Horn & wiper problem

[schadler]

I have problems with my intermittent wiper and now my horn, and wondered if they are related...

First, the intermittent wiper function started to fail, then failed completely. I still have full function of the low and hi, just not intermittent. Thinking it might be the contacts in the stalk, I took that apart and cleaned...no improvement, but the washer goes on better. I then switched the relays (forget which ones now, but there was an identical one to the wiper relay), no change. I read here that the intermittent function of the wipers is aso linked to the ECM behind the dash, and found out it costs several hunj, which is when I said F-it.

Then, several weeks later, I noticed the horn slowly losing it's beep when I set the anti-theft, until I got no beep...just the flash of the lights. When I went to honk the horn last night, it didn't work at all.

Any ideas? I'll check the horn contacts and see if the horn is getting current. But if it's not that, then what????

This is a 1997 5.0 XLT

 

[TSTONE]

Can't help you with the wipers - but i had the same problem with my horn and it turned out to be the relay getting stuck

 

[schadler]

what did the relay run you?

 

[schadler]

Just for the record, I decided to open the relays and clean the contacts. Not only did that fix the horn, but my intermittent wiper function is back, so everything is fixed!!

Opening the relays is easy with 2 small jewelers screwdrivers. I may open and clean the other relays too, to avoid any problems with the fuel pump, ABS or any one of a million other things I can imagine going wrong with this beast.

 

[schadler]

I also found that the relays, although they are identical, seem to all be interlinked somehow....when I first cleaned the horn relay, it fixed the wiper problem but the horn still didn't work. When I cleaned the other relays, the horn worked. So there must be a circuit between the wipers and horn that are all dependent on all the relays functioning. Strange, but whatever. I hope this helps anyone else who has this problem...CLEAN OR REPLACE RELAYS!

 

[udo]

I have a simular problem. My spedometer stopped working in a sunder storm and it's related with the horn. I changed the fuse, horn was working. I kicked in the speedometer and the fuese is gone, no horn.