Horn

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Randy in Maine
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Location: Old Orchard Beach, Maine
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Horn

Post by Randy in Maine » Sat Dec 02, 2006 9:13 pm

79 bus

I had my steering wheel off the other day and now my horn blows when not pointed in a straight ahead direction. I know that the horn is always live and it is just looking for a ground all of the time.

BTW, I noticed when I re-installed it that I only have one spring for the 3 screws that hold the metal grounding disc on the wheel. I think it ws like that when I took it out. Should I have 3 springs for the 3 screws?

From the wheel I have it put in like this:

wheel (nut torqued to 36 foot pounds)
black plastic insulator with the spade connector going through
metal grounding disc with the 3 screws and one spring
button

I should know the answer to this but I can't remember what it is. It is not the years, it is the miles.
79 VW Bus

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spiffy
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Post by spiffy » Sat Dec 02, 2006 9:24 pm

I don't have an answer for you Randy but your story reminds me of Little Miss Sunshine...the rabid horn was hilarious.
78 Riviera "Spiffy"
67 Riviera "Bill"

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chitwnvw
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Post by chitwnvw » Sat Dec 02, 2006 9:28 pm

There's something in the Muir book about your horn shorting out and going off at the worst moment...

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Amskeptic
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Re: Horn

Post by Amskeptic » Sat Dec 02, 2006 9:47 pm

Randy in Maine wrote:
I had my steering wheel off the other day and now my horn blows when not pointed in a straight ahead direction.
Because it is specifically related to direction,
I think you are grounding between the column and the steering shaft. Luckily you can keep noise to a minimum with the ignition switch.
Turn on the ignition and move the steering wheel to the blow point.
Shut off ignition.
Loosen the two screws at the base of the column until you can sort of move it around.
Turn on ignition and see if you can get the horn to shush.
Tighten screws when you fijnd the spot.
Let me know if this worked.
Colin

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DjEep
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Post by DjEep » Sun Dec 03, 2006 6:10 am

The horn in our westy did that, it's nice on one lane mountain roads....

now it doesn't beep at all, pulled the button of and pulled the wire off it's terminal and it sparked when I touched it to ground. ??
"Live life, love life. Enjoy the pleasures and the sorrows. For it is the bleak valleys, the dark corners that make the peaks all the more magnificent. And once you realize that, you begin to see the beauty hidden within those valleys, and learn to love the climb." - Anonymous

Do you want to Survive? Or do you want to LIVE?

vdubyah73
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Post by vdubyah73 » Sun Dec 03, 2006 6:40 am

1977 Bay.Three springs, a plastic piece to keep the screw heads insulated from the ring. Some plastic rings have nubs to fit into the screw holes some don't, those that don't use little plastic inserts to keep the screw shaft from touching the side of the holes. These pieces can be fabricated from hardware store shtuff by a handy yankee like you :joker:
Clean the contact ring while your in there.


Bill

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Randy in Maine
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Post by Randy in Maine » Sun Dec 03, 2006 8:24 am

I am going to play with it today to see what I can get it to do. Or not do.

How important is it to have 3 springs in there? Where would I get a couple more springs? Lowes? Ball point pen? Karl?

One more question.

Could someone take a photo of how their defroster or heater selector mounts on the tube down by the drivers right foot? I have mine mounted and it sort of works but not really. Clip, cable, spring and selector are all there , but I must have the the cable mounted at a wierd angle or something.

Thanks!

Not winter here yet but it is getting closer. I have December 13th as my "date" for enough snow to fall to fully cover a tennis ball in the "fire ring" in my back yard. The beach has not been crowded which is a plus.
79 VW Bus

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Amskeptic
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Post by Amskeptic » Sun Dec 03, 2006 8:38 am

Randy in Maine wrote: How important is it to have 3 springs in there? Where would I get a couple more springs? Lowes? Ball point pen? Karl?
3 points make a plane. You want evey spring. Ball point pen sounds intriguing, a little too soft perhaps.
Randy in Maine wrote: Could someone take a photo of how their defroster or heater selector mounts on the tube down by the drivers right foot? I have mine mounted and it sort of works but not really. Clip, cable, spring and selector are all there , but I must have the the cable mounted at a weird angle or something.
That is a double cable. The other one goes to the central distribution valve located under the vehicle. If it is jammed up, the whole deal is balky. Cable sheath clamped with clip to bracket, cable end to lever on tube is as simple as it gets. Remove cable end from lever and see if lever is free to move. Do the same under the car where access is a bit more annoying on an inclement day in Maine. If the levers are free, the problem is in the cable/sheaths. Any kinks screw up the works quickly.
Colin

vdubyah73
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Post by vdubyah73 » Sun Dec 03, 2006 8:43 am

The three springs lift the ring evenly after honking so it doesn't get cocked and wedged on the screws. Bring the screws, the one spring, the metal ring, and the plastic pieces you have.

The idea is that the metal ring that is held by the screws cannot have any contact with the screws or springs at all. The screws and springs are a direct ground.

If the plastic ring is in good shape and has the nubs that go into the screw holes just get 3 identical springs and some fiber washers to keep the springs off the metal ring. If no nubs are on the plastic ring get some nylon bushings with flanges on one end to fit the holes in the metal ring and a large enough flange to keep the spring off the metal ring. You will probably have to make do with what is available. Such as drill out the bushing so the screws will go thru, grind a flat on the flange so it will fit the ring, shorten the length of the bushing so it is short enough etc...

The metal ring cannot have any contact with the screws or springs. The nut and bolt aisle is your friend!

Bill

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Randy in Maine
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Post by Randy in Maine » Sun Dec 03, 2006 12:40 pm

Well adjusting the 2 8mm bolts holding the steering column helped.

Now off to Lowes!!
79 VW Bus

Opossum
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Post by Opossum » Wed Dec 06, 2006 10:01 am

My horn used to honk sometimes when the steering wheel was turned. Never seemed to be at the same turn location and did not happen all the time. Figured that the wire that goes down the column must have a worn spot. To fix, I bought a long tube of heat shrink tubing, slipped it over the wire and trimmed top just enough to allow connector to be free. It has not honked once when not wanted since.
You can lead an aircooled to water, but you can't make it drink!

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twinfalls
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Post by twinfalls » Wed Dec 06, 2006 3:05 pm

To day; Does the horn make sense.
I like, the beep beep. Great memories, 70's, drive ins, double feature movies, fun. :flower:
1974 stock US Westy 1800cc PDSIT 34 2-3.

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JLT
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Re:

Post by JLT » Mon Oct 16, 2017 6:04 pm

Opossum wrote:
Wed Dec 06, 2006 10:01 am
My horn used to honk sometimes when the steering wheel was turned. Never seemed to be at the same turn location and did not happen all the time. Figured that the wire that goes down the column must have a worn spot. To fix, I bought a long tube of heat shrink tubing, slipped it over the wire and trimmed top just enough to allow connector to be free. It has not honked once when not wanted since.
I bet you thought this thread was dead? Wrong, wrong, wrong!

The same thing just happened to me. Remembering what a PITA it was when it happened to me with one of my first buses, many decades ago, I did what Opossum did: take some 1/4" heat-shrink, slide it into the column, and mark off exactly what I needed. I snipped off the excess and ran a string through the heat-shrink. Tied the other end of the string to a paper clip and threaded the other end of the paper clip through a 1/4" male spade connector. Slipped the connector onto the end of the horn wire and coaxed the heat-shrink down into the column, using the string to keep tension on the wire so it didn't want to bunch. When the horn wire was completely through the heat-shrink, I unplugged the connector and pushed the horn wire back onto its connecter on the horn ring.

I sure hope that this cure works the way the Possum's did. I'll let you know if it doesn't.

I think this thread will never really die until the last bus rides into the sunset, or people do what Static did: replace the horn button with a momentary contact switch on his dash to ground the horn.
-- JLT
Sacramento CA

Present bus: '71 Dormobile Westie "George"
(sometimes towing a '65 Allstate single-wheel trailer)
Former buses: '61 17-window Deluxe "Pink Bus"
'70 Frankenwestie "Blunder Bus"
'71 Frankenwestie "Thunder Bus"

TrollFromDownBelow
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Location: Metro Detroit
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Re: Horn

Post by TrollFromDownBelow » Wed Oct 18, 2017 7:32 pm

My horn seems to have both a speed sensor and a collision sensor... it won't honk unless I'm doing at least 10 mph, but when I really need it most ... like in a pending collision...yeah, no, it decides not to work.
1976 VW Bus aka tripod
FI ...not leaky, and not so noisy...and she runs awesome!
hambone wrote: There are those out there with no other aim but to bunch panties. It's like arguing with a pretzel.
::troll2::

Heliconman
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Re: Horn

Post by Heliconman » Mon Jan 29, 2018 12:55 pm

I replaced my ignition switch last year after having an intermittent no power problem. When I removed my steering wheel I found the horn contact ring on the steering wheel was worn through and the contact for the column was all mangled. My horn has been intermittent since we purchased our bus but not going off by itself would only work once in a while. I had to replace the turn signal switch and find a new contact ring to get ours working again. Im sure you looked at all that stuff when you have it out but just in case you didn't and continue to have problems you might double check all that stuff. All wear points.

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