My horn has stopped working

[dirtydirtyharry]

I noticed a few days after my MOT that the horn was no longer working.

I have checked the fuse (its ok). I have also removed the pad off the steering wheel to ensure the connectors are clean and the wire has not come loose (it hasnt).

Is the next logical step to replace the relay?

Are there any easy ways of determining if the relay is actually broken before I try and find a replacement?

Thank you in advance.

 

[robwright]

There is also a sprung copper contact on the back of the steering wheel mate that mates on a ring on the steering boss. I would check that as well if I were you mate. Give it a bit of a grease as well it can get noisy sometimes.

 

[ukmastiff]

Two options spring to mind ( after trying the tip above). If it is still a possible wiring or relay fault , get hold of a wiring diagram which shows you the pins on the relay and the colours on the wiring loom ( Clarkes Garage manual perhaps) , or to save hastle and maybe get out lucky :

Find a sociable owner nearby with the same era of 944 and quickly swap relays for a test. You could invest in a relay as I know a new one is around 12 pounds , about the cheapest 944 relay in existence so there is some good news

Regards Mas

 

[will lyons]

my horns stopped working last year and both were totalled so I just replaced them with genuine Porsche ones it was not a very expensive fix just a little difficult to get to so I should try power to the horn directly as in the first instance

My 944 now has a modern voice of a 996 []

 

[sulzeruk]

The brackets holding the horns also have a habit of falling off after rotting through. My money would be on the ring or the contact on the column, these also seem to wear as well if not lubricated,
Alasdair

 

[peanut]

check the earth point which i think should be down in the headlamp pod well pass side .

 

[peanut]

heres the schematic
http://www.pelicanparts.com/944/elec...944_84_3_2.jpg

The horn works like this.

Power is fed through the relay to the horns and then to earth . That supply is constant and broken only by the switch in the relay.

When you press your horn button another live feed is taken through the relay coil through the horn button to earth. Whilst the second supply through the relay coil is earthed the switch in the other half of the relay is switched closed passing the supply to the horns.

In other words the horn push only operates your horn relay not the horns directly.
Simples
So you need to check the 12v+ power supply to the switch and the coil on the relay, check the fuse and check continuity of the wiring of the whole system and obviously the earthing to both the relay coil and the horns Attached Images

 

[peanut]

another one that posts a question and doesn't botther to return for a reply ? maybe we just ain't replying fast enough []

In answer to the direct question posted by the OP ................yes a simple way to check that it isn't your relay malfunctioning is to bridge the relay switch with a paperclip or piece of wire (2.5mm ring main wire will do)
Remove the relay and link terminal 30 and 87 on the relay socket and press your horn push .

Simples!

WARNING terminal 30 on your relay socket is constant 12v+ live so be careful.
Best way is to put one end of the wire in terminal 87 first then push the other end in terminal 30. If you have one end in terminal 30 don't let the other end of the wire touch any part of your chassis or engine etc for obvious reasons