Horn Not Working, any ideas?

Hi 66 owner,
it sounds like the brushes have worn out or lost contact with the slip rings.
Next step is to remove the steering wheel and test the horns right from the brushes.Hope this helps out.
P.D.

 

For the gap on the steering column try loosening the bracket that holds the column up under the dash (two nuts), then slide the column tube forward toward the steering wheel. Leave about a 1/8 inch space so it does not rub the steering wheel. Hopefully this will fix it.

 

Sounds like you're on the right track. I've replaced these before and dealt with the horn woes on these cars and it's just a matter of getting a good connection and finding a happy medium with the adjustment and cleanliness of the contacts, etc. If the brushes and/or the plastic assembly is damaged bad enough it's time to replace the whole turn-signal/horn assembly though. They are cheap (less than 50 bucks) I believe but getting the wires through the column and into the new plug-connector is a bit of a chore.

One thing I might ad with the Mustang horn circuit is that it runs 12 volts (+) through the column and you need to make sure it does not ground out anywhere on the column or steering wheel. In some cases I've experienced sliding the steering column up too far can also cause the horn wire to bottom-out on the column and start shorting to ground.

A great upgrade once you get the wiring dialed in and the contacts working is to retrofit a 12v relay before the horns somewhere in the circuit. (you could hide this under the dash if you're electrical saavy. This allows you to use the 12 volts as a low amperage trigger for the relay, and then the relay will trigger the higher amperage going to the horns. Better yet if you're really good with electrical or if you know someone that is, you can also make the steering wheel trigger ground only and also add a relay. ..That's the safest way to go but it requires complete rewiring of the horn circuit and may not be the best choice for a completely original setup.

God luck and I hope you get it all working again. Like I said before it sounds like you're on the right track.

BK

 

The piece that holds them is the turn signal switch. You must replace it entirely. The steering wheel needs to be removed, but not the column. You need to disconnect the pin block, and remove the pin block from the end of the TS wiring before removing the wiring from the column, by retracting the small barb on the tubular connectors. (a small tube or special tool facilitates this) Insert the wires from the new switch, and click them into the original pin block. Even if you've never done this before, it's around two hours.