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Horn Goes Ahooga When Engine Running Just Oogh When Engine Off
OK, not a show stopper question but just a minor annoyance. I suspect a poor ground, probably too much paint in places where it should not be because all the wiring was replaced and the horn blows fine when it gets enough juice. Will a horn relay fix this? Yeah, I know it's a band aid approach......
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Leo
Try lubricating it first. I use ATF
see post #1 in this horn tech thread
https://www.vintagefordforum.com/for...8809-horn-info
The horn does not ground through the mounting. It is grounded by the button and fed power via the light switch3~ Tudor's & 1~ Coupe
Henry Ford said,
"It's all nuts and bolts"
"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
Mitch's Auto Service ctr -
Leo, sounds like the horn is dirty. The actual ground is the top of the steering column where the rod hits the steering wheel nut, so that should not be a problem. I would see about light oiling the 2 felt pads in the back of the horn.You wana look waaay far up da road and plan yer route because the brakes are far more of a suggestion than a command!Comment
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It only takes a drop or two to lube it, you don't want oil all over the place inside there
There is less voltage available when the engine is off and the horn is very sensitive to this.
It may also take a tiny bit of tweaking on the adjusting screw if oiling does not helpComment
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Hey Mitch, I went through the maintenance as listed on your link not to long ago so I do not believe dirt is the problem. The horn is a Sparton and while it does work I cannot say that it was ever rebuilt or rewound. I did not know that the grounding was through the horn button/light switch. Now the light switch could be a problem because my steering box (even though rebuilt) oozes oil and I know that the light switch is contaminated with it. However, my headlights and cowl lights appear to work well so?Comment
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Make sure you are getting full voltage at the power feed at the horn
Then make sure your grounding good
If your battery is suspect this could be an issue with the engine off
Running the alt / gen is providing power.
If all that is good it's prob a horn issue
Make sure the commutator slots are clean3~ Tudor's & 1~ Coupe
Henry Ford said,
"It's all nuts and bolts"
"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
Mitch's Auto Service ctrComment
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When I first bought my 28 I had to press the horn button and kind of roll it around while pressing on it.
This cleaned the grounding contact surface and made it blow like it should.
On a friend's weak horn I had to remove the cover and lightly sand the commutator while it was spinning.
Just a few seconds of light sanding, and the armature started picking up speed.
Make your final horn adjustment with the cover on, as the cover pulls against the motor frame when the screw is tightened.
Just one click in either direction on the horn adjustment screw can make a big difference in the sound.
As others have said, a couple drops of oil on the felts, and if the horn is apart, then I put a light coat of grease on the wavy washer.Comment
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Simple limited, Vintage type occasional Model A Horn Motor Maintenance learned years ago that may help with a Model A horn mounted in-place:
1. Rather than removal and a complete tear down and a complete Model A Horn Re-build Process, in addition to occasional oil lubrication, with that mentioned in reply no. 6 above, i.e.,
A. "Make sure the commutator slots are clean.", and with that mentioned in reply no. 7 above, i.e.,
B. "Just a few seconds of light sanding, and the armature started picking up speed."
2. For A. above: After lots of Model A horn use, commutator slots may just be slightly clogged with worn, soft horn brush material and dust which may be cleaned with something like a Popsicle stick sharpened like a wood chisel; and,
3. For B. above: After some time with "NO" brushes rubbing on the commutator, and with "NO" Model A horn use, especially in humid areas, commutators surfaces can become slightly oxidized like Model A ignition points, where for completing this rotating electrical circuit, the horn commutator may easilty be cleaned with something like a Brillo Pad, while hand rotating the horn's armature and commutator.
Often mentioned for Model A's and us Seniors: If you do not use it, you may lose it ..... and in staying strictly on only this serious old vintage horn subject ...... Lubrication always helps!Last edited by H. L. Chauvin; 02-20-2018, 01:56 PM.Comment
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Old car guys never die.....
They just Oogh!
:rollingComment
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Whin they DIE, they jist go, AAAAAAH!---Kinda' like when you FINALLY lay down to sleep, the difference is, one wakes up & the other has "punched" out!
Chief always said, "When I go, I want to go EASY"!----"Like HOW"?-----"Like go to bed some night & WAKE up DAID"!
Dad NaptimeLast edited by BILL WILLIAMSON; 02-21-2018, 06:17 PM.
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Disconnect the power from the horn, and run directly from a charged battery. That will let you know if it’s the horn, or power. Another weak electrical spot is the connections to the horn itself. Probably easier to just remove horn from the car for this.Comment
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Hi Chuck, thanks to all for their input. Sure, if I connect the horn directly to the battery it blows like h-e-l-l, so that indicates that voltage is dropping someplace between the light switch and the push button on the steering wheel, correct? Tbirdtbird posted that there is less voltage when the motor is off than when it is running. If someone can explain to me how to use a meter to check that out (I'm electrically challenged) maybe it will disclose the answer......Comment
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Just connect your volt meter to the starter switch and ground with the engine off, then read the voltage.Originally posted by leo View Post
Then do the same with the engine running at fast idle, and you should see about one volt increase.Comment
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I have an original Sparton that's in great shape on Pops, my '29 Tudor. The horn has been intermittent. When I press the horn button most of the time I don't get any sound, but I do get a spark coming out of the horn button. I had the wire connections at the base of the steering column apart last week and couldn't see anything wrong with it. I'm not sure what to do about the 1) sparking, and, 2) The...02-08-2021, 12:02 PM -
I drive my roadster during the winter in FL. It is always in a workshop with two dehumidifiers running so I am not getting any rust or mildew. I noticed last winter that the horn was sounding a little sick, but did no investigation. Now I find that when I push the horn button it starts to sound a little like the horn but pretty weak, and only for about 2 seconds. If you hold the button on, it just...You do not have permission to view this gallery.
This gallery has 2 photos.01-10-2020, 12:19 PM -
29 Murray body, horn button has spring return pressure , horn works fine , lights work fine, but horn button can be pushed off to the side in any direction in light switch housing . basically horn button can wobble around. any tips or what to expect? appreciate it.02-01-2019, 01:01 PM -
My horn has not been sounding too good lately so I took it off to check it out. I took it apart and everything looked good so put it back together. I tested it directly to the battery and it sounded great. But when I hooked it up to the wires and pushed the horn button it didn't sound so good. Like it wasn't getting enough juice. Do you think my problem is where the horn rod makes contact in the light...06-04-2017, 03:06 PM -
Where exactly does the horn make ground. Is it at the top just under the button. My horn wants to blow all the time. Is it grounding somewhere at the top or in the column somewhere and if so how do you get in there. I have taken the c clip and spider off the bottom and pushed the rod up but don't see how you would get the horn button off. Any suggestions. Thanks06-14-2020, 03:59 PM
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Have any of you heard how a model A horn sounds at 45-50 mph? I have had 2 close calls recently, One when a guy was coming into my lane and I had no place to go, the other in a parking lot with this jerk just backing out without looking and depending on a horn to warn him. Again I had no place to go because car behind me. I want a truckers air horn with a foot switch, any ideas?09-08-2018, 08:35 AM -
Yellow wire hot,yellow blue not?Hooked up horn walked away turned around smoking horn? Why. horns ok tho!.gif "confused")
07-21-2022, 03:53 PM -
I have been making great progress getting the 30CCPU back together. Finished wiring and testing the blinkers and headlights. Everything was working great, so I trimmed and wrapped the wiring. I gave myself 5 stars for the job.
As I was cleaning up, I remembered the horn. I figured I would give it a test. Nothing. Checked the wiring diagram, and I have power on both wires going to the...06-02-2021, 10:01 PM -
I'm hoping y'all can help me think through a grounding problem. Here are the symptoms:- When horn button is pressed, horn motor turns, but more slowly than normal
- Changing the angle of pressure on the horn button changes the speed of the motor
- Pressing the button at all causes the headlights to turn off; releasing it turns them back on
- Connecting the horn motor directly to the battery causes
07-27-2022, 01:48 PM -
I need help with a horn issue, not on Jesse’s car, but on a buddies. His horn worked until his starter was replaced. Now horn will not work. There is constant power at the horn & it has an aftermarket headlight & horn assembly on the steering wheel. Anybody have an idea??03-20-2020, 05:52 PM
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