98 Explorer Horn and Cruise not working

[RLKnecht]

Hello everyone!
I've been searching the site for about a week before signing up and logging on, and have found lots of interesting info here. Unfortunately, I've exhausted all other options other than starting another thread about what I have seen answered before.
My problem:
My 98 explorer horn and cruise are not working. Have not been working for a long time. I have already checked the inside and under hood fuses and they are fine. I have replaced the clockspring ( the old one tested good by the way), and have tested the relay under the hood (I swapped two of them just in case that was the issue anyway). I have taken apart the switches on the steering wheel and since the circuit boards are only switches, resistors and traces I have verified nothing on these are blown, melted, or cracked. Earlier tonight I was at least getting the lights on the switches to come on with the headlights, but I was getting no horn or cruise power. I tried to measure if I had 12v on the pins coming out of the clockspring, but apparently I did something and now the lights on the switches are not even working, but I rechecked the fuses and all of the fuses in both fuse boxes are still fine. I am obviously missing SOMETHING BASIC here.
Any suggestions would be appreciated, I'm running out of things to check!
Thanks
Rick

 

[towers]

Getting a Wiring Diagram

I would recommend getting your specific model wiring diagram. You can find one at http://search.ebscohost.com/. Use RRCC and rebsco when signing in.

A few questions. Do you have a remote entry device?? If so, does the horn beep when locking?? If yes to device and no to horn beep, check for proper 12V at fuse (mine is fuse 10 on 2001 Eddie Bauer). If there, circuit uses actual horn relay coil to complete circuit. Ground comes from the back end of the horn switch or a different ground on the cruise control circuit.

Get the wiring diagram and a meter. Good luck!!

 

[RLKnecht]

Thanks for the link to the wiring diagrams, I searched and didn't know where to find them online.
Answering your questions...
Do I have a remote entry device... No, so I don't think any of the later questions apply. I've always wanted to add Remote capability if possible.

With the wiring diagrams I'll check connections and voltages and verify what I can... While waiting for a reply I followed the wire coming out of the wiring harness to the horn, and after pulling and pushing the connector and detaching and reattaching the horns to the truck I now have a horn again. (YEAH) I'd hate to think that all of this problem is because the horn was somehow shorting out or disconnected from ground somehow. Since all of the other cruise control pieces and wires are not connected to the steering wheel I can't really check if the cruise works other than doing the self test (which I haven't tried after getting my horn back). Once I try the self test and it passes and I put all of the pieces back in the correct place I'll get back with a resolution.

Thanks
Rick

 

[koda2000]

RE adding remote entry...

unless you bought your vehicle new, you may have the ability to easily add remotes and not know it. if so, you can buy new remotes on ebay (about $6-7 each) and program them to work with your truck.

a sure-fire way to know if your vehicle will allow you to add remotes is to follow the instructions found in the owners manual for programming remotes. if the vehicle enters "programming mode" then you know you can add up to 5 remotes.

when i bought my first Explorer (2001) i got no remotes with it. later i bought 2 remotes and, luckily for me, i followed the instructions for programming and they work great.

if your vehicle doesn't support remotes (believe they're part of the passive anti-theft system aka PATS) i don't know how hard it would be to add it.

 

[RLKnecht]

Final update.
I wouldn't have thought this would have changed anything, but after seeing the threads about the horn going out and causing the horn and the cruise to stop working, I figured I'd take a look at my horn just in case that was the problem. Took out the battery and battery tray so I could access the horn attachment bolt, and disconnected the horns from under the battery tray. Brought it into the garage and tested it (after shoving rags into the horns) and they both seemed to work fine. Hmmm ... I cleaned up the connectors and the place where they would ground to the frame and reconnected them. NOW I HAVE BOTH HORN AND CRUISE!!!.
Thanks everyone that thought about possibilities of what could have been the problem. I appreciated the link to the wiring diagram site, it helped quite a bit.
Rick