Author Topic: The Horn Button...  (Read 8171 times)

Offline fiddler

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The Horn Button...
« on: January 31, 2019, 03:21:25 PM »
I have a 1974 Chevy C10 stepside.  It has a custom Grant steering wheel.  I am trying to figure out a way to wire that switch into the existing horn circuitry...except that Chester the Molester has been here and I no longer have the original circuitry.  I am re-installing a horn relay socket and relay onto the existing diagonal cut off wiring and rewiring the horns to the relay.  What I can't figure out is a way to ground the switch inside the steering column.  The wiring diagram shows the switch as part of the turn signal switch apparatus.  And it goes to ground from there.  So the coil of the relay is setting there waiting for a ground.  The turn signal canceler cam has the contact and the push button attached, but i don't see how it gets ground....  Anybody out there know the magic???
Ricky

Offline VileZambonie

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Re: The Horn Button...
« Reply #1 on: January 31, 2019, 03:56:46 PM »
Ground the contact and the horn should sound. If it's working correctly buy the horn kit for your steering wheel and install it according to the directions.
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Offline fiddler

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Re: The Horn Button...
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2019, 05:47:40 PM »
Thank you for your response!  So where might one purchase the horn kit?  As per my previous post lots of this circuitry is missing.  At present the horn is tied from a toggle switch on the dash to 12 vdc direct.  One horn, not even the pair.  1)  Will the horn kit work with the custom Grant steering wheel?  2)  I traced the black horn wire from the new turn signal switch and it ended up going in behind the fuse box.  I expected it to be going to the horn relay.  Is the horn relay supposed to be on the fuse box with the hazard flasher and the turn signal flasher?  I do not see a spot for it.....
Ricky

Offline VileZambonie

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Re: The Horn Button...
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2019, 06:48:00 PM »
http://www.grantproducts.com/products/browse/installation-kits/automotive/

The kit is designed to work with the factory horn setup so any parts that have been removed would need to be sourced. Look at the part explosion for the column and figure out what you're missing. As far as the wiring, take a look at the diagram, it's pretty straight forward.

Ground the black wire at the turn signal switch connector and it should energize the horn relay. From the turn signal switch look at the contacts in the diagram for wherever it's been butchered.

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              ⌠¯¯¯¯¯'   [☼===☼]
              `()_);-;()_)--o--)_)

74 GMC, 75 K5, 84 GMC, 85 K20, 86 k20, 79 K10

Offline fiddler

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Re: The Horn Button...
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2019, 07:10:37 PM »
Thanks.  You have been most helpful.  I took a look at the grant website.  I get where they are supposed to be getting ground.  My concern now is that the steering wheel shaft reads 28 ohms to gnd.  The relay could certainly be sensitive enough to run on that much current, but I don't know until I get it and can read the specs.  With that kind of resistance there would be .420 milliamps available to run the relay.  I have seen relays that run on less so maybe that was the design idea.......  Have you ever checked a steering wheel shaft resistance to chassis ground??  It looks like I will have to drop the fusebox to allow access to the firewall connector and back of the fuse box and locate the red and green wires and reinstall a horn relay socket and a brand new relay.  Once I get 12VDC flowing to the cut off dark green wire up by where the horn is hung I will install new stock horns and wire them up, then take out the offending dash board toggle switch.....  Then I will have new turn signals that cancel, (there was no canceling cam), back up lights that work again, (oh yeah the back up switch wasn't making contact for reverse mode so I am installing a new one as long as I have the steering column down),  and a horn button on my steering wheel.  Just like downtown!!  Thanks again and I would certainly like to know about the resistance to ground on the steering wheel shaft.
Ricky

Offline VileZambonie

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Re: The Horn Button...
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2019, 04:32:45 PM »
I wouldn't fixate on resistance in the column at this time. Just get the wiring straight and see if the horn blows when you ground the wire.

Here are 74 diagrams
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74 GMC, 75 K5, 84 GMC, 85 K20, 86 k20, 79 K10

Offline fiddler

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Re: The Horn Button...
« Reply #6 on: February 02, 2019, 05:25:12 PM »
Well that was the best suggestion.  I took a horn relay and powered it with the battery and touched the ground terminal to the steering column and Voila!  It clicks!  So that answers my question as to whether this will work or not.  Now all I have to do is get the kit wire from Grant.  I have everything else in the kit and I am ready to put the steering column back up in place.  I wish they had not tied the black wire in behind the fuse box.  Is that as simple as it looks to drop?  (Maybe they actually stuck the whole fuse relay socket back there, I could get lucky!!)  So I am thinking two 5/16 socket size screws is all that holds that in place.  Any gotchas before I drop it?  So far..turn signals fixed, back up lights fixed, Turn signal canceller cam in place and ready for the wire from Grant.   I am having to go out in between rain showers, but what else would one want to do on a rainy day anyway??
Ricky

Offline fiddler

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Re: The Horn Button...
« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2019, 05:28:55 PM »
And I just want to say...I worked a lot of aircraft wiring for a living for 40 years....and they were far easier to work on than these trucks!  It has to be a labor of love.....
Ricky

Offline fiddler

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Re: The Horn Button...
« Reply #8 on: February 02, 2019, 06:19:09 PM »
So do you know about the correct positioning of the steering column bracket that is just under the dash?  I notice that it has one rectangular hole and one square hole.  The steering column  Tn has always been a bit too far to the drivers side in this truck.  (maybe as much as 1/2 inch, probably at least a quarter inch off center).  It makes it tough to get the bottom trim piece on straight.  I am thinking perhaps this bracket is not as symmetrical as it looks and it was installed backwards??  Thanks in advance for any input....
Ricky

Offline fiddler

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Re: The Horn Button...
« Reply #9 on: February 02, 2019, 07:56:45 PM »

So I found a pic on this site of a column with the yoke installed on it.  I was able to discern correct installation orientation.  (I hope,  unless they are wrong!!)  I found lots of adjustment in the way the column can be installed so i think I will be able to center it up just fine.  Probably just had a bad installation by previous molester. 
Ricky

Offline fiddler

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Re: The Horn Button...
« Reply #10 on: February 02, 2019, 08:03:37 PM »
Does anybody know if it is possible to install the Grant steering wheel kit horn button wire into the canceller with the steering wheel installed?  I would like to put the steering wheel back on but I won't have that wire till next week.  I would be able to take the wheel off down to the bracket without going back to the parts house for a puller.  I can't tell if I can get that wire into the canceller with that bracket installed. 
Ricky

Offline fiddler

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Re: The Horn Button...
« Reply #11 on: February 02, 2019, 11:07:51 PM »
So i drilled down the center of the post of a stock horn button shaft and soldered a wire in it, then supported it with silicone.  It will do the trick.  I put a connector on the other end and will plug it into the Grant horn switch.  Now I don't have to wait for anything.  I will reinstall the steering wheel tomorrow.  Thanks for all of your words of wisdom.
Ricky

Offline fiddler

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Re: The Horn Button...
« Reply #12 on: February 04, 2019, 07:01:46 PM »
First the bad news...I still don't know where the horn relay is on my truck.  I think it is behind the fuse box....  Now the good news.  So once I got the stock horn button post modified, (drilled and a wire soldered in), I put a connector on the other end and installed the horn button post into the cancelling cam.  I had the other end hanging and I inadvertently touched ground with it.  and I heard a click...  So i repeated the process and got another click.....  So I finished my steering wheel installation.  Then I got under the hood with my meter and hooked the positive lead to the diaged dark green wire and stuck the meter in the window and tied the black lead to my chassis ground and pushed my Grant horn button.  The meter read 12 VDC.  So I soldered a connector on the dark green wire and installed it on the horn.  Works great.   So it turns out some previous owner installed the grant steering wheel incorrectly, and cut the horn wires out and installed a toggle switch on the bottom of the dash instead.  I still need to take the allen screws out of the steering wheel and position it correctly on the mounting block.  And i have a relay and relay connector that I don't need.   And i need a pair of stock horns.  Not sure what is on there now, but my process is to get back as close to stock as possible.  Again, thanks for all of your help!  Not knowing what is correct because of previous shabby work is really frustrating, but I like to tinker, and this is a hobby truck, so worth the extra time.  You guys are a great source. 
Ricky

Offline VileZambonie

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Re: The Horn Button...
« Reply #13 on: February 08, 2019, 04:18:35 PM »
There are a lot of hackers out there who have figured out that 12 v and ground can make something function therefore it is good enough. Unfortunately we are often left with the aftermath.
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              ⌠¯¯¯¯¯'   [☼===☼]
              `()_);-;()_)--o--)_)

74 GMC, 75 K5, 84 GMC, 85 K20, 86 k20, 79 K10

Offline roundhouse

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The Horn Button...
« Reply #14 on: February 14, 2019, 07:34:21 AM »
Glad you got it working

Moving the steering wheel on the adapter will not move the cancelling cam

So the cancell will be off center

You may have to pull the adapter and recenter it instead

And
Which magazine was it that had Chester ?
I remember seeing the cartoons but can’t remember the name of the mag