horn button

My horn quit working . I think the problem is the steering wheel horn button. How do I get to it? Do I have to remove the airbag? Can I fix it myself? I've already tested the horn and replaced the relay. Any help would be appreciated? I have a 2004 Cavalier

How did you test the horn? put 12v to it and it worked, or checked for 12v to it? Do the second if you didn't already. Also, the horn goes through the BCM on the 2004s, so make sure the relay is getting the signal when it should. Also check the fuse if you haven't. To remove the horn switch (which I have never, ever seen go bad on any car that has a relay), you have to disconnect the battery and jumper the cables together to be sure the air bag system has no power to it. Jumping the cables removes the possibility of static electricity building up somehow. Can't be too careful with an air bag, 4 of them placed under a car will lift the car off the ground. Cool trick, but you don't want that happening when you're in front of it :). Then there are usually 4 screws that go through from the back of the steering wheel that holds the horn pad/air bag in place.

I put 12 volts to the horn. then jumped out terminals in the relay. I then did a continuity check across he horn button which showed open with the horn depressed.I'm not keen on pulling the airbag especially if I dont have to.The fuse is good. I'll do a voltage check at the horn but assumed since it works theres no voltage reaching it. What is the bcm?

BCM is the Body Control Module. The horn switch only goes the the BCM, when the BCM receives the signal from the horn it energizes (or grounds, I'm not 100% sure without the wiring diagram in front of me) the relay. This is to "simplify" an alarm if equipped...

If the horn switch is open, then I would agree that it is bad, I just haven't seen one... always a first time for everything. There is a "clock spring" on some vehicles, but I've never had the steering wheel off a Cavalier, so I can't say. On models that do have one, the spring (conductor) will break and have an open for everything on the steering wheel. I would say that generally only vehicles that have steering wheel controls (radio, cruise, etc) would have it, but it's worth consulting a wiring diagram first, IMO. You still have to pull the air bag and steering wheel to replace it, but you can know if you need to pick one up first.

thanks for your help. my car doesn't have an alarm.I guess I have to pull the airbag out and see whats underneath. thanks again

They do it like that so if there is an alarm it can easily be triggered by the BCM rather than having a separate circuit. I don't like it, but that's how they do it. So even though your car doesn't have an alarm, a car that does have a factory alarm will use the same single horn/relay/wires, etc.; so yours runs to the BCM even though in your case there is no logical reason for it. And you're welcome, good luck.

Mine, a 2000 Cavalier Z24 2.4L does the opposite, it just keeps on beeping the horn.
Probably pressed it too hard during one of those times in rush hour traffic when anger management was forgotten... :shakehead
I had to pull the fuse to quiet it, but need to repair or replace the button inside the steering wheel.
How do I jumper the cables after I disconnect the battery, to avoid tripping the air-bag mechanism? I am not familiar with the term "jumper"...
If the problem is a broken button, can anybody supply the part number, and hints on ordering online?.
Thanks in advance.
Saludos from Maracaibo, Venezuela

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