Gpez62

I have been trying to get the horn on my 77 Corvette to work for the longest. Problem has been trying to figure out "How it works". I have concluded that a conducting piece sits inside a plastic lined hole in the steering hub, so when you press the horn button, the "L" shaped leg on the horn contact should probably touch the conductor and close the circuit. Thing is, even with a new horn contact, theres no real spring action that gives you any up and down. I assume that's what the 3 plastic rivets are for, but you'd be talking very little clearance. I rigged up a screw that was just the right length, but was getting intermittent horn blowing when turning. I then realized that the plastic lining (where the conductor sits) in the hub was partially damaged, so I thought my screw was contacting metal. I insulated the screw with electric tape, adjusted screw length and it worked!!! Today, I noticed slight horn blows again when turning the wheel. While taking it all apart again, the horn started blowing continuously without the screw as a contact in the steering hub! I pulled the main horn wire to stop it but could then hear electrical "clicking" when turning the wheel. I traced the sound to the horn relay and noticed it was very hot! Im thinking to replace the relay, but my real questions are:
1. Wouldn't the click at wheel turns indicate a short somewhere in the column cause why would it only click when turning the wheel?
2. Had previous problems with battery drain, disconnected the horn, the bad warning buzzer, and horn relay. Could a bad horn relay be the culprit here?
3. Is there a way to test the horn relay before replacing?
Any ideas, suggestions, or troubleshooting tips are needed.

TimAT

If the horn relay clicks, it's working. Doing what its supposed to do. Since you've tracked the problem to the steering column, I suggest that where the problem is. The horn button makes a ground which energizes the relay and makes the horn honk. The relay is not designed for constant duty, that's why it gets hot.
I did this same dance on a 77 I had for a while- the horn button had a problem and kept running the battery down. The PO had disconnected the horn and honestly, I'd never tried it until I started chasing the battery drain. In my case, it turned out to be the contacts in the upper part of the column.

Gpez62

Do you know where the ground made by the horn button is supposed to be broken (when horn is not blowing) ? Is it at the "L" leg of upper contact or at the plastic rivets directly under the upper contact?