Diagnosing a non-honking horn

[Brownie82C10]

I have a 1982 Chevy C-10. The horn suddenly stopped working. The fuse is OK. What's the next step in diagnosing the problem? I've seen something about the possibility of faulty horn relay. Thanks.

 

[Turbo4whl]

The next step is to disconnect the wire to the horn, use a test light or a volt meter and see there is power when the horn button is pushed.

 

[AuroraGirl]

The next step is to disconnect the wire to the horn, use a test light or a volt meter and see there is power when the horn button is pushed.

I like to skip this step and take a power wire and connect to the battery + and then the horn. about as long, potentially quicker, but more-fun

Naturally either step pretty damn well narrows it down considerably tho
If strait to horn, you have a button to wiring to relay to horn issue (in that flow of things) or if you verify power you pretty much have horn as a whole or the connection to the horn potentially was impeded with like corrosion.

when the horn sounds like a dying goose tho its fun to find out they do work but then you are content not fixing it until you have a different horn

 

[chevyninja350]

First find a pinout for the relay see if the 12 volt pin is getting 12 volts. (relay is on the right side of the column next to the big buzzer box). Then I would see if the horn wire (Black and Green wire) is getting voltage also check horn Ground. If it is getting voltage press the horn button and see if you can hear the relay clicking under the dash. If it is the relay is probably working.

I just had my horn go out on my 85 c10. the relay was working and the horn wire was getting voltage.

 

[Turbo4whl]

I just had my horn go out on my 85 c10. the relay was working and the horn wire was getting voltage.

This is why I told the OP to check for current at the horn first. Easy to do, don't need to know more if there is current at the horn.

30-40 year old horn, it's most likely the problem. Want to fix that 30 year old horn, 50/50 chance this will work:

Remove the horn.

Hook battery + power to the positive terminal of the horn.

Hook a seperate wire to the mount (ground) and back to the battery negative.

Bang the horn on the concrete floor, megaphone down. 1 or 2 bangs, it will start to buzz.

Bang again until it sounds good and stop. 50/50 shot.

 

[AuroraGirl]

This is why I told the OP to check for current at the horn first. Easy to do, don't need to know more if there is current at the horn.

30-40 year old horn, it's most likely the problem. Want to fix that 30 year old horn, 50/50 chance this will work:

Remove the horn.

Hook battery + power to the positive terminal of the horn.

Hook a seperate wire to the mount (ground) and back to the battery negative.

Bang the horn on the concrete floor, megaphone down. 1 or 2 bangs, it will start to buzz.

Bang again until it sounds good and stop. 50/50 shot.

Buick park avenue 4 note horn upgrade time (or cadillac apparently) now is good of a time as ever

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this was a pic of ones for a 97-05 PA but a 1980s-1990 park avenue (electra still then, park avenue was top tier trim of it) were apparently A B C D F and sounded like trains (also caddy) but those are harder to source