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I briefly touched on this in another thread, but wanted to dedicate a thread specifically to this problem.
Wife and I purchased a 2011 Chrysler Town and Country.
Apparently I didn't test the horn on the test-drive. Dealership provided a 10 minute inspection, and out the door we went...didn't think anything of it until I tried to blow the horn about a week later and nothing happened.
Fuses = Good
Horn works via remote (alarm + door lock)
Relay clicks via remote (alarm + door lock)
If you hit the horn button, there's no relay...maybe the system is grounding, but nothing tries to trigger the horn.
Anyone have a suggestion?
We purchased the car for our growing family...gave up a 2006 VW Jetta for it, and boy do I wish I had my Jetta back.
You checked the fuse right? Sometimes the alarm (depending in where the installer picked up the horn wire) it could be between your steering wheel horn button and the horn. So it works becAUSE that is past the fuse and the steering wheel ( wire layout wise)
You checked the fuse right? Sometimes the alarm (depending in where the installer picked up the horn wire) it could be between your steering wheel horn button and the horn. So it works becAUSE that is past the fuse and the steering wheel ( wire layout wise)
If it's not the fuse the Clock spring can break
The horn for the alarm is a factory install, not aftermarket. There are two fuses for the horn, if pulled the horn does NOT work...when either fuse is installed, that associated horn will operate normally (via remote)...when both fuses are installed, the horn operates via remote normally.
Clock Spring has been my guess all along, but a broken clock spring normally provides an airbag warning light, no high beams or turn signals, dead cruise control, and additional steering wheel mounted controls being out of service...at this time, EVERYTHING works with the exception of the horns via steering wheel.
It could be the horn button is in an unusual place - read owner's manual to be sure you are pressing in the correct spot.
It could be the alarm is a do-it-yourself job and they wired it wrong - so the horn button is disconnected.
It could be someone was servicing the air bag or something on the steering column and forgot to reconnect the horn wire - or it came loose in the steering wheel.
Or a bad button - probably need whole air bag part?
If you have a meter you can check the ground wire. That's usually how horns are wired with a switched ground. I believe Dodge likes switched grounds with constant hot 12v going to the accessories
Heading to the junkyard tomorrow to see if i can find any similar vehicles / parts...should likely disassemble my steering wheel to see if I can find something that isn't connected...we'll see if I choose to do that tomorrow instead of going to the bone yard.
I don't think the alarm is a "DIY" since it's using the factory fob, and operating as normal from the factory.
I'll hope for a disconnected wire under the dash, possible...but I'm not keeping my fingers crossed.
My 92' Camaro has a "tricky" horn, you have to know exactly where to push. From the factory there were two working horn button locations on the wheel, and it wasn't very picky. Over time, the buttons get brittle and break, when they do you're lucky to have any horn at all....luckily in my camaro, one of the two buttons still operates normally, but the other is dead as a doorknob...This is something I'd expect on a 23 year old car, it's not something I'd expect on a 4 year old car...but on the other hand, I've never owned a Chrysler product until now.
My 92' Camaro has a "tricky" horn, you have to know exactly where to push. From the factory there were two working horn button locations on the wheel, and it wasn't very picky. Over time, the buttons get brittle and break, when they do you're lucky to have any horn at all....luckily in my camaro, one of the two buttons still operates normally, but the other is dead as a doorknob...This is something I'd expect on a 23 year old car, it's not something I'd expect on a 4 year old car...but on the other hand, I've never owned a Chrysler product until now.
I had a 92 the same way! You couldnt just press anywhere to get it to work lol
There's a contact metal ring in old steering wheels that if it moves, you won't honk. Getting into newer steering isn't something I know about, but as a driver in downtown conditions for twenty years I prided myself on never using my horn, except parallel parking in the dark in a heavy pedestrian area.
By the time that something happens using your horn just makes you feel better and pisses everyone off.
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It's too late; never use your horn
