Question about my horns…

[sleepycruiser]

Ok, random title and probably a dumb question. Don’t laugh too hard. I’ve looked.

Working on the FJ and NC requires me to get in inspected before they will give me a title…uh ok.

So there are two horns under the hood and one appears to be original and the other probably added later, however the center part on the steering wheel doesn’t ’push down’. Am I missing something? It is a 1964.

I pulled the ‘horn cap’ off and there is just a bolt underneath. Is there a knob I’m missing? Pat my head and rub my belly at the same time?

 

[sleepycruiser]

@Roastchestnuts ??

 

[firemanj92]

So push the center cap at the edges. What it does is flex the "cup/claw-it holds the center cap in place- aka horn contact plate" and grounds out, completed the circuit to sound the horn. There is a small rubber isolator under the horn plate that separates the two. (Although, it looks like you have an oversized washer holding down the horn contact plate, so try pushing only the outer part of it).

If you pull the giant non OEM washer off you will see how the horn contact plate flexes and replace it with a smaller in diameter washer. The horn contact plate has flex reliefs built into it.

Also if you don't have a "horn seat with spring and bushing" contact Chase aka @Cruiser Cult . He just reproduced a nice replacement.

CruiserCult 40 Series Product offerings - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/cruisercult-40-series-product-offerings.1279189/page-16

Horn Assembly - Specter Off-Road - https://www.sor.com/cat/190#tab2

 

[Green Bean]

Those both appear to be OEM original "Hi-Lo" horns. You may also need to check your horn relay on the passenger-side fender well. If you run a 12v jumper to each horn you can test that they Honk.

 

[sleepycruiser]

So push the center cap at the edges. What it does is flex the "cup/claw-it holds the center cap in place- aka horn contact plate" and grounds out, completed the circuit to sound the horn. There is a small rubber isolator under the horn plate that separates the two. (Although, it looks like you have an oversized washer holding down the horn contact plate, so try pushing only the outer part of it).

If you pull the giant non OEM washer off you will see how the horn contact plate flexes and replace it with a smaller in diameter washer. The horn contact plate has flex reliefs built into it.

Horn Assembly - Specter Off-Road - https://www.sor.com/cat/190#tab2

Thanks! Got it. Just took the washer off and when pressing left or down I can hear the relay clicking, but no horn sounds. I think the washer was in there to keep the metal thingy to not bend.

 

[sleepycruiser]

So push the center cap at the edges. What it does is flex the "cup/claw-it holds the center cap in place- aka horn contact plate" and grounds out, completed the circuit to sound the horn. There is a small rubber isolator under the horn plate that separates the two. (Although, it looks like you have an oversized washer holding down the horn contact plate, so try pushing only the outer part of it).

If you pull the giant non OEM washer off you will see how the horn contact plate flexes and replace it with a smaller in diameter washer. The horn contact plate has flex reliefs built into it.

Also if you don't have a "horn seat with spring and bushing" contact Chase aka @Cruiser Cult . He just reproduced a nice replacement.

CruiserCult 40 Series Product offerings - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/cruisercult-40-series-product-offerings.1279189/page-16

Horn Assembly - Specter Off-Road - https://www.sor.com/cat/190#tab2

Those both appear to be OEM original "Hi-Lo" horns. You may also need to check your horn relay on the passenger-side fender well. If you run a 12v jumper to each horn you can test that they Honk.

Just cleaned the metal part that moves and touches the base to engage the relay. Works better…probably was a little grungy. I’ll clean it up really good in the morning and see if the horns are even hooked up to the relay. Maybe over time it stopped working due to slight corrosion on the metal part and they just unhooked them?

 

[middlecalf]

Those are not original horns to a ‘64, but they may still will work with the other issues addressed.

 

[sleepycruiser]

Relay is in the engine bay….easy enough and glad it wasn’t behind the heater.

 

[sleepycruiser]

Success…thanks everyone for assisting in this. One step closer to passing inspection. I think now I just need a passenger mirror.

Once I found the relay…I tested an all 3 connections (steering press, constant power, and continuity from the third post to each horn terminal). Verified all was good so I knew it had to the be the relay. Took the relay casing off…sanded down all contact points inside and out….connected it all back together and a slight ‘bark’….then I remember that one of the horns didn’t work when tested, so I unhooked that one and boom!

I do have a ground issue somewhere…should be fun to track down. The battery got low while testing the blinkers yesterday and horn today…so they each stopped working until I jumped the FJ off. Even when running the blinkers/horn didn’t work unless I connected the jumper cables to my 200. Battery tested at 12.3 resting and 13.5 when I was connected to the 200. Alternator tested at 12.3 volts as well, but the casing of the alternator tests at .3mv, which means I have a ground issue somewhere….ugh.

This thread was also helpful in identifying the relay points and where they went:

early FJ40 horn relay wiring

I purchased an early replacement horn relay but am having trouble finding out the correct way to wire it up. Here is what I am working with: New horn relay form city racer and a 1965 FJ40 wiring harness with a green white (GW), Green red (GR) and Green Yellow (GY) wire.

forum.ih8mud.com

Ok, who is good at tracking down ground issue!!??

 

[sleepycruiser]

Weird that the headlights would work fine, but the horn didn’t work just now again. Blinkers ‘kind of’ work…gotta find this ground issue.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

Ok, random title and probably a dumb question. Don’t laugh too hard. I’ve looked.

Working on the FJ and NC requires me to get in inspected before they will give me a title…uh ok.

So there are two horns under the hood and one appears to be original and the other probably added later, however the center part on the steering wheel doesn’t ’push down’. Am I missing something? It is a 1964.

I pulled the ‘horn cap’ off and there is just a bolt underneath. Is there a knob I’m missing? Pat my head and rub my belly at the same time?

View attachment 3617388

View attachment 3617389

View attachment 3617392

View attachment 3617393

I apologize for not getting back to you I was in meetings all day yesterday. Its a common problem on these with the horn. its not that it pushes dowm but it moves slightly to make contact and works that way. Hard to explain but @Cruiser Cult has a horn contact spring kit for these earlier ones and its a part that goes bad usually. My issue with the horn is a rubber grommit in the steering column is shot and no longer has the wires and such to make the horn work. I just have a horn button wired under the column till I can get the grommit in the column.

Additionally I have not had to get my fj40 inspected because of the age and had no issues getting the title. I guess that could be county to county. One of the horns looks original but missing the top plastic cap thing.

 

[tahoe40/45]

Pull all your grounds off and clean all contacts up, clean threads with a tap and clean bolts with die or wire brush. .

here are most of the grounds
-Ground from battery
-Starter to frame
-Off of wiring harness above turn signal relay
-Off of wire harness on frame rail below gas tank
-Grounds on both wire blocks
-Pull fuse block wires off and clean, pull mounting bolts, clean mounting holes also with tap.
-Pull horn relay again, and turn signal flasher and clean bolts and thread inserts with a tap
-Pull hi/low beam switch and clean connections and bolts and threads ( get new hi low beam switch cover when available, 62-72 FJ40 Headlight switch dimmer boot - https://cruiser-cult.myshopify.com/products/early-fj40)
- Pull wires from tail lights clean wire connections and clean mounting bolts and threads

There are some i missed but this should get you a better start and knock off some of the possible gremlins in your system.
Photos of some of the ground locations

 

[sleepycruiser]

Pull all your grounds off and clean all contacts up, clean threads with a tap and clean bolts with die or wire brush. .

here are most of the grounds
-Ground from battery
-Starter to frame
-Off of wiring harness above turn signal relay
-Off of wire harness on frame rail below gas tank
-Grounds on both wire blocks
-Pull fuse block wires off and clean, pull mounting bolts, clean mounting holes also with tap.
-Pull horn relay again, and turn signal flasher and clean bolts and thread inserts with a tap
-Pull hi/low beam switch and clean connections and bolts and threads ( get new hi low beam switch cover when available, 62-72 FJ40 Headlight switch dimmer boot - https://cruiser-cult.myshopify.com/products/early-fj40)
- Pull wires from tail lights clean wire connections and clean mounting bolts and threads

There are some i missed but this should get you a better start and knock off some of the possible gremlins in your system.
Photos of some of the ground locations
View attachment 3617774
View attachment 3617773View attachment 3617775View attachment 3617776

Very helpful, thank you!!

 

[sleepycruiser]

Horn stopped working again. New relay ordered.

 

[tahoe40/45]

Horn stopped working again. New relay ordered.

Bummer, try pulling horns also and clean all mounting hardware. They are like other parts of your Cruiser that get ground from being mounted to body not by a ground wire.

 

[sleepycruiser]

Bummer, try pulling horns also and clean all mounting hardware. They like other parts of your Cruiser get ground from being mounted to body not by a ground wire.

Got it, thanks. I’m going to order new horns as well so they both work…probably just ground with a wire since most new ones have a plug.

 

[pb4ugo]

If you search, you can find threads on rebuilding them. I dont think stk ones are still available anymore. I wouldn't pitch them.

 

[middlecalf]

Those are Delco-Remy horns, pitch them or if they work, put them in your Jeep . Keep the relay, its an original Denso or Maruko.

Figure out that switch thing next to the dash TC shifter? Do you have lockers?

 

[sleepycruiser]

Those are Delco-Remy horns, pitch them or if they work, put them in your Jeep . Keep the relay, its an original Denso or Maruko.

Figure out that switch thing next to the dash TC shifter? Do you have lockers?

Funny…my neighbor who rents out the downstairs of the house next door walks over today ‘That’s a great looking Jeep.’

So in the engine bay there is a hard plastic tube that comes off that knob and goes to the transfer case I think. It has locking hubs on the front that are turned by hand…but not sure on the rear. I need to start a thread with for my FJ and keep everything in there instead of starting multiple threads I guess..I had forgotten to get back to everyone on that knob.

 

[sleepycruiser]

Swapped out the relay with a new one and still the same issue.

Getting a blown up version of the wiring diagram from the link below and going to work when it arrives. Ordered a thread chasing kit to take out every bolt and make sure everything is clean and the receiving threads are clean. More to come.

Edit: Unhooked the bad horn again and then after some finagling it the other started working. Just going to put in new horns and then I know everything else works since I tested wires, etc.

1960 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 Toyota FJ Color Wiring Diagram

Complete basic truck included (engine bay, interior and exterior lights, under dash harness, starter and ignition circuits, instrumentation, etc) Original factory wire colors including tracers when applicable Large size, clear text, easy to read Laminated for ease of use

classiccarwiring.com