Horn not working

[blak_betty]

Hi all,
Greetings from the Great White North. I am new to your forum as I have just purchased a 2000 Explorer Sport that is stock for evertything except an aftermarket remote start. On the way home from picking it up I blew the horn and it worked and then I tried again when an idiot pulled out in front of me and I got a little squeak and then nothing. Now it only clicks when i try to toot it. I checked the fuse and it seems fine. Besides the relay, which I don't know how to diagnose, what else could this be? I am fairly handy and have most tools at my disposal. Thanks for any help you can offer a newbie, it is exciting to be back in the Ford family again.

 

[scucci]

The horns in explorers are a common replacement item. If the relay is good and the fuse is good it is properly a defective horn. The horns (2 of them) are loacted below the battery tray (get to them from under the vehicle). My 98 did almost exactly the same thing to me as yours when i purchased it. I just picked up 2 horns from autozone and have not had any trouble for 2 years.

Scucci

 

[blak_betty]

not easy as usual

Okay, so thanks first of all for your help, but as usual, I will go beyond the ordinary. Checked the fuses, not the problem, replaced the relay, not the problem, replaced both horns, not the problem...... what else is left to check? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[JIGAWHAAT]

Does the horn work when you hit the "panic" button on your key chain

 

[nolimitssjca]

Did you check the connection on the steering wheel?

 

[blak_betty]

Okay, so there is no horn when I hit the "panic" button, will be sound without a connection at the steering wheel even when pressing the "panic" button?

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! Do you have any problems with the cruise control buttons on the steerg wheel, or just the horn. There is a part called the clockspring which is known to fail.

 

[blak_betty]

Thanks for replying, I have read alot of posts that includes the clock spring, but at this point just a problem with the horn, cruise is working fine besides having to change one of the bulbs by the looks of it.

 

[BrooklynBay]

There might be a bad ground connection where the horn connects.

 

[blak_betty]

Okay, so I can also confirm it is not the connections at the steering wheel as I took it apart, does this point towrads clockspring now or something else?

Thanks for you help.

 

[BrooklynBay]

The clockspring is in the steering column. So if you don't have any other clockspring related issues such as cruise control then it might be in the horn wiring, or a bad ground connection. Check the voltage going to the horn.

 

[blak_betty]

Here we go again.... so I think I have semi-isolated the problem. I have no voltage going to the horn wire itself. The horns work, the fuse is good, the relay seems to be okay since i switched a few around and the problem persists. I have power going to the relay from the fuse, any idea before I take it in to the dealer? Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[budwich]

well, you did a lot of testing .... a meter will probably help you complete the "investigation" quickly. You say you get power from the horn relay from the fuse... how do you know that?... you hear the relay work when the steering is pressed???? You need to check that you are indeed getting power out (and in for that matter) of the relay towards the horn wire which basically goes directly to your horns which is a simple measurement on the appropriate lead. It appears the horns work (your earlier observation) I assume you jumping them directly in some form. You are basically there... just get a meter.

 

[blak_betty]

I sued a meter to figure that out, there is a reading of about 12.5 volts from the fuse to the relay, but nothing out from there, I had the whole bloody power distribution box open this afternoon. I took the horns out and polished the mount and the horn attachments to the mount since this is supposedly the ground connection and jumped them directly and scared the crap out of myself since I was hoping they weren't working and this would be an easy fix. I was hoping that someone might be able to help me troubleshoot further, like what I am looking for from the relay area in the way of readings and which lead to use and such. I heard a clicking when the steering is pressed, but alas, no horn. Somebody please help me before I spend $500 on a $5 fix. Thanks.

 

[blak_betty]

Sorry, I did not sue the meter, rather I used it!

 

[budwich]

thanks for the "rest of the story"... that's great. Well, the relay winding is powered by the same fused power as the power going to the horn. Since you hear the relay clicking, this would appear that the relay is also "confirmed" operational...... although clicking doesn't necessarily mean "fully functional" as the contacts may not be completing... but doubtful since you tried another relay with the same result. That leaves the fact that your voltage in isn't or not getting out. The relay IN voltage is on pin 5 while the OUT when not operationed is pin 4... so when your horn is not depressed you should be seeing voltage on pins 4 and 5 (and also on pin 2 which is for the winding). When it is operated (horn depressed), you should see voltage on pins 5 and 3.....and not 4. Hope that helps.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Trace the wires with a color coded schematic. I suspect that the fault might be in the steering column. Your switch in the steering wheel has to complete the circuit.

 

[budwich]

If I understand blakbetty right, the relay is operating (clicking) which indicates that the steering portion of the circuit is good and complete. The problem appears to lie between the fuse, the IN on the relay and the two OUTs on the relay.... which is well away from the steering wiring. Ultimately, though I would suspect that the relay is not operating "fully" and is not getting the ground (a good ground) from the steering wheel switch. This can be checked at pin 1 of the relay.

 

[BrooklynBay]

So the relay clicks when the horn button is depressed, but the horn is not working. I think this is correct? The relay has power going to the coil. Jump the relay contacts to make the horn ring. If it doesn't work, then there is no power on the opposite side of the relay. If it does work, then the relay contacts are bad.

 

[Lt.Jim]

Just give everyone the finger! Thats what I do