Horn stopped working

[DPDISXR4Ti]

One day to the next, the horn no longer works at all. So far my only diagnostics have been checking the fuse - it's fine. I seem to hear the click of the switch when the pad on the steering wheel is depressed. My past experience on the XR has been that the contacts on the steering hub get dirty, but that was typically a gradual failure.

I can and will follow the diagnostic tree, but just wondering if there's some typical failure on the Scorpio I'm missing that's different from the XR.

[Ed Lijewski]

Had a "no-horn' on my '88 years ago; replaced the unit on the driver's side with a used one. No issues since.

YMMV

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

Did you switch the relays around and see if anything changes?

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

I've heard from old timers to use the horn every now and again. I use mine sometimes for no good reason and get some weird looks.

[DPDISXR4Ti]

Had a "no-horn' on my '88 years ago; replaced the unit on the driver's side with a used one. No issues since.

I was under the impression that both were working, so it seemed unlikely that both would fail at the same time. It's possible, and also possible that I'm mistaken in previously thinking that I was hearing both working.

[DPDISXR4Ti]

Did you switch the relays around and see if anything changes?

Finally just now looked at the EVTM and saw that indeed there is a relay in that circuit. Funny how the troubleshooting section doesn't even offer up a failed relay as a possibility, only the fuse.

I'll try swapping in a spare relay and directly applying 12V to the horns as next steps.

[brokencase]

Tell you what Brad, I went through every relay and fuse contact point and cleaned with sandpaper or a jeweler's file.
That means also cleaning every contact blade on the relays and fuses also. I then sprayed them with contact cleaner.

It's 32 years old now...and the fuse/relay box is notoriously non-weather proof.

In some cases I might have bent the contacts in the box to ensure a better bite.

[Ed Lijewski]

Many overlook the integrity of single power wire connection to the horns as well as the quality of the ground contact of the unit to the frame/mount. That's where I started first as both are exposed to the elements.

YMMV

[Bob Weir]

Sometimes one will give up. I've only had one die over all the years I had a Scorpio. I really did like the two tone sounds they made.

[John Brennan]

Also, run 12V through the horn itself and see if it honks. They get old and die, too. I had a couple that had finally gone through enough puddles and monsoon drenchings, and would only make faint, suffering-farm-animal noises.

[DPDISXR4Ti]

Today's warm weather was enough motivation to get this fixed. First I tried putting my finger on the relay as I hit the horn pad - I could feel and hear it click, so the relay was likely fine (it is). I opened the hood and found the horn behind the RH headlight. It didn't look great so I removed it and bench-tested it - nada. Found a horn I had "in inventory" and hooked it up, physically and electronically. It's a little different than the stock one, requiring spade connections for both + and -. The factory positive circuit went right on and I fabricated a short wire to go from the other spade connection to the conveniently local ground on the body. Fixed!

I assume there's another horn on the driver side, yes? Is it down low, more readily accessed from underneath? If so, I'll do that next time the car is up in the air.

[Bob Weir]

Yes, a 2nd horn. Can't remember exact location, but not hard to find. 2 different horns produce the dual tone horn "music"! Ask Ed Lijewski, he knows where all the hidden treasures are located.

[Ed Lijewski]

Don't recall the OEM LF horn location...cuz for some reason no longer remembered I mounted the replacement near the radiator frame inside the engine compartment.

YMMV