Horn

[pflaming]

I have had a long struggle with my electrical. I finally reidentified every wire and relabeled them on both ends, then I made some progress. I'm now down to brake lights, turn signals and horn. All wires are correct so the final steps are in the brake light switch, the flasher, and the horn button. One should be able to bipass each of those swithes with a hot wire to determine if the wires are correct. I think I've figured out how to do that.

It's interesting. I had a hard time understanding how the horn could work with only one wire. Electrical current runs circular like water but where was the circuit in the horn? The answer is the frame. If I understand it correctly, the horn has a viabrating divise for sound, it activates when current goes through it. SO. . . when the horn button is pressed, the circuit is closed and the current goes to or comes from the frame though the wires to the horn.

Am I close on these observations?

[Frank Elder]

The metal your horn is mounted to is your ground.......completing the connection:)

[Looznutz]

Yes you are correct. You are completing the circuit. The horn allways has power so all you need to do is provide the ground and the horn button is your ground.

[4852dodge]

The horns on my two trucks have two terminals and the power wire goes to one terminal and the other wire goes up the steering column to the horn button assy. The button provides the ground when depressed.

[MBF]

If I remember correctly from when I rewired my truck several years ago. There is a constant negative feed (remember our trucks are positive ground in their original format-so this is the hot side) to the horn. The horn mount is isolated from the body/ground by the pheonolic washers in the bracket and the shoulder bolts used to mount it to the firewall. When the horn button is pressed, you complete the circuit by sending a positive (ground) to the horn or relay depending on which horn setup you have. If I'm wrong, I'm sure someone will correct my statement. Mike

[pflaming]

AH!! so that is the reason for that interesting mount. I wondered why that piece of non metal metal was there. I better do a double check on that mount. "Little things"!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks, being a non mechanic and becoming a novice mechanic is a mind stretch. I'm sure glad I started on a P-H. All the basics can be learned rebuilding one.