Horn Not Working? 7 Things to Check.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.ค. 2024
- The horn was not working in my 2016 Ford Explorer (FPIU), and it turned into a “fun opportunity” to learn about all of the parts of a horn circuit and how to figure out which parts were working and which parts were not. By the end of this, I hope you can get your own horn working.
Tips for removing air bag / steering wheel / clock spring on 2011-2019 Explorers: • Ford Explorer (FPIU) A...
Fuses and fuse puller: amzn.to/3S4DuGv
Relay puller: amzn.to/41dcpVz
Test light: amzn.to/4aL9Eiv
Multimeter: amzn.to/48jxCzY
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Chapters
0:00 No Horn?
0:15 Check Horn and Harness
2:27 Check Fuse and Relay
5:52 Check Horn Switch
9:36 Look for Wire Breaks Under Dash
12:42 Try Bypassing the Steering Column
14:15 Verify the Steering Column is Grounded
15:31 Check Steering Column Wiring & Clock Spring
Correction:
06:40 This also applies to 2011 Explorers - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
I’m impressed you were able to locate a 10 mm socket
Happy to impress. :)
Keep up the amazing work!
I’ll try, Craig. Thanks for commenting!
Holy shit! I'm really impressed. This has got to be the most amazing and expert auto diagnostic video on TH-cam. My horn on my 2013 Mazda 3 doesn't work, and I hope it's because of a bad fuse or switch. I'd hate like hell to go through all you went through. Thanks much, as I enjoyed watching Sherlock systematically sleuth out the culprit connection.
Elementary, my dear Watson. ;)
Thanks for the compliment!
@@reidthemanual As a follow up, today I determined that the horn is bad. I have a Mazda 3 hatchback and I didn't know where the horn was, exactly. Then I saw a video showing that for my car, I can get away with prying only half the front end plastic away on the driver's side. Knowing where the horn is, I found a wire going to it and cut away a small piece of insulation. I hooked up a voltmeter and verified that the horn is getting voltage. Next chore is to replace the horn.
I was afraid it was the clock spring because my cruise control stopped, then started to work again. So I guess I'll have that repair ahead in the future. But thanks for your video, I understand all the parts involved. I did't know what a clock spring was.
Curiously, I could not find on the web or in my owners manual where the horn relay is. A search for horn relay shows only hits for horn fuse.
Good work!
The funny thing is that my Explorer actually has 2 horn relays. One of them is built into the body control module and carries the relatively small “signal” current. That signal current then energizes the under-hood horn relay I show in the video. This replaceable relay carries the actual horn current, which also goes through the adjacent horn fuse.
Perhaps your Mazda 3 uses a single relay in a module for everything. Those relays are not advertised because they are not serviceable. My old Ford Focus was similar in that it used built-in relays which were not serviceable (thankfully, I never had any fail).
Good step by step 👍
Thank you, sir!
Wonderful presentation
Thank you!
Awesome explaination
Thanks, Norman!
Great analytical skills. I'm sure you have helped a good bunch of people. Now if at least 50% of those who watched would have given your video a thumbs up :) C'mon people, smash the button with the same enthusiasm you were trying to get your horn to work !! :)
Thanks, Pete!
Wow that was a great video, I have a Dodge Charger Pursuit that the horn is not working, thanks to you a have a better idea about the steps I need to take to get it working.
Glad it helped. Thanks for commenting!
Thank Teacher
You’re very welcome! Thanks for commenting!
Excellent 👍
Thanks for commenting. :)
Perfectly awesome thorough video. Just perfect. Thanks👍💪💯
So glad it helped you! Thanks for commenting.
well done sir...
Thank you!
Awsome video. Thanks for shay
Glad it helped you! I’ll have more videos coming out. Subscribe to be notified.
Similar problem on my 2003 Sequoia. Ended up tapping into the ground from the cruise control with a T tap connection. Then attached the new ground to the metal part of the steering wheel and it worked.
Bad grounds are often the hardest things to troubleshoot. Good job!
Supeer. Moc dekuju. Ted uz vim, proc nefunguje nejenom klakson, ale i tempomat a jine funkce 👍
Rádo se stalo!
You are like Poirot of Horn Mystery:) You go straight by thread to ball despite all odds, what a commitment! Very fun video!
I've always wanted to do similar video when I was solving something with my car to help the others.
You are most generous with your words, sir! Yes, all to often we solve mysteries only to afterwards reflect “that would have made for an interesting video.” I’m glad I caught this one on camera and could share it with you.
Excellent video and information!!! I have an issue with a 2013 Focus. I am going to diagnose the problem today. Thanks, great info!!! And I am familiar with clock spring removal from previous vehicle issues with other vehicles. 🌅 😇
You’re welcome! The only major thing I did not cover was the body control module. If everything in the engine compartment tests as good AND everything in the steering column also tests as good (you get continuity from the lower harness to ground when you push the “horn button”), then you might have a bad BCM. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that!
Excellent video though
Thank you!
I foubd a disconnected plug under the steering column. It looked like a factory plug but wrspped in shinney black electrical tape.... not factory wrap. Removed electtical tape connected the plug.horn worked. 2017 police Utility
That’s great! Outfitters must have disconnected that when they installed emergency equipment. Did you gain any other functions when you connected that?
I noticed your PCM relay is a brown color on the top. Mine looked the same way when I checked the fuse box. I also noticed that the lid on my fuse box above that relay was a shade of gray/white (sign of heated/melted plastic).
There's an identical relay in the fuse box that's unused (atleast I had a spare one present). And I thought to myself, I'm gonna replace the one that's browning with the unused one, thinking it could be part of the cause for my transmission shutter issue (heads up, it didn't seem to help any). And when I was trying to remove it, it was damn near impossible to break it free. The plastic housing on the relay cracked and broke before I broke out some bigger pliers and more elbow grease to get it removed.
Upon inspection it seemed fine other than the discoloration, and I replaced it with the unused relay now that I had broken the housing.
I still find the discoloration odd.
Just something I wanted to note as I thought it was just a fluke with my 2017 FPIU but seems to be a trend now that I've seen it in yours too.
You know, I wondered about that discolored relay. Relays can fail unpredictably, but it sounds like I will leave it alone for now. Meanwhile, I’ll order a relay puller for the day when I need to swap it out.
Good Lawd...I'ma just use a bullhorn..
Or just yell out the window. Haha
It was honestly so comforting to have a functioning horn again. I highly recommend it.
Same crusty this is too much for me
When I push the horn switch on the wheel, I heard a click at the relay but no horn. Any ideas?
That’s actually a good thing because it means that everything inside the cabin, steering column, and dash is working. If your horn relay is clicking but the horn is not sounding, it could be that the horn relay is bad (“clicking” doesn’t necessarily mean “good”) or the horn itself is bad. Here’s what to try next:
1. Make sure your horn fuse is not blown.
2. Try to honk your horn with your key fob (hit lock button twice or the panic alarm if you have one).
3. Remove the relay and try shorting the horn circuit with a wire.
great info, but it doesnt tell me why my horn blows with fuse in place,even though it appears to be a good fuse. i replaced it with a new fuse anyway, and tho horn still blows constantly as soon as contacts touch. my obd ll reader wont display. please help
Thanks for reaching out. This video focuses on what to check if your horn is nonfunctional (silent). It sounds like you have the opposite issue (horn stuck on). Anybody have tips on this topic?
It sounds like your fuse is fine. If it was bad (blown), your horn would NOT work. What type of vehicle are you working on?
If your car is designed like mine, the body control module (BCM) is what actually controls the horn circuit. Normally, either pressing the steering wheel “horn switch” or pressing the alarm button on a key fob will tell the BCM to honk the horn. The BCM then sends a small signal current to the horn relay, the relay closes, and then that sends a larger current through the horn fuse and to the horn itself.
If all of that is true on your car, then either the BCM is telling the horn to honk OR your horn relay is stuck closed (even though the BCM is not sending it signal current). If you’re in a hurry and on a budget, I would replace the horn relay if your car has one. They are normally $5 to $25 and relatively likely to fail in mysterious ways. If you are willing to dive a little deeper, get under your dash and see if you have a plug to disconnect your steering column from the BCM. If something in your steering column is causing the BCM to honk the horn, disconnecting that plug should stop the horn.
Again, anybody else have any ideas?
@@reidthemanual thanks for the great info. This is a 97 Buick skylark. I am on a tight budget and don't know where to find the relay, I have just left out the fuse for quite a while and would like to have it back in working order. I will keep trying what you mentioned. Thanks a bunch
So if you disconnect the battery and follow the guidance is no way the air bag would pop up on me? Jaja just to make sure..I just got my clock spring.. I am working on other issues so I guess by a couple days I should be doing the clock spring. Thanks
I used to be a firefighter, and we were always trained to treat airbags like they could go off at any time. Even an air bag removed from a vehicle should be respected.
If you disconnect the battery, make sure the battery cable cannot come back into contact with the battery, and then let the car sit overnight, the airbags should then be safe to *carefully* remove. Also be sure to keep stray voltage and static away from them while you work. Watch my other video on clock spring replacement for more info.
Changed the clock spring and no luck. Mine honks when turning. Help!!!!
Did the horn behavior change at all before vs after replacing the clockspring?
I get 12v on the blue/white wire when the horn is pressed. I can also hear the relay clicking like it should. Should there be constant voltage going to the black wire on the connector at the horn? Or is that a ground?
Hi, Daniel. There should be no constant voltage at the horn when everything is in the “normal” state (horn button NOT depressed). At the horn, one wire normally goes to ground (negative battery terminal) and the other is going to the horn relay (but not getting 12v until the relay closes).
Using a wire, you can bypass the relay like shown in the video and should be able to honk the horn. If your horn honks, the horn is good. If you can also hear the relay clicking when you press the horn button, then your signal circuit (modules, clockspring, harnesses, etc) is good. That would only leave the relay itself to be bad.
Relays fail in unpredictable ways and can “test good” but still be malfunctioning. If all else tests good, replace the relay.
@@reidthemanual Thank you sir! Started tapping on the horn while pressing the steering wheel and it started making a really sad horn noise. Bad horn. Thanks again!
My horn and all the buttons on the steering stopped working. I got a model for the clock spring that is a bit different from the one that came with the car and the buttons on the steering started working. However, the horn is still not working. I also can not find the horn fuse on the manual. Not there. What do I do? Car model is ford edge limited 2014
Your Edge might not have a horn fuse, but it does have a horn relay in the fuse box under the dash behind the parking brake pedal. I would check that relay. Like shown in the video, you can remove the relay and jumper the circuit with a piece of wire. If that does not sound your horn, you probably have a bad horn and I suggest removing the horn itself and check it by connecting it directly to a 12V battery.
20 amp fuse
Fuse number 22 on inside fuse panel
Horn relay fuse
Listed on top of page 268 of 14 edge manual
Excellent video:
I took my Mustang V6 for a front end alignment; now I notice the horn is not working. Does the technician had to open the steering wheel like you did to align correctly, the steering wheel vs front end alignment? The same week I had a rack and pinion replacement too but at a different shop.
To my knowledge, modern steering wheels are not meant to be “adjusted” in any way. There is only one orientation for it on the steering column. I do not believe your mechanic would have removed your steering wheel unless you had a drastically misaligned steering wheel due to improper assembly (your tires were turned when your steering wheel was straight). My family has an old truck like that, and someday I will pull the steering wheel off and rotate it so it aligns with the tires.
Anyway, if your vehicle is like mine, the steering wheel has a main connector that handles the horn and all of the other buttons and lights on the steering wheel. If your mechanic did remove and reinstall your steering wheel and forgot to plug that connector back in, then nothing on your steering wheel would work. Do you notice anything else on your steering wheel NOT working?
Also, are you still able to honk your horn with your key fob?
Do you think a OBD2 scanner would help to identify the issue? On my car if I press the key control Alarm it sound off. I think the technician that worked on my car mess it up and won't admitted.
That’s good that your key fob can can honk your horn. At least your body control module and horn circuit are working.
If your car is wired like mine, then an OBD scan tool would not help you. I actually tried that on my car and could not find anything on the CAN network to help troubleshoot the horn. You might need to investigate like I did in the video.
Do you have any other controls on your steering wheel? If so, do they work?
The cruise control is not working either. I will try all the steps in your video. I will ordered an aftermarket clock control, if is not the issue at least won't hurt me that much vs OEM parts. A tech what to charge me $500.00 for replace the clock spring with a OEM parts.
Okay. If you have other buttons on your steering wheel that do not work, then you likely have a failing clock spring. The wires in your clock spring will fail one by one. Eventually, you will get an airbag light on your dash because your airbag will be disconnected (not good!).
If you replace the clockspring yourself, be careful as you will be working around the explosives in your air bag. Watch my other video to see how I safely replaced mine. It can be a bit of a challenge depending on your vehicle, but with patience you can do it.
Be safe and let me know how it goes!
Great video here! Very informative and helpful.
Not sure if you could help here! But in my case, I have a 2016 Ram Promaster 2500 Cargo van, and the horn doesn't work! Not sure if it's because there is no airbag in the steering wheel or because of a bad relay. I also checked the normal horn fuse, and it seems to be fine.
Could it be because there is no airbag in the steering wheel? If so, how can i go about this to just have a working horn? I don't need it to look fancy, so I don't mind rewiring a switch to the side of the dash or something. Also, not sure if there is a horn relay on the 2016 ram promaster 2500, I couldn't seem to find it on the manual! Maybe because there's no airbag, so nothing is pushing that plate or making contact aginst the ground?
Any time to suggests would be greatly appreciated!
You’ve got an interesting situation.
First and foremost, I recommend you immediately replace your airbag. This could be part of your issue and is a safety concern.
Secondly, I think your Promaster might actually have a switch in the airbag assembly, but I have never worked on one.
When you look at your steering wheel, what do you see? Do you have the old airbag housing (it says “RAM” on the front and has a horn icon at the bottom) or do you just see nut that holds the steering wheel onto the steering column?
Actually, here is a video that might help you. It’s for a 2018 Promaster but it might apply to your 2016.
th-cam.com/video/8jSdQrEND4Q/w-d-xo.htmlsi=edGbYniUtKBRZj2w
@@reidthemanual I have the front cover with the Ram emblem still. It just feels soft when I press it down! But I can't see in inside or the internals of the steering wheel!
@@lmaojasey921 Do you have a key fob you can use to test the horn?
@@reidthemanual How would i do that? I have the key! I drive it when I need to delivery for work! About couple time a. month
Hi sir, does no horn cause the airbag light to turn on?
Not directly, but if your clockspring is failing (the wires inside are breaking off), then it could cause both your airbag light to illuminate and the horn “button” on your steering wheel to not work.
Can you use the key fob (or short circuit the relay) to honk the horn?
My horn on my 07 mustang doesn't work, but that was a lot to go through
If you do anything, it should be Step 2. That will tell you a lot.
Mine doesn't work now, either. I haven't diagnosed it yet, but I have a feeling it's gonna be a clock spring.
It could be anything, so always check the simple stuff first. I would say the most common failure modes are…
1. Horn relay
2. Horn
3. Fuse
4. Clock spring
@@reidthemanual I finally got out there and diagnosed it. Both horns are bad. I ordered them already.
@@bobbydelamar606 Good deal! If, by chance, you have a 2016-2019 Explorer, check out my video on horn replacement.
Thanks, again, for commenting.
Does the key have to be on and horn button pushed to show 12 volts at the plug? Thanks.
In most (if not all) vehicles, the horn will work regardless of key position, so you *probably do not* need to have the key on. To get 12 volts at the horn connector, though, you will need to push the horn button, yes.
Thank you, I did not have voltage at the plug until horn button was pressed, tried it with the key on and did not show voltage until horn button was pressed and then there was battery voltage, So I'm going to order a new horn for the right side. Thanks.@@reidthemanual
You’re welcome @whitetiger8652 Thanks for commenting.
Hello. I have a '99 Civic whose horn only works sometimes... I hear the relay's clicking noises when I press the buttons on the steering wheel. I bought another horn at a junkyard, thinking it was the horn, but it turned out not to be, as both work hooked up to a battery... What could it be? Help would be appreciated from anyone...
I did not show it in the video, but my old relay would *click* but would not flow power. Relays are marvelous pieces of hardware, but they can also fail in unexpected ways.
My brother was just having an issue with his AC where it would work for a while and then quit. After trying everything else, he replaced the clutch relay and now it works perfectly.
If Honda happens to use the same relay in another location on your car, you could swap the relays and see if the issues follows that relay. It looks like a ‘99 Civic horn relay is $5-$15 retail, so my suggestion would be to try a new one. Let me know how you come out.
Oh, and do not buy a relay just because it “looks the same.” Only buy a relay that says it fits a ‘99 civic horn circuit and comes from a reputable auto parts distributor (Rockauto, Autozone, NAPA, etc.). I bought a new generic horn relay online to save a few dollars, and it seems to be having a bit of trouble. I plan to replace it with an OEM-equivalent one when I get time.
@@reidthemanual,thank you for your replies. I live in southern Europe, and sometimes trying to find parts is difficult... I doubt it's the relay, but I'll try to troubleshoot it and check the connections, as this issue has been haunting me for quite some time now. It is a bit daunting to me, as I'm just a diy guy. If I manage to solve the problem, you'll be the first to know. I've posted my problem on a number of youtube channels and you've been the only one to answer. I really appreciate it. 👍
If you have any other questions, let me know. Happy to help a fellow out!
If cant remove relays from housing even with all my might , could they be soldered in? And what 2 do next?
Gary, if you are in a fuse box with serviceable fuses and relays, you should not have to desolder anything. What year/model of car are you working on?
Econoline , hard 3 remove fuses
2001
Gary, it looks like your van's horn takes a common 5-pin automotive relay. You should be able to pull it out.
You might try using a relay removal tool such as this: amzn.to/41dcpVz
Here is another contributor's video showing the location of your relay if I understand your vehicle correctly: th-cam.com/video/s1NsFgUexJQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=vY8nont_gZdxj2Ap&t=14
The hidden on myChevy Impala 9c3 police doesn't work either. I tried the fuse, but still won't work. Looks like I need to dig deeper.
Next, I would recommend using a wire to short (bypass) the horn relay like I did in the video. It’s a quick way to tell you if the problem is in the dash or engine compartment. If your horn will still not honk when you do that, you might have a bad horn.
clock spring?
Yes, there is a component called a “clock spring” in your steering column, but it’s not really from a timepiece. ;)
What is #6 & 7?
Oh my goodness! You just made me realize I have two “#4” segments! Haha
The chapters indicate the proper 7 things to check.
#6 = check that the steering column is grounded.
#7 = check that the wiring in your steering column (and clockspring) are not broken.
@@reidthemanual I'm positive that my #6 & 7 are fine.
@@damianromo7051 that’s good. What problems are you having and what troubleshooting have you done so far?
Ford sells these "clock-springs" starting at about $340 dollars and up.
They can be expensive, but that really depends on your make and trim of vehicle. I bought a Motorcraft clockspring for around $120 through a wholesaler.
Dealer expensive
eBay $31 and change
the police have a siren horn circuit. then the emergency lights are on, they wire into the horn circuit, so when the officer hits the horn the siren will engage or change siren tones. siren n lights off the horn works as a horn. when departments decommission the vehicle they dont alwys reconnect the horn circuit. check in the center of the dash for horn wires cut or plug unplugged. my chev impalas aND TAHOES HAD EXPOSED WIRES UNDER THE ASHTRAY. Look up Ford interceptor upfitters guide will show you what plugs need to be connected. i would look for that as 1st step, way before the other steps, especially before removing airbag and steering column disassembly. good video otherwise
You’re correct, Steve. Before I made the video, that was the first thing I checked, but there were no breaks in that circuit. It appeared that the PD that owned this FPIU before me left the horn circuit intact (I show the green wire that Ford provided upfitters in Step #4 in the video).
It took me hours to realize it was something else, so I made the video in a way that could hopefully help someone working on ANY vehicle to troubleshoot their horn.
i just purchased a 2017 ford police interceptor at Toronto Auction. And guess what? the horn dowes not work.. so I am watching your video for second time and subscribed. I will let you know who I make out. I just drove from Toronto to New Brunswick 1500 kms or 1000 miles. It ran great even with 338,000 ( 225,000Mi) kms. I have RF headlamp out, (wiring somewhere- bulb okay) , no horn, rear heater blowing all the time even with dash switch off. some paint issues ( I saw your other video) , not sure if it has remore start yet, it has the hood pin connected. keep your videos coming @@reidthemanual