55 Fairlane horn issue

[Jim.UT]

I've owned my Town Sedan since last March. This problem just started within the last week since the morning temperatures have dropped below 40F.

Driving down the road, the horn will randomly go off...short beeps and some long blasts. The first time it happened I pulled up on the center horn button and it stopped. After that it just honks randomly as I drive down the road...sending out random Morse code signals: beep.....beep beep....BEEEEEP. It will even do it while setting stopped at a traffic light.

So far it only happens while I'm driving. I can't seem to consistently make it happen. I've tried jerking the wheel back and forth to make it honk without success. I noticed today that it does seem to happen when I deliberately run over a recessed manhole cover. That little bump will cause it to honk a little.

Also today, for the first time, the horn honked when I got out of the car and shut the driver door. Before today it never has gone off while sitting parked. However, as I type this I just heard it give a 3 second blast out in the driveway.

It seems to happen most often when the outside temps are below 40F. The situation improves when I drive the car later in the day when it has warmed up into the 60s.

Where should I look first? Under the steering wheel? Maybe a bare wire under the hood?

thanks!

 

[Jim.UT]

Follow up question. I'm reading the shop manual and for continuous horn sounding they recommend looking at the wire plug connection at the base of the steering column (which I haven't found yet) or the horn relay.

Question: is this the horn relay? It is located on the driver side inner fender close to the front of the car. It has a brown wire connected on the far left lug in this photo that looks a lot like the brown wire attached to the horn itself and they both disappear into the same wiring harness.

Now that the day has warmed up, I can't make it fail. I'll play around with it some more tomorrow morning when it's cool.

 

[miker98038]

The horn wire goes down the center of the steering shaft, and comes out of the steering box. Good place to start looking for a frayed wire. That’s proof the horn relay, power in, ground thru the horn ring on the wheel, power out to the horns. You can always pull the “horn” connection at the relay to shut it off. As to why in cold weather, I wouldn’t guess. Finding it while it’s intermittent is a shot in the dark.

 

[dmsfrr]

. . . as I type this I just heard it give a 3 second blast out in the driveway.

I always disconnect a battery cable when I walk away from the car. Much better than watching smoke & flames.

If your '55 steering wheel is similar to the original one in my '55 Tbird the contacts in the center horn ring button are held apart by a small rubber donut that functions as a spring. Assuming the rubber has aged-out and lost its ability to expand like it did when new, that might explain its reaction to cold temperatures.

photo 1, horn relay on the left front inner fender
photo 2, horn button switch assembly
photo 3, rubber donut
.

 

[dodg66440]

I agree with dmsfrr. Years ago my first 56 Ford did this exact same thing and it turned out to be the rubber donut was pretty much collapsed.

 

[Alaska Jim]

dodg66440, are those rubber "donuts" reproduced, and sold by anyone, I also may need one, as I am restoring a '57 steering wheel to go in my 29 ford roadster, Y-block powered of course.

 

[dmsfrr]

dodg66440, are those rubber "donuts" reproduced, and sold by anyone, I also may need one, as I am restoring a '57 steering wheel to go in my 29 ford roadster, Y-block powered of course.

Double check which steering wheel & horn button style you have.
Ford redesigned their car steering wheels after '55.

 

[Hot Rod Reverend]

FWIW, here is an article on a horn repair that I did on my 1955 Ford (with a 56 steering wheel)

https://www.hotrodreverend.com/post/1955-ford-part-102-troubleshooting-the-1956-fairlane-horn-ring

 

[Alaska Jim]

dmsfrr, my steering wheel and column are out of a '57 Ranchero, removed it myself, still would like to know if those "dough-nuts" are reproduced and sold by anyone. Thanks.

 

[dmsfrr]

dmsfrr, my steering wheel and column are out of a '57 Ranchero, removed it myself, still would like to know if those "dough-nuts" are reproduced and sold by anyone. Thanks.

I'm only familiar with the '55/'57 T-bird steering wheels, but assuming the one from a '57 Ranchero is the same...

Here is a link to an example catalog listing for the '56/'57 style rubber spacer. Not sure about current availability. Other suppliers may have them also.
https://www.classictbird.com/Rubber-Insulator-Horn-Ring-56_7-1-Per-car/productinfo/13A806E/

For the '55 style steering wheel rubber spacer here's that link...
https://www.classictbird.com/Rubber-Insulator-for-55-Horn-Ring-1-Per-car/productinfo/13A806F/
.