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39 Lasalle horn button-where does it make contact when you push it?

Started by bariman, March 28, 2013, 07:58:11 PM

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bariman

Can you help please?  I put my horn button back together in the steering column but it doesn't work.  The center wire is hot but the I can't see where the inside metal piece contacts anything.  I think I may be missing a part.  What contact is the inner metal ring supposed to  touch when you press on the center button?  Is it the casting around the gearshift lever?  Thanks

Barry M Wheeler #2189

You may be missing the galvanized cup that goes under the horn button spring. Pressing the button allows this cup to tilt and continue the live contact to the lead. Try to get a view of the parts involved in one of the shots from old master parts lists. I hope this helps.
Barry M. Wheeler #2189


1981 Cadillac Seville
1991 Cadillac Seville

bariman

Thanks Barry, I have the metal cup you are talking about but I don't see where this touches anything when it it pressed.  Do you know where it is supposed to make contact?  I am either missing something or something is out of alignment.

Terry Wenger

Do you have the cone shaped spring that contacts the button on the end of the wire on the small end and the cup on the large end? As I remember the cup contacts the steering wheel body  when pushed and completes the circuit.

Terry Wenger
Terry Wenger CLC #1800
tewv16@sbcglobal.net
1932 355B TSD
1939 7557
1940 60S
1941 60S
1947 6267 Conv.
1949 6207X Coupe
1963 60S

Bill Ingler #7799

#4
Here is a horn diagram which might help you determine if you have all the parts.It is for a 41 but typical of what you have on your 39 and parts that you should have to work the horn. I would make sure the wire coming up the center of the steering wheel with the brass end is functional. As you know, the horn blows when you complete ground through this wire back to the horn relay. Take a jumper wire and briefly touch one end of the jumper wire to that brass end on the ground wire and briefly touch the other end of the jumper wire to the large nut holding the steering wheel to the steering shaft. Your horn should sound. If no sound then go to the junction on the steering column which is about 12 inch above the steering box on the steering column. There should be a black wire from the connection to the horn relay. Briefly touch the end of the black wire at the junction with one end of the jumper wire and the other end touch briefly to the steering column. If horn blows then your problem is with the wire inside the steering column. Sometimes this wire comes loose under the junction block where it is soldered to the steering shaft. If the horn doesn`t blow after you have done the check at the junction, then it might be a faulty horn relay.

As Terry said ,pushing in on the horn allows the cup to contact the metal of the steering wheel. Since the cup is in contact with the large spring which is inturn touching the brass button on the end of the ground wire, this completes ground and the horn blows.       Bill

bariman

great photo.  Thanks.  The question is what part is part J supposed to touch when the button is pressed? Part F??  Part D??  I don't see any parts that I don't have.  The center wire is hot and the relay works fine when I short it out the button.  I seem to have all the parts in correctly but when I depress the button Part J doesn't touch anything so no connection and no sound.

bariman


Bill Ingler #7799

Dennis: The diagram came from the Cadillac Master Parts List. The are two Master Parts Lists, one for the chassis where your diagram can be found and the other Master Parts list covers body parts. The chassis manual I have is about 600 pages and covers years 35-48. The body parts manual covers 35-48 and is about 230 pages. At times I see these on Ebay and at one time I believe Crank and Hope publications were reproduction copies.