This is how to repair the horn ring when it wears down.
Remove the cover over the horn
Remove the horn contacts
Remove the steering wheel and turn it over.
On the steering column, you can see the brush that carries the current from the steering wheel down to the wiring harness and to the horn.
On the bottom of the steering wheel is the brass ring that contacts the brush. By now the brush has worn down so that it doesn't make contact with this ring any more. Remove this ring.
Cut a piece of adhesive backed gasket material to fit under this ring, between the steering wheel and the ring and reinstall.
You test this first before starting by unlocking the tilt wheel and move the wheel to its upmost position, the horn will work, but not in the down most position, or visa versa. Its been awhile.
Horn repair
- ARCHINSTL
- Goldie Forever
- Posts: 6369
- Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 1:52 pm
- My tercel:: Goldie is a 1986 SR5 attualmente con Weber/also owned the first T4WD in STL in late '82
- Location: Kirkwood, a 'burb of St. Louis
Re: Horn repair
Bravo - Sticky City, it is bound!
Tom M.
Tom M.
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
- ALiveSR5
- Top Notch Member
- Posts: 164
- Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2020 7:58 pm
- My tercel:: Was a stock 1985, SR5, 4WD, 6-speed manual, Wagon.
- Location: Pennsylvania USA
Re: Horn repair
When I had to fix my Tercel's horn, I first raised the brass ring, much like you describe. However, I was concerned that the spring-loaded brush might catch on the raised ring, either causing the steering wheel to lock or bending/breaking off the brush stem.
So, I reseated the ring in its normal place then put a solder bead on the end of the worn down brush end.
So, I reseated the ring in its normal place then put a solder bead on the end of the worn down brush end.
No other vehicle that I have ever owned had a heart and soul like my 1985 Tercel SR5 4WD Wagon.
~
Great minds may think alike but it is the doers who see their visions become reality.
~
Great minds may think alike but it is the doers who see their visions become reality.
Re: Horn repair
I have a question I recently changed my indicator wiper blade stick would that mess up the function of my horn??keith wrote: ↑Tue Sep 11, 2012 5:04 pm This is how to repair the horn ring when it wears down.
Remove the cover over the horn
Remove the horn contacts
Remove the steering wheel and turn it over.
On the steering column, you can see the brush that carries the current from the steering wheel down to the wiring harness and to the horn.
On the bottom of the steering wheel is the brass ring that contacts the brush. By now the brush has worn down so that it doesn't make contact with this ring any more. Remove this ring.
Cut a piece of adhesive backed gasket material to fit under this ring, between the steering wheel and the ring and reinstall.
You test this first before starting by unlocking the tilt wheel and move the wheel to its upmost position, the horn will work, but not in the down most position, or visa versa. Its been awhile.
- Petros
- Highest Ranking Member
- Posts: 11933
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
- My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
- Location: Arlington WA USA
Re: Horn repair
I do not think so, the indicator stalk is unrelated, it has a lever that strikes a post as you turn the steering wheel to disengage the indicator when going around a corner. none of that affects the horn ring.
That is assuming you got it all back together properly. It is possible you may have disturbed a contact, the alignment, or connector on the horn assembly when you had it apart. But I have found it is rare that the horn works anymore on a 35 year old car, corrosion and wear typically makes it not work without a good overhaul like shown on this thread.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
Re: Horn repair
What did you use to between the steering wheel and ring to extend it where can I find something like that
-
- Highest Ranking Member
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- My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
- Location: seabeck, washington, USA
Re: Horn repair
I made a brass part to slip over the brush to make it longer. Then lube with dielectric grease
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
- MrWrench
- Top Notch Member
- Posts: 252
- Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2019 9:10 pm
- My tercel:: 1985 Tercel SR5. aka Spud
- Location: Michigan
- Contact:
Re: Horn repair
Is this something you would sell?I would gladly purchase a few.
1984 SR5. Lifted offroader with a snorkel. Aka "Thunderbucket"
1985 SR5. Daily driver. Aka "Spud"
1986 SR5. Dakar Rally clone build.
1985 SR5. Daily driver. Aka "Spud"
1986 SR5. Dakar Rally clone build.
-
- Advanced Member
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Tue Apr 18, 2023 12:09 pm
- My tercel:: 1984 Toyota Tercel 4WD
- Location: Issaquah, WA
Re: Horn repair
On the older Toyota pickups and 4Runners we use a .22 LR casing slipped over the plunger contact and it works absolutely perfectly for those vehicles. I’ve used it on trucks from 1979-1995. Obviously, the bullet has been discharged/fired and we’re talking about the shell specifically, but it fits perfectly and majority are brass. The casing will ride on the horn plunger and wheel ring, and the butt end of the bullet is just thick enough to fill the few millimeters of wear. Just information.
My horn on my 84 T4WD works 95% of the time, but I suspect I’ll be installing a .22 LR casing at some point.
My horn on my 84 T4WD works 95% of the time, but I suspect I’ll be installing a .22 LR casing at some point.
Re: Horn repair
Phatcat,
Fantastic! Tips like this (with our groups good nature and civility) make this site special! Thank you.
Chris
Fantastic! Tips like this (with our groups good nature and civility) make this site special! Thank you.
Chris
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart"
In remembrance of my friend ARCHINSTL:
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
In remembrance of my friend ARCHINSTL:
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain