Lost ground for horn button
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Lost ground for horn button
73 - F250
The horns quit working, I have determined that the steering shaft on the firewall side is not grounded anymore.
I read on here about a rubbing block inside the column but it sounded like that thread was for a newer truck.
Another "fix" was a jumper at the rag joint.
I vaguely remember a copper piece in the rag joint when I rebuilt the steering box years ago but can't swear to it.
Anyone able to help with this
Thanks
I am going to post this in the electrical section also.
The horns quit working, I have determined that the steering shaft on the firewall side is not grounded anymore.
I read on here about a rubbing block inside the column but it sounded like that thread was for a newer truck.
Another "fix" was a jumper at the rag joint.
I vaguely remember a copper piece in the rag joint when I rebuilt the steering box years ago but can't swear to it.
Anyone able to help with this
Thanks
I am going to post this in the electrical section also.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 83
From: NorCal
2x.
Ya might need two jumpers: One across the isolation sleeve and the other at the rag joint. Wrap the jumper wire around the shaft with some slack and secure the terminals 180 degrees out of phase. If ya do a taut jumper then it is likely to pull out because of the different shaft angles.
The term for a "rubbing block" is a "brush block".
Ya might need two jumpers: One across the isolation sleeve and the other at the rag joint. Wrap the jumper wire around the shaft with some slack and secure the terminals 180 degrees out of phase. If ya do a taut jumper then it is likely to pull out because of the different shaft angles.
The term for a "rubbing block" is a "brush block".
Rusty Roller
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,423
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From: Santa Cruz Mountains
You might also check that you have or don't have ground at the steering wheel. I have found ground at the shaft but it was lost between the shaft and the ground tab on the steering wheel. Put a ground wire under the nut and has worked ever since....
Remember that the steering wheel nut is torqued to 40-50ft pds.
Remember that the steering wheel nut is torqued to 40-50ft pds.
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Thanks guys.
Ok, so rigging a jumper over the rag joint will get the horns working.
But what was working before that that isn't working now?
FYI this is a 160K mile truck with original paint and carpet so I like to repair like stock if possible.
Ok, so rigging a jumper over the rag joint will get the horns working.
But what was working before that that isn't working now?
FYI this is a 160K mile truck with original paint and carpet so I like to repair like stock if possible.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 83
From: NorCal
We're working on the assumption that you have verified that the horns work and that the horn relay is engaging. If so, then there's only a coupla more possibilities which we have noted above.
You DID verify by troubleshooting that before posting your question, right?
You DID verify by troubleshooting that before posting your question, right?
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,572
Likes: 37
From: Northern Virginia.
Rag joint ground wire. i googled this to show you what might help you out.
if you dont want to run the wire, then clean and sand down the bolts so they make better contact.
if you dont want to run the wire, then clean and sand down the bolts so they make better contact.
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Yes I did.
Thanks for the pic and the cleaning of the bolts.
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Ok, I ended up doing the jumper. Since 2 of the 4 connectors on the rag joint are rivets I jumped from the crimp bolt on the column to one of the rag joint bolts.
A cleaner fix would be to find a piece of spring steel long enough to run from a bolt/nut to the top of one of the rivets. By putting a hole in one end of the spring steel tightening the bolt/nut would press the steel against the top of the rivet.
If you notice in the pic one side of the rag joint has a raised steel plate that has a half circle cut out at the rivets. I think this was the ground connection.
If you notice I used Ford blue wire, tried to use blue connectors but they were too small for the wire.
Next time I will shrink the pics even more. That's the trouble with my new camera its 12mp and these are 35% of that. Oh,well.
Thanks again for all your help.
A cleaner fix would be to find a piece of spring steel long enough to run from a bolt/nut to the top of one of the rivets. By putting a hole in one end of the spring steel tightening the bolt/nut would press the steel against the top of the rivet.
If you notice in the pic one side of the rag joint has a raised steel plate that has a half circle cut out at the rivets. I think this was the ground connection.
If you notice I used Ford blue wire, tried to use blue connectors but they were too small for the wire.
Next time I will shrink the pics even more. That's the trouble with my new camera its 12mp and these are 35% of that. Oh,well.
Thanks again for all your help.
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