'69 Bus Horn Not Horny

[dtrumbo]

This is why the horn didn't work when we got the '70. I'm giving you all the love, man! That is a PITA to twist your fingers in just the right way to put it on. If I recall correctly (my mind has blocked the entire experience), I used a pair of locking forceps to grab the connector in just the right orientation to slide it on the tab. Good luck!!

[Amskeptic]

This is why the horn didn't work when we got the '70. I'm giving you all the love, man! That is a PITA to twist your fingers in just the right way to put it on. If I recall correctly (my mind has blocked the entire experience), I used a pair of locking forceps to grab the connector in just the right orientation to slide it on the tab. Good luck!!

Awwww, it's eeeeeeasy. . . . . Turn the steering wheel so the coupler is oriented away from the spade terminal, grab the female connector on the end of the wire with a small pair of slightly bent needle nose pliers and stick it on carefully. . . . . after two hours or so, you might want to remove the two screws holding the column support to the floor so you can pry it up a bit for more room. After six hours, you merely remove the steering box, stick the %$&*%^*^ wire on and reinstall the steering box. Turn the steering wheel and find out the coupler just pulled the wire off again because you forgot to tuck it out of the way.
Then you buy a Chevy Astro van because your spirit died.
Colin

[bus71]

...or you run a new wire from the horn, around the coupler, up into the cab and solder it to the column because the tab is broken. I cheated and I'm proud of it!

[hambone]

O.k., I got that #$#!#@#! wire connected. Twice, actually because hilariously the steering coupler knocked it off like Colin described. If VW had made that opening 1/2" larger no problems would occur.
Of course now the horn sounds continuously. There is obviously a short somewhere. Now what?
Pulling the wire from the horn button does nothing.
I'll betcha it's got something to do with the steering column tube grounding out.

[hambone]

I poked around and can't find where it's grounding out. Correct me if I'm wrong, but at this point it looks like the wheel/column/coupler must come out to replace all insulating parts.

Hmm, I'm missing this insulating ring, there is nothing insulating the top of the column tube, it's metal on metal. I wonder if the bottom one is gone too. Another thing I don't understand, there is a metal part perpendicular to the ignition switch housing, which contacts the column tube. wouldn't that ground out the tube?
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... light=horn

[Amskeptic]

The red circled part is a plastic insulator with a hole in it to allow the ignition lock to pass through without grounding the column. The steering shaft itself should be sitting on the rubber coupler at the box and supported with a bearing at the top that is also insulated. Hang in there.
Colin

[hambone]

Will I need to remove the steering wheel to proceed?
It's going to be interesting to find that insulating part. I may have to get a used one.
Thanks Colin.

[bus71]

You do need to remove the steering wheel. They can be tough, so use a puller (tape the jaws). Be patient, mine was mangled by the PO who was not. Remove the turn signal switch and housing first. Good luck!