Has anyone had there horn start honking randomly when turning the steering wheel? Mine does! Here is some history: - I seldom use my horn but needed it on one occasion and it did not work! - I found that the wire below the horn button had come disconnected from the rivet on the plastic disc below the steering wheel hub. - There was no good way to re-do the rivet so I put a pointy electrical connector on inside end of wire and used conductive cement to glue it in place. Horn worked. - That is when the random honking began. I found the pointy part sticking out the back of the disc and cut it shorter and this seemed to fix the issue. - After a 1000 miles or more the problem re-occurred. Lots of fiddling did not give a quick solution. - One thing I found was that if I used less that 80% of the spec torque on the center bolt it would not honk the horn. This again lasted for a year or more and restarted. Anyone have similar history or a solution? Ken
I've not experienced this problem on my 400i but have with an older Mercedes. I don't know if there's any similarity of design between the two. Under the horn button/pad on the Mercedes were little buffers. When they would collapse the horn would sound, typically when turning the wheel. No idea if this is helpful but thought I'd throw that out there.
Two possible causes.... First, you know the lead coming thru the column is a ground wire for the horn relay...any bare spot or pinch along the length will close the relay and honk the horn. And yes, it must be insulated and protected from touching any grounded metal as it makes its way from the bottom all the way to the horn contact button...or else....BEEEP...check for possible contact spots to ground. Tightening the nut must be deflecting metal juuust enough..... Second cause......you live in a wonderful land where there is a hott chick on every corner and your car is just doing you a favor and annoucing your arrival !! Gary
Premoto1, I think you are onto it. Please describe the "little buffers". There is a soft metal ring that the steering wheel sits on the hub, where the ground makes contact and this may be the same as the buffers?? Gary I put shrink wrap on the wire to prevent such grounding thru the hub. I have been looking at the lower disc as my issue but Premoto's post may lead me to issue around the button itself. I have a Nardi wheel so it may sit a bit different from standard wheel. The torque in the bolt may be bushing the button ground closer to the ground point. Leaving work it restarted honking at the less than 'hot' women out side the EMT building. :{ Ken
