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Horns won't stop

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BlackHealey

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I have recently restored a 56 100M and I bought two new replacement horns from Moss. I installed them and connected them to the wiring harness. When I hooked up the battery, the horns started automatically. Nothing was resting against the horn button, making the horns activate. After waking up the neighborhood, I just disconnected the horns. Any ideas on how to figure out what is making them work on their own?
 
Sounds like a short somewhere. Is your wiring harness new, hooked up correctly using a wiring diagram for reference? Could also be a short in the trafficator unit under the horn button or the trafficator wiring going through the steering column. Did you rebuild it? I would start using a meter and checking for a short from the horn button contacts to the wires coming out of the steering column.
Regards,
Chuck
 
In a Healey, power is always supplied to the horns. To complete the circuit, they are grounded through the horn button. If they only have one wire connection, expecting power to be supplied to them when the button is pushed and being grounded through the frame, they will honk constantly. If they have two wire connections, look for a short to ground between them and the horn button.
 
The wiring harness is new and I hooked everything up using the diagram. I am not sure what kind of short there could be in the stator tube harness since it is new. I did rebuild the trafficator with a new harness, etc. I guess I will have to test the entire system with a meter. I was just hoping someone could offer an easier solution! Thanks.
 
I will check my horns when I get home as I can not remember how many wires connect to each, one or two?
Thanks
 
If your new wiring harness is the same as the original, there should be a brown/green wire connected to one terminal of each horn. This wire comes from the 50 amp fuse on the firewall. The other horn terminal should have a brown/black wire on each one.

The brown/green wires supply 12 volts from the 50 amp horn fuse. The brown/black wires join & go up through the steering column to be grounded when you push the horn button. The first step would be to pull the 50 amp fuse. Next, check that the brown/black wire is not grounded when the horn button is not pushed.

Carefully pry of the chrome horn button trim & remove the button, brass washer, insulator washer & spring. Under the button will be two C shaped brass contacts. One of the contacts should be grounded, the other should have 12 volts via the horns & the brown/black wire. Fuse reinstalled of course. If the brown/black wire is grounded at the C horn contact (both contacts grounded) you will have to further investigate the wiring.

This is assuming that the replacement horns have two terminals each. If they only have one terminal as John mentions, you are out of luck.
D
 
Can I interject with a separate horn question. I have both horns. How are they supposed to sound. Is it one after the other, both at once. What is the tone that's supposed to sound? If it's both at once, why have two? I apologize in advance for the stupid question.

Scott
 
Hi Scott,
Yes, they are intended to sound at the same time.

In my opinion horns are designed to attract immediate attention & to sound (discordant) unpleasant, as most do. Using two horns allows a more attention getting sound (discordant) & also more noise. Noise is the object, not music.

Smaller horns, which are used due to space & power limitations, tend to make a loud, non musical, & somewhat comical but attention getting beep. Larger horns would have a somewhat more musical but still discordant & attention getting sound. They would also take up more space & cost more.

How fast would a pleasant musical note get peoples attention?
D
 
Well Dave, I can remember when Musical horns were the rage and some of the tunes they played certainly would catch your attention!---Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Keoke,
I can remember a time when drivers were relaxed & not so preoccupied & oblivious to there surroundings & a more melodious horn would easily get their attention.
D
 
An unpleasant and discordant sound? Then perhaps I should have my wife (aka "She who must be obeyed") ride with me. Just in case. No one will ever mistake the sound emitting from her as music. Except me. And I look forward to attaching the ground, assuming she's negative earth.

Scott
 
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