325i cab HORN not working, help please folks?!?!

[MrSport]

Alright peeps my mot has expired now just over past weekend an i thought i'd get the cabriolet ready for the mot test.
Checked around it and everything seems ok, but tested the horn and its a no go, i have a mtec 2 steering wheel fitted, both horns underneath the car are plugged up correctly, but when i press no sound at all from the horns.


Are there fuses or anything i need to change as a common fault on e30 cabriolets horns?

hope u can help peeps

cheers

[MrSport]

come on peeps, please?

[Ant]

if you look on the main site there is a guide to fuse and relay locations.HTH

http://www.e30zone.co.uk/modules.php?na ... 0fuses.htm

[Brianmoooore]

First check is to take the fuse box cover off and listen carefully while you push the horn button (ignition switch to first position).
Can you hear the relay click?
Second check: Pull out relay K2. Short together pins 30 and 87 of its base with a short piece of wire. Horns should sound.

[Steviec]

I had the prob on my cab but it was just down to old crappy gease inside the steering column.

Try the horn button with the wheel straight and also at various angles. Then remove the steering wheel and you will see a metal ring (this is the contact for the horn), give that a good clean up and re grease.

Hope the above make sense, im not awake yet, but that was the problem with mine.

[Brianmoooore]

Logical diagnosis is the way to go. Random trying of things with electrical faults tends to introduce more faults than it cures.

[MrSport]

hi peeps, right just got in from briding the relay at legs 87 an 30 didn't even put the ignition on, just wire between both and plugged in and horns worked.

Now what would i look at. The steering wheel fitted is a mtec 2 item

cheers folks, mucho appreciated

[Brianmoooore]

Right, so the horn circuit from the relay onwards, including fuse is all OK.
I assume that the relay doesn't click when you push the horn button with the ignition on?
If the brake lights, washers, wipers and indicators all work, then the 12V supply to one end of the relay coil is OK, which just leaves the brown/yellow wire to the horn push mechanism.
Prise out the centre cap of the steering wheel, and there should be two wires joining the wheel to the cap. Short them together with a screwdriver with the ignition on and see if the horn works.
If not, undo the 22mm nut that holds the steering wheel on, release the steering lock, pull the wheel off and check out the condition of the carbon brush assembly on the column, and the brass ring on the back odf the steering wheel. Short the carbon brush to the steering column with the ignition on.
If still nothing from the horns, then, with a piece of wire, connect the carbon brush to a good car body earth, not the column. The battery earth terminal (if you have a front battery) or the rear bonnet catch bracket are handy places.

[MrSport]

relay did not click at all and as said when i brdged the relay the horns sounded.

I took the mtec 2 centre off the steering wheel, touched all the wires together i could see together but still didn't work.

I will try what u say above now

cheers

[Brianmoooore]

Might be worth trying one of the other relays I suppose, before you get involved with the column. Don't expect it will help, but its easy to do.
Swap over K2 and K4. See if the horn works and check the dipped headlamps.

[MrSport]

right, i checked the little brush behind the steering wheel, cleaned it up abit an connected booster cable from it direct to my battery on the car and the horn did sound and worked fine when i touched the car battery.

The back of my steering wheel where the metal round circle touches the brush had grease all over it, so i cleaned it off to see if this would make the horn work, but nothing.

So when i connected the brush to battery earth the horn sounds, but when i put the steering wheel all back on and press the middle to sound horn, it won't work.

What should i do next?

cheers mate, do appreciate your help very much

[Brianmoooore]

right, i checked the little brush behind the steering wheel, cleaned it up abit an connected booster cable from it direct to my battery on the car and the horn did sound and worked fine when i touched the car battery.

The back of my steering wheel where the metal round circle touches the brush had grease all over it, so i cleaned it off to see if this would make the horn work, but nothing.

So when i connected the brush to battery earth the horn sounds, but when i put the steering wheel all back on and press the middle to sound horn, it won't work.

What should i do next?

cheers mate, do appreciate your help very much

Right, relay and wire to column are OK then.
Next test: connect the brush to the splines of the steering column where the wheel fits. (ignition on).

[MrSport]

right havn't had time to do this today will try this tomorrow (monday) and report back

cheers brian

sunny