Horn, where is the earth wire please?

My horn don't work. It just croaks!

After clean all the contact and checking everything I could (no change). I removed the fuse and re-fitted it. My horn worked. Went for a drive, came back and now it doesn't work.

I had heard from people better informed than I, that there is a brown wire near the steering rack. I cannot find this to check it. My car is a series 1 1980 btw.

Is it twin horn or single?

And as you have cleaned all the connectors inc the ones on the horn, have you checked any horn relay?

The horn is earthed through the column to steering rack.

Open the bonnet and look to where the column exits and goes to the rack inside the engine bay, If you look down in the middle you can see the brown wire its only short.

if it's twin it could be the usual problem of the current drain. Disconnect one and see if the other works.

If its a single is there an adjustment screw on top that allows the horn to work.
Could be the horn it's self is worn out, they get a lot of abuse under there.

It has just the one horn. 1980 golf.

I managed to find the wire as I had it up on a ramp fitting new wheels. Cleaned contacts and now 'touch wood' it seems to be working fine. Thanks for description of where the wire is. Now onto the next issue…

No worries,
Glad it's worked out for you.
No horn MOT failure.
Cheers
Chortle

chortle said

Is it twin horn or single?

And as you have cleaned all the connectors inc the ones on the horn, have you checked any horn relay?

The horn is earthed through the column to steering rack.

Open the bonnet and look to where the column exits and goes to the rack inside the engine bay, If you look down in the middle you can see the brown wire its only short.

if it's twin it could be the usual problem of the current drain. Disconnect one and see if the other works.

If its a single is there an adjustment screw on top that allows the horn to work.
Could be the horn it's self is worn out, they get a lot of abuse under there.

Glad I spotted this as my twin horn has decided not to work just when I thought it was ready to go for an mot

Robbo,
Just disconnect one horn and see if sounds.
You will pass MOT with just the one.
If it does that's great.
Problem is VW split the feed wires to both horns from single wires. On later ones they are wired seperately to the fuse box.

Current drop through old wiring.

chortle said

Robbo,
Just disconnect one horn and see if sounds.
You will pass MOT with just the one.
If it does that's great.
Problem is VW split the feed wires to both horns from single wires. On later ones they are wired seperately to the fuse box.

Current drop through old wiring.

Should the wire behind the steering boss be live the one attached to the square brass plate?

VW horns are wired up differently from the norm, most are earthed to the body and the switch connects +12v. On VWs the switch earths the horn hence the need for 2 wires at the horn, +12v and the switched earth. Also the need for the steering column to be earthed to the body.

Thanks early,
Was just about to say earth is switched and horns perm live.

Robbo,
Take the wheel off and have a look at the copper tab, make sure that it is in contact with the brass ring under the wheel.

 Thanks lads now I know its a switched neutral that  makes a lot of sense (been trying to find a broken + feed wire to the steering boss)

Try shorting the black wire from steering wheel horn pad to earth. Piece of wire to a reliable earth.
Have you checked fuse 18?
18 is feed supply to relay and 16 for the horn its self.
So have a look. Does the relay operate robbo?

Relay for horn is position 6 .

Right if I run a earth wire to the 2 switched wires on the horns they sound if I run a wire from the switched wires on the horns to either wire on the steering pad the horns sound so the problem is on the swiched side I guess :dontknow:

Only checked fuse 6  now thinking it could be the relay or fuse 16/18

Thanks for your help Carl

Horn now sorted it must have  been a fuse (I changed all 3)   didn't realise it used a relay just the high beam warning light now

Is the high beam light not working.
Is the actual headlights themselves or the blue bulb in the clocks?

Cheers

Horn relay position 6 on the box the relay positions are marked on the plastic moulding, No 53 I think is marked on the OEM relay.!

chortle said

Is the high beam light not working.
Is the actual headlights themselves or the blue bulb in the clocks?
!

Its just the blue warning lamp in the dash had a look in the "how to" guide bit of a pain for what it is but I think its part of the mot now.

Hopefully just a duff bulb.