Do I have the wrong steering wheel adapter? (Horn issues)

[fuentesfranko]

I purchased a new steering wheel along with an adapter for my 1976 Bronco.
It seems the adapter is '68-73 as it seems to work with 2 contact pins on the turn signal switch. My turn signal switch only has 1 (spring loaded) contact pin.
I attempted to install the adapter and the horn button as is, but in every wiring configuration I could think of, the horn would always be on when connecting my battery.

Do I have the wrong adapter? Is it possible to make it work with this adapter? Tips on how should I be wiring this (there seems to be 1 too many wires)?
Thanks!

 

[fuentesfranko]

Note: Just installed a new Painless harness that came with all switches and relays, after testing , everything is working. Horn is the last issue I'm dealing with.
From the Painless manual in case it's relevant:
"The Horn Relay pre-wired in the Painless harness is a Ground Activated Relay. The HORN RELAY replaces the factory installed horn relays of the 1972 and later year Broncos, and is a great addition to the 1966-1971 units. This relay is ground activated, like the factory horn relay, which means there are no high voltage wires running to the horn button. The horn button now just grounds the relay causing the relay to activate, sending power out to the horn"

 

[DirtDonk]

I can’t really say that you can make it work, but you absolutely have the wrong adapter. For exactly the reason you stated. Two contacts versus one.
They are generally considered incompatible for obvious reasons. The relay part is no problem, because you can make an early style work with a relay just as a later style does.
And Painless has it incorrect as a matter of fact. The change over to the use of a relay from the factory was in 74. Not 72 like stated.
So even though Painless includes a relay just like the 74 and later Broncos had, you still have to make the horn button compatible with the horn switch wiring underneath.

As I said, I’m not sure if it can be made to work or not, but to my mind, you need the correct adapter.

 

[fuentesfranko]

@DirtDonk I looked up the right adapter and I fail to see the difference between the 2 adapters. Both seems to have the copper sections for 2 contacts and the wiring seems to be the same. Am I missing something?
This one also has 2 red wires. I'll assume 1 wire goes to the horn, but where would the other wire go?

 

[DirtDonk]

A couple of things possible. One is that even though there are two copper strips, their width appears difference between the two styles.
The other is, it’s always possible they have a picture of the wrong part on the webpage.
It happens still…

 

[jamesroney]

Note: Just installed a new Painless harness that came with all switches and relays, after testing , everything is working. Horn is the last issue I'm dealing with.
From the Painless manual in case it's relevant:
"The Horn Relay pre-wired in the Painless harness is a Ground Activated Relay. The HORN RELAY replaces the factory installed horn relays of the 1972 and later year Broncos, and is a great addition to the 1966-1971 units. This relay is ground activated, like the factory horn relay, which means there are no high voltage wires running to the horn button. The horn button now just grounds the relay causing the relay to activate, sending power out to the horn"

Forget about the horn BUTTON for now. Is the horn relay and brush wired properly and functional?

If you take a jumper wire, and GROUND this brush contact to the steering shaft...does the horn honk? If it is wired correctly to the Painless relay coil ground, it will energize the coil, the relay will close, and the horn will honk. If it is NOT wired correctly, it will take +12V directly to ground, create a short circuit, and spark like crazy and blow the fuse. Or it will do absolutely nothing.

Need to know this first.

Once you convince yourself that taking this post to ground makes the horn function...then you can figure out how to make the horn button do that.

And yes. Inner pink wire goes to terminal on button. Outer pink wire is unused and I usually cut it off. But not until AFTER everything is working. And NO, its not the right adapter, and YES, it will usually work. (which I suppose technically means it's the right adapter...)

 

[fuentesfranko]

Forget about the horn BUTTON for now. Is the horn relay and brush wired properly and functional?

If you take a jumper wire, and GROUND this brush contact to the steering shaft...does the horn honk? If it is wired correctly to the Painless relay coil ground, it will energize the coil, the relay will close, and the horn will honk. If it is NOT wired correctly, it will take +12V directly to ground, create a short circuit, and spark like crazy and blow the fuse. Or it will do absolutely nothing.

Need to know this first.

Once you convince yourself that taking this post to ground makes the horn function...then you can figure out how to make the horn button do that.

And yes. Inner pink wire goes to terminal on button. Outer pink wire is unused and I usually cut it off. But not until AFTER everything is working. And NO, its not the right adapter, and YES, it will usually work. (which I suppose technically means it's the right adapter...)

James,

I tried to touch a wire on the spring loaded contact and the steering shaft and it didn't work, I then touched the wire to the steering collar and it worked.
I then sanded the edge of the collar where it would meet with the steering wheel adapter assuming that might help close the circuit, but now whenever I put the adapter all the way in, the horn goes automatically. I tried connecting the horn wires in every combination then pushing the adapter all the way in, and I'd get no horn.
Video here: (press speaker icon to hear sound)

https://imgur.com/gqBfQvV

Video

 

[jamesroney]

James,

I tried to touch a wire on the spring loaded contact and the steering shaft and it didn't work, I then touched the wire to the steering collar and it worked.
I then sanded the edge of the collar where it would meet with the steering wheel adapter assuming that might help close the circuit, but now whenever I put the adapter all the way in, the horn goes automatically. I tried connecting the horn wires in every combination then pushing the adapter all the way in, and I'd get no horn.

Video

OK, so now we are getting somewhere.

The horn circuit uses the SHAFT as the conductor. The good news is that all of the painless wiring is correct. The bad news is that your column shaft is not grounded. Yes, your column tube, housing, and collar are grounded...but the horn button relies on a solid ground on the shaft.

post a picture under the hood of the steering shaft and let me know if there is a rag joint, (NVH coupling) in your steering shaft.

If you have a set of battery jumper cables. using ONE cable, connect the steering shaft to ground. Then go back and touch the wire to the contact and see if the horn honks. (It will...)

Then hook up the adapter and button wiring.

 

[Oldtimer]

The turn signal canceling cam is causing horn to sound when you install adapter.
The brush contact from turn signal switch is touching inner copper foil contact on adapter, and cam is shorting copper foil to adapter, which is grounded by steering shaft.


You need to shorten cam so it does not contact copper foil, or use the roll pins that came with adapter, and install them in provided holes.


On my adapter, I drilled a hole between to existing holes, and used one pin.
It worked better with a 3-1/3 turn lock to lock steering box.


Also, as a side note, I don't think the spring contact on horn BUTTON is connected to either contact on button.


IF the brush on turn signal switch is contacting the inner copper foil contact, the wire from the outer copper foil contact meeds to be removed and connected to ground under a bolt put in one of the threaded holes used for pulling the adapter.

 

[fuentesfranko]

The turn signal canceling cam is causing horn to sound when you install adapter.
The brush contact from turn signal switch is touching inner copper foil contact on adapter, and cam is shorting copper foil to adapter, which is grounded by steering shaft.
View attachment 901195

You need to shorten cam so it does not contact copper foil, or use the roll pins that came with adapter, and install them in provided holes.
View attachment 901196

On my adapter, I drilled a hole between to existing holes, and used one pin.
It worked better with a 3-1/3 turn lock to lock steering box.
View attachment 901199

Also, as a side note, I don't think the spring contact on horn BUTTON is connected to either contact on button.
View attachment 901197

IF the brush on turn signal switch is contacting the inner copper foil contact, the wire from the outer copper foil contact meeds to be removed and connected to ground under a bolt put in one of the threaded holes used for pulling the adapter.
View attachment 901198

I GOT IT WORKING!
Ok, so first thing I did was to get new pins and removed the signal cancelling cam.
I then added a bolt to the adapter to hold the extra red wire and ground it.
Then I tested the system again, but this time I used a wire to touch the spring contact button to a ground, it worked!

Thanks for all the help!

Adding some photos in case someone else has trouble with this

 

[fuentesfranko]

It worked!

https://imgur.com/rNK1Lc3

 

[DirtDonk]

Meep meep!
(I know, a Mopar reference. But before that it was a WB reference)