Unbelievable horn fault

[66S]

Hi guys,
Some will know I've had my Mk1 S apart recently and one of the jobs I did was to rebuild the steering rack. Since then, the horn has worked intermittently and often croaks more than beeps. I investigated yesterday and found the column shaft isn't earthed. That means that there is no ground between the rack and the car body. Has anybody ever heard of that? I guess I shouldn't have painted the rack !!

Al

[mk1]

I have had this happen a couple of times, its very annoying isn't it. I usually run an actual earth wire from under the steering cowl to the steering column bracket to be on the safe side.

[1071 S]

Its a bit like finding that your S has the fuel pump earthed through the interior light.....

Cheers, Ian

[guru_1071]

Its a bit like finding that your S has the fuel pump earthed through the interior light.....

Cheers, Ian

the worlds cheapest imobiliser!!!

[austinisuseless]

Looks like the horn is earthed through the column, to the rack via the spline joint, to the bodywork via the rack mounts OR through the steering arms, through the front suspension, to the front subframe.

Painted the rack and column splices? Undo it and get the wire brush out.

[66S]

I have had this happen a couple of times, its very annoying isn't it. I usually run an actual earth wire from under the steering cowl to the steering column bracket to be on the safe side.

Hi Mark,
To get the shaft earthed, I'll have to run a wire from the subframe or body to the steering rack I think. The column tube is seperated from the shaft by the nylon bushes.

Regards
Al

[austinisuseless]

Isn't the early centre steering wheel horn switch push type is a contact onto the central column itself? The early minis with indicator only storks, the ET ones?

[66S]

Yeah, dead right! Problem is the earth is through the column shaft so if it (shaft) isn't earthed, the button contact won't complete the circuit.

BTW, the steering rack shaft, nor the column shaft were painted so the problem is between the rack and the body. I'm not going to take the rack out to fix it !!! The U'bolts have little plastic liners under the U part of the bolt, so that won't help either.

Al

[austinisuseless]

well, there you go, stop garggling, and get your wire brush out, and get scrubbing those splines.

[66S]

The splines aren't painted, the problem is between the painted rack and the rack body bracket, I'm not going to remove the rack to wire brush it. Call me lazy, I don't care

Al

[austinisuseless]

OOOO, oh my, some people do get shirty

[66S]

Me shirty, not all all. Did that message sound like that? It wasn't meant to be, sorry My comment was aimed more twoards the degree of difficulty in getting the rack out.

Al

[mk1]

I suspect that technically you are right & the horn does earth through the column only, however try earthing the column tube & you may be pleasantly surprised.

Certainly easier than any other option.

[austinisuseless]

of course you were not shirty, nothing at all, just was making fun of you with your overuse of a paint brush. Do you do quotes? My front room could do with a coat.

[austinisuseless]

horn

and Mark, get some more electricians, let alone auto-electricians, to post here. It is wearing what simple faults are asked here. Why does my cigarrette lighter not work anymore, etc.!