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86 Horn "barely" working?

Old 07-01-2009, 02:36 PM
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C4Finally
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Default 86 Horn "barely" working?

Hey all...

Just realized my 86 vert's horn is barely working. When I push the horn button, the horn goes off, but only with a barely audible sound; not near enough, I am afraid. Do you think it is the horn itself, or something in the circuit between the button and the horn? I have never had this happen to me on a car before...

Anybody else had this problem?
Old 07-01-2009, 02:48 PM
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MK 82
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The stock horns are notoriously crappy. Get yourself a good aftermarket set.
Old 07-01-2009, 02:53 PM
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takovr
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Default Same problem

I had the same problem on my 86 corvette, horns started to loose sound, I replaced both of them and all is good now.
Old 07-01-2009, 03:09 PM
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floridamale
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There is a adjuster on them sometimes it works sometmes it dosen't
Old 07-01-2009, 03:19 PM
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jimg's'93
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You can try and clean the contacts at the steering wheel, but I agree w/ the others; sounds like the horns themselves are shot.
Old 07-01-2009, 03:35 PM
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Shimy86
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any GM horn from a junkyard will work also. To the OP....nice beaver
Old 07-01-2009, 03:55 PM
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pologreen1
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common on that style steering wheel
Old 07-01-2009, 04:06 PM
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glava2876
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Originally Posted by C4Finally
Hey all...

Just realized my 86 vert's horn is barely working. When I push the horn button, the horn goes off, but only with a barely audible sound; not near enough, I am afraid. Do you think it is the horn itself, or something in the circuit between the button and the horn? I have never had this happen to me on a car before...

Anybody else had this problem?
I had this problem on my 84 and cleaned them up and everything and they only got slightly better. I bought the NAPA replacements, at $15.00 ea. which are not the same as the originals -they have a universal mount etc. with a bracket that bolts to the horn and then to the chassis. Sort of a flimsy crapy bracket that you have to bent to orient them in the factory location.
I actually cut the factory bracket at the horn where it is welded and rounded of the corners, hit them with chassis black and attached the horn to the bracket through an existing hole in the factory bracket and then the horns bolted right up to the chassis using the factory bolts. Not sure is the 86 is the same.
Glen
Old 07-01-2009, 09:43 PM
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RedVette84
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I just had to replace my horns. One was dead and the other worked sometimes. Can't get new originals just generics unless you find used ones. Took a members advice and put WoLo's from Pep Boys on. Seem to work well enough.
Old 07-01-2009, 10:07 PM
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ch@0s
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All horns are crappy when they are 20 years old.
Replace them and all will be well.

Last edited by ch@0s; 07-01-2009 at 11:24 PM.
Old 07-01-2009, 10:20 PM
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ZRWON
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Originally Posted by floridamale
There is a adjuster on them sometimes it works sometmes it dosen't
Where on the horn is the "adjuster" and how do I adjust mine to see if I can get it to make sound...Only one of my horns makes sound.
Tks.
Old 07-01-2009, 11:35 PM
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0Willcox Corvette
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On the side of the horn there is a torque head screw, this is the adjustment.

However, I would replace the horn. If a horn is blowing even the littlest it eliminates the contact and the relay. They go bad over time and the diaphragm will rust inside, the sides will separate. The electro magnet inside the horn has points in it similar to the old ignition points in a car and they will fail over time. Rebuilding a horn. .. .Been there done that on a 60! Not an easy job.

Willcox Inc.

Last edited by Willcox Corvette; 07-01-2009 at 11:39 PM.
Old 07-02-2009, 06:57 AM
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PAINTER MAN
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If you have the VAT's system, see if they will blow when activated. My 86 had a problem similar to yours. The horns would work though when using the VAT's.

The horns are grounded through the turn signal lever. I replace the lever and now the horns work fine.
Old 07-02-2009, 07:55 AM
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runner140*
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Sound like you got a pair...buy some aftermarkets. I purchased a set
of Wolo's a couple of years ago.....what a diff.
They look like this:

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