Horn brush

[enslow]

I am about to start the UIM/LIM on my 97 Lesabre now. But I decided to diagnose why the horn was intermittent because I didn't want to get too deep into the UIM/LIM job today.

By using a test light I found that the relay and horn switch seem to work well. However, when moving the steering wheel my test light would flicker. This seems to indicate that the horn brush or slip ring needs to be serviced.

Has anyone had any experience with this?

Thanks

[Moppie]

I've never seen on in a Le Sabre, but in other cars I have seen similar problems caused by a build of dirt and grease in the contact surfaces.
Usually a simple clean works.

In extreme cases, on cheaper cars, I have seen the copper in the ring, or brush worn through, requiring replacement.
But, this was only only very old, very high mileage cars.

[procaddytech]

Also, the slot in the ring/canceling cam that the horn wire locks into will crack and cause intermittent connection. Pop the airbag off and see if the wire is locked into the ring.
Edit: Let me rephrase "pop off" the airbag to "carefully remove air bag after disconnecting battery, removing air bag fuse and waiting a few minutes." Also, touch the steering column or grounded parts of the car to remove any static electricity from your body when handling the airbag.

[enslow]

Thanks,

I will check both those things. I've also started the UIM/LIM, so I may be a few days before I get back to the horn.

[enslow]

OK, I didn't want to get too messy this morning so I worked a little on the horn. I got the SIR module with the horn wiring out just fine. In fact, the horn connector seemed to almost fall out. I cleaned it up a little, then tried to reconnect it. Unfortunately, part of the plastic connector on the inside cracked out. Grrrrr. (Ford uses clocksprings, far more reliable as far as I'm concerned....)

I now assume I have to pull the steering wheel now. I'll bet I have to purcahse a contact assembly or something to replace a single 50 cent part. Either that or I might try to JB weld a notch in there.

[procaddytech]

Yup, that's the crack I was talking about. Ground the exposed part of the contact on the cam where the wire makes contact to the steering shaft to make sure the horn works. You WILL have to remove the steering wheel. Then: Remove the airbag coil (clockspring) clip and pull the coil back just enough to get it off the steering shaft. (mark it or tape it so it does not spin unexpectedly) You may need to cut some tie straps under the kick panel to allow enough slack in the harness to pull parts back far enough to get them over the end of the shaft. Remove the wave washer. Remove the turn signal lever screws and turn signal switch screws. Pull the turn switch back far enough to get it off of the steering shaft. Now, you will need a lockplate compressor. If you are familiar with this tool, compress the lockplate enough to get the snap ring out of the groove and off the shaft. Remove the lockplate with the canceling cam. If you have a dremel, cut a J shaped notch opposite the broken one. Test the fit with your horn wire connector. This will work if you cut the notch carefully. Good Luck!

[enslow]

Thanks! It'll be a lot more work than what I was hoping, but if I can save having to buy expensive parts to fix a 50 cent part, I'll do it.

Now to find a steering wheel puller and lockplate compresor.