hoping they weren't being pinched again I was good to go. The new battery rocks.

I think I'm going to get a different turn signal switch. This one I got from LMC is garbage.

[69 longhorn]

Its good to hear that you found the troubles.Oh.....welcome tothe dumb@ss club.....I think I founded that say 25-30 yrs ago! LOL! I dont think there is a one of us that hasnt been caught with some kind of chit from these 30+ yr old trucks.......unless there is a d@mn good liar or 2 out there Hang tough.... L

[Fred T]

There are two different grades of turn signal switches out there. If it happens again, unplug the horn relay, it's next to the fuse box. That way your battery won't get drained. On the vendors, there are many that are better than LMC. I deal with Bowtie Bits and GMC Pauls.

[86SILVERADO]

Originally Posted by Alexis

HAHA, even my yankee butt knows what he is talking about. Never seen Dukes of Hazard?

[Alexis]

Originally Posted by 86SILVERADO

HAHA, even my yankee butt knows what he is talking about. Never seen Dukes of Hazard?

Hell Yes I've seen it, use to watch it when I was a kid. They now play it on CMT but I don't watch much TV.

I know what a dixie horn sounds like but I couldn't match up his "da da da buh da da" to it

[72moneypit]

I did the VERY SAME THING about a year ago. About 2 hours after I replaced my turn signal switch (with a cheapy aftermarket one), the horn starts blaring in the driveway. I run out and pull the wires off the horn, tinker with it awhile, and eventually give up for the day. The next morning... dead battery! I had to haul the battery to AutoZone for a recharge. Doh!

Ultimately, I bought a "genuine GM" turn signal switch from someone here on the board. It was clearly superior in quality to the cheapo I'd originally installed. It's worked problem-free since.