Horn doesn't work

[hanvyj]

Ok, the horn has stopped working. I tested the actual horn itself and it was fine, so I guess its somewhere in the wiring.. The wiring is a little dodgey - I think its origional and ive had a short by the fuel pump and its been a bit dodgey by points. Im also worried I may have broken it when I wired in a cigarette lighter, all I (think) I did was take a wire off a 12 volt connection (purple I think) but I may have done something by accident.

Does anyone have any advise on how to work out whats wrong? Tempted to get a new loom of esm but havent been paid for a long time and have more urgent things to spend my money on! Is it hard to rewire the whole car?

Cheers

[LouiseM]

Maybe a blown fuse? The horn and interior light are on the same fuse (purple wires) so check to see if the interior light is still working. If not, the fitting of the cigarette lighter might have caused the fuse to blow.

With regards to the other wiring, you need to ensure that it is in good condition but a full re-wire may not be necessary. How bad is it?

[hanvyj]

Maybe a blown fuse? The horn and interior light are on the same fuse (purple wires) so check to see if the interior light is still working. If not, the fitting of the cigarette lighter might have caused the fuse to blow.

With regards to the other wiring, you need to ensure that it is in good condition but a full re-wire may not be necessary. How bad is it?

I tried changing the fuze, I think the interior light hasn't worked since I got the car! The horn definatley was then though. I'll swap the fuze for a dufferent one just in case tommorow. Its interesting that they are on the same circuit! Ill try changing the bulb if I can find a spare see if it does work! Thanks

Im not sure how bad the wiring is overall, everything just seems worn and tired and im worried something else might short. maybe im just over reacting!

[beero]

The courtesy light and the horn are on different purple wires fed from the same fuse but the horn wire does not go behind the dash, it goes straight to the horn so I do not think you have disturbed the horn wire by wiring in the cigar lighter.
Find the purple black behind the dash and earth it. Does the horn work? if so you could have a problem with the wiring or connections on the steering column.
Do you have access to a test lamp or multimeter?

[mike.perry]

The horn is live from the fuse and earths through the horn push. Connect a wire from the purple/black terminal to earth to check the input side of the wiring. If that works then the fault may be with the horn push

[hanvyj]

I seem to remember both wires going to the horn terminals were purple... All I need to do is try earthing both though? The body is earthed, so would touching a wire to the terminal and then some exposed metal (bolt or something) be what you mean?

I'll try behind the dash too, is the horn wired to work when the ignition is off? I guess that makes sense for the interior light too.

I'm at work at the moment, ill try both things when I get home - ill take a pictures if im not sure what I'm doing is right. Oh and I do have a multimeter.

Thanks for your help, hopefully its the horn push.

[mike.perry]

If both wires are purple then you have a problem as you have 2 live feeds to the horn and no earth, you should have a purple/black wire from the horn to horn push. Check them with a test light and if they both light up disconnect one of them.
Do not connect terminals with purple wires direct to earth, you will blow the fuse

[hanvyj]

If both wires are purple then you have a problem as you have 2 live feeds to the horn and no earth, you should have a purple/black wire from the horn to horn push. Check them with a test light and if they both light up disconnect one of them.
Do not connect terminals with purple wires direct to earth, you will blow the fuse

Ok, thanks!

[hanvyj]

Yey, its fixed! Thanks everyone for your help. I think it was a blown fuse but the connections were corroded so when I put a new one in the current didn't flow. After sanding the contacts and putting a new fuse it worked! Multimeters are really useful.

Its nice that whenever something breaks (even if its just a fuse!) I learn a bunch about it. Thanks everyone!



I checked and they are both purple and black.

[mike.perry]

Are they both live?

[beero]

I checked and they are both purple and black.

Looks from the photo left wire is purple. The live one should be purple, the purple/black stripe goes to the horn push.
And yes, purple is live all the time (not just with ignition on)