Horn is stuck - ON!!

[mbient]

97 Signature TC.

Gave the horn a tap to alert an idiot changing lanes that I was already in that lane, and the darn thing stuck - the horn, not the idiot. Had to pull over and yank the fuse.

How do I unstick the switch, if it's stuck, or replace it if it's broken?

I know, it's in the airbag module, so I don't want to fool around with out knowing where I'm going and what I'm going to do.

All suggestions welcome.

[Dereck]

Hi Mbient

Maybe it's just the horn relay in the power distribution box that has stuck, try swapping it with one of the others in there.

Regards

Dereck

[mbient]

Thanks Derek, fianlly got back to this problem, tried the relay swap routine and the relay isn't the problem, unfortunatly.

Once I get to it, is the horn contact mechanism in the steering wheel pad repairable? What is the replaceable part? Would like to have it on hand so I can do the repair all in one go.

Any advise for removing the airbag assembly, other than disconnecting the Negative battery cable?

[Dereck]

Hi Mbient

The horn switch apparently is not servicable and part of the air bag and has to be replaced as an assembly, I have never had one apart to see if it can be repaired.

After disconnecting the battery leave it for 15 minutes for the deployment capacitor to discharge, the air bag is secured by two screws behind a couple of little covers on the back of the steering wheel.

After you have replaced the air bag you could have some fun with the old one by setting it off in say your neighbours mailbox :D

Regards

Dereck

[SignatureSeriesOwner]

After you have replaced the air bag you could have some fun with the old one by setting it off in say your neighbours mailbox :D


:rofl: :rofl: you are too much...hahaha....hmm lets see what the mailman brought toda....BLAM!! :rofl:

[kickingback99]

I know this was awhile ago, but, my 95 tc is doing the same and I was wondering what the outcome was. thanks in advance.

[phrawg]

Kinda branching off a bit, but, speaking of mailbox pranks.
Used to live in the country and on Halloween eve kids would
come by riding in the back of a pickup truck and smash mailboxes
with a softball bat. UNTILL one year I stuffed a concrete
building block in there. Waited in the darkness and watched.
When it happened you could hear the screams of agony
when the shock of impact traveled up the bat and I imagine
probably made his arm muscles into JELLY for a while.

Never got my mailbox smashed again :D Phrawg

[ImTheJoker4u2]

Kinda branching off a bit, but, speaking of mailbox pranks.
Used to live in the country and on Halloween eve kids would
come by riding in the back of a pickup truck and smash mailboxes
with a softball bat. UNTILL one year I stuffed a concrete
building block in there. Waited in the darkness and watched.
When it happened you could hear the screams of agony
when the shock of impact traveled up the bat and I imagine
probably made his arm muscles into JELLY for a while.

Never got my mailbox smashed again :D Phrawg

Thats just evil genious:D

[zardiw]

Kinda branching off a bit, but, speaking of mailbox pranks.
Used to live in the country and on Halloween eve kids would
come by riding in the back of a pickup truck and smash mailboxes
with a softball bat. UNTILL one year I stuffed a concrete
building block in there. Waited in the darkness and watched.
When it happened you could hear the screams of agony
when the shock of impact traveled up the bat and I imagine
probably made his arm muscles into JELLY for a while.

Never got my mailbox smashed again :D Phrawg

AWESOME....payback is such a biatch....lmao.......z

[zardiw]

I know this was awhile ago, but, my 95 tc is doing the same and I was wondering what the outcome was. thanks in advance.


And now back to our topic..........95TC......where exactly are these relays, and how do you get to them, and which ones do you switch........z

[Dereck]

Hi Zardiw


where exactly are these relays, and how do you get to them, and which ones do you switch........z

Perhaps I should be charging for this information ;)

The relays are in the power distribution box next to the battery, you get to them by opening the hood (pull the release handle inside the car by the drivers kick panel) and flipping off the plastic cover, you know which ones to swap by years of accumulated knowledge or it may be marked on the lid.

Regards

Dereck

[ImTheJoker4u2]

And now back to our topic..........95TC......where exactly are these relays, and how do you get to them, and which ones do you switch........z
IIRC They are under the hood, under a cover. When you pull the cover there should be a diagram of what fuses/relays are what. Switch the hore with a similar relay, and see if that helps. If it does, theres your problem. If not its probably the switch.
Heres a few more fun ways to dispose of airbags....

http://www.youtube.com/user/Davidsfarm#p/u/4/1Z87K-Fii7k
http://www.youtube.com/user/Davidsfarm#p/u/111/BjGEtWmaYhA

[zardiw]

Hi Mbient

The horn switch apparently is not servicable and part of the air bag and has to be replaced as an assembly, I have never had one apart to see if it can be repaired.

After disconnecting the battery leave it for 15 minutes for the deployment capacitor to discharge, the air bag is secured by two screws behind a couple of little covers on the back of the steering wheel.

After you have replaced the air bag you could have some fun with the old one by setting it off in say your neighbours mailbox :D

Regards

Dereck


One more Engineering Wonder from ford......in order to fix a stuck horn switch, you have to buy a new multi hundred dollar airbag.....I never fail to be amazed at ford's idiocy..........z

[zardiw]

Well, I've narrowed it down to a multi hundred dollar repair........have to replace the airbag assembly to fix a stuck horn switch......freaking AWESOME............z

[SignatureSeriesOwner]

Just get one out of a junkyard car. I've never heard anyone else have the same problem you are having, so the J/Y one should be just fine.

[Newave Dave]

Z, as long as you have determined that your air bag/ horn switch is junk, why don't you do a little surgery on the assembly? You have nothing to loose, right?

[zardiw]

Just get one out of a junkyard car. I've never heard anyone else have the same problem you are having, so the J/Y one should be just fine.

I'd have to find a green one to match the color inside the car....plus they would probably charge me over $100.....not gonna do it....got a more elegant and CHEAPER solution I think........z

[zardiw]

Z, as long as you have determined that your air bag/ horn switch is junk, why don't you do a little surgery on the assembly? You have nothing to loose, right?

Well, I would, but to tell you the truth, that thing scares the living bejeezus out of me......I can just see that POS blowing up in my face, and I'm not gonna risk personal injury on this thing......You should have seen the expression on the shop forman when I was talking to him with it in my hand......:eek:...lololol........z

[Plynch]

Personally i try smacking it with my fist lol.

Up to you if you want the battery connected when you do it :D

[zardiw]

Personally i try smacking it with my fist lol.

Up to you if you want the battery connected when you do it :D


I've done that, and sometimes it unsticks it.......but now I have a better solution. Just need to drill a small hole, and feed the wires through:

http://images.investorshub.advfn.com/images/uploads/2009/11/11/laxoyHorn1.jpg

z

[BillyBob TC]

I've done that, and sometimes it unsticks it.......but now I have a better solution. Just need to drill a small hole, and feed the wires through:

http://images.investorshub.advfn.com/images/uploads/2009/11/11/laxoyHorn1.jpg

z

THIS is a better way of doing things? I can't figure which is more offensive in this pic - the 'horn', the dirt or the hair piece pins stuck in the dash trim.

[zardiw]

THIS is a better way of doing things? I can't figure which is more offensive in this pic - the 'horn', the dirt or the hair piece pins stuck in the dash trim.


Are you saying this is grounds for excommunication from the Church of TownCar?.:eek:.........he he.......z

[zardiw]

Here's my other option.....since airbags scare the living beejeesus out of me anyway, I've decided to just do without one.

And I found a more esthetic solution for the horn button. I went to Radio Shack and found a momentary push button....when you bend the pins a little bit it slides right on the connector.

SO, I'll just lay the switch in the well where the airbag used to be, and when I need a horn, I'll just use the push button. Also, there will be room in the well to store other stuff....gum, or mints maybe......:

http://images.investorshub.advfn.com/images/uploads/2009/11/12/bxkuiHorn3.jpg

http://images.investorshub.advfn.com/images/uploads/2009/11/11/hxhvrHorn2.jpg

z

[Dereck]

http://images.investorshub.advfn.com/images/uploads/2009/11/11/laxoyHorn1.jpg

z

Hi Zardiw

Are you going to make a tech tip out of this? It looks like your good stuff I bet you could get top dollar for it. :D

Regards

Dereck

[zardiw]

Ok, I've had my fun. This is how I really fixed it:

On the push button switch, if you turn the pins a little, it will fit the connector:

http://images.investorshub.advfn.com/images/uploads/2009/11/12/xgtwwHorn8.jpg

Then I drilled a 3/8 inch hole in the spot shown. Now I have a horn button that I can tap with my finger on the side back of the steering wheel:

http://images.investorshub.advfn.com/images/uploads/2009/11/12/exzupHorn12.jpg

http://images.investorshub.advfn.com/images/uploads/2009/11/12/gvrwqHorn13.jpg

And I'm working on getting it cleaned........been so f....g busy it's not funny.........And having those push pins available is just a nice tool to have for splinters and stuff.............z

PS. The push switch is the 'soft touch' one.....works really nice.........z

[no0c]

....got a more elegant and CHEAPER solution I think........z

Well you are 50% correct. Elegant? No. Cheaper? Yes.


THIS is a better way of doing things? I can't figure which is more offensive in this pic - the 'horn', the dirt or the hair piece pins stuck in the dash trim.


My vote goes to the dirt. I'm not sure I've ever seen a car that filthy ! How was the potato crop this year ? :D

Are you saying this is grounds for excommunication from the Church of TownCar?.:eek:.........

Beyond any shadow of a doubt. Adios ! :)

SO, I'll just lay the switch in the well where the airbag used to be, and when I need a horn, I'll just use the push button. Also, there will be room in the well to store other stuff....gum, or mints maybe......:


So now the real motive of your air bag castration becomes reality. More storage room. ;)

Are you going to make a tech tip out of this? It looks like your good stuff I bet you could get top dollar for it. :D

If the brakes are $9.95, I can see this one going for at least double that.

Then I drilled a 3/8 inch hole in the spot shown. Now I have a horn button that I can tap with my finger on the side back of the steering wheel:

Very convenient. I wonder why FoMoCo didn't think of that?

And I'm working on getting it cleaned........been so f....g busy it's not funny.........And having those push pins available is just a nice tool to have for splinters and stuff.............z


I want to wish you luck. Splinters? From the wooden steering wheel? How handy a feature. ;)

PS. The push switch is the 'soft touch' one.....works really nice.........z

No doubt.

I've been saving them up .......ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Time for a nap.

Congratulations you have made the "Wall of Fame/Shame" with flying colors.

Regards.

[zardiw]

Actually the new horn is very convenient.......I keep my hand there anyway when I'm driving, and my fingers are right there.....don't even have to move my hand to honk the horn...........z

[zardiw]

Quote:
Are you saying this is grounds for excommunication from the Church of TownCar?..........
Beyond any shadow of a doubt. Adios !

Well, every flock needs a black sheep........I will wear that badge of honor with pride......:p......z

[mbient]

After putting up with no horn for awhile, my wife issued an ultimatum, FIX IT!!

So, fearing her wrath more than I did an exploding airbag, I disconnected the battery, did a partial lobotomy on the airbag unit and folded the 'skull cap' back. Found the horn switch, a slim pressure-sensitive filament that is mounted on a flat plastic backing-piece by way of some groves in that backing-piece. That backing-piece is tucked in to a pocket sewn on the airbag itself.

The problem was, the filament switch had slid out of the grooves on the backing-piece, so there was nothing firm behind it to cause the filaments to make contact when pressed. A truly Rube Goldberg design, so typically Ford.

I reassembled the switch, added some tape to keep the slippage from happening again, reinserted the backing-piece in to the airbag's pocket and carefully secured the unit's 'skull cap' back via blind stitching with a curved upholstery needle and waxed cord, being very careful not to snag or puncture the airbag.

Horn works, have not had an opportunity to test the airbag.

[zardiw]

After putting up with no horn for awhile, my wife issued an ultimatum, FIX IT!!

So, fearing her wrath more than I did an exploding airbag, I disconnected the battery, did a partial lobotomy on the airbag unit and folded the 'skull cap' back. Found the horn switch, a slim pressure-sensitive filament that is mounted on a flat plastic backing-piece by way of some groves in that backing-piece. That backing-piece is tucked in to a pocket sewn on the airbag itself.

The problem was, the filament switch had slid out of the grooves on the backing-piece, so there was nothing firm behind it to cause the filaments to make contact when pressed. A truly Rube Goldberg design, so typically Ford.

I reassembled the switch, added some tape to keep the slippage from happening again, reinserted the backing-piece in to the airbag's pocket and carefully secured the unit's 'skull cap' back via blind stitching with a curved upholstery needle and waxed cord, being very careful not to snag or puncture the airbag.

Horn works, have not had an opportunity to test the airbag.

Yours are bigger than mine....balls that is....lolol. By 'lobotomy', I assume you cut it around the edge and I guess you did cause you said you did some stitching. Be nice to see some pics....The guy at the dealer said there was a way to take it all apart by loosening some screws and stuff.....but I gotta tell ya, an exploding airbag could probably mess you up pretty good.....but if it's disconnected from any juice I guess there's less risk....but that guy at the dealers sure was leery of it, so apparently they CAN go off.

I like my solution......works really well..........didn't take very long either, fwiw..........z

PS. If the universal jokester stays in tune, you may be testing that airbag sooner than later.......or your wife will......serve her right....lolol........z

PPS...Mine was/is actually stuck on......had to pull the fuse.......z

[homeskillet43]

I had the same issue. Pulled the horn pad off of the air bag and noticed there was a piece of plastic broken off and it was pressing against one of the leads for the horn.

[zardiw]

I had the same issue. Pulled the horn pad off of the air bag and noticed there was a piece of plastic broken off and it was pressing against one of the leads for the horn.

How did you do that....i.e. get to it?...........z