Volvo 440/460 1.6i LE (1996) - Horn not working, (but was OK last week!). | Technical matters | Back Room Forum

Mon 12 Mar 2012 18:21

Volvo 440/460 1.6i LE (1996) - Horn not working, (but was OK last week!). - Quicksilver

Having some trouble with the old Volvo.

Horn stopped working suddenly. Fuses OK and Horn OK, (connected to battery and was very loud!). Wiring seems OK but will need to check continuity at weekend

Could it be the centre push switch on the steering wheel? If so how easy to fix considering parts may be hard to get and the wheel has an air bag? Fitting looks like a pig according to Haynes.

I was thinking of a push switch on dashboard directly connected to the horn, (with inline fuse!). Would this pass an MOT if clearly labelled “horn”

Thanks for some suggestions on what to look for.

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Tue 13 Mar 2012 08:06

Volvo 440/460 1.6i LE (1996) - Horn not working, (but was OK last week!). - elekie&a/c doctor

Can,t remember the exact set up on these,but if it is a 2 wire horn ,then you need to find which part of the circuit has been lost.If one terminal is live,either battery live or ignition,then the horn push will be on the neg return.There is no problem wiring a seperate push switch and it will be ok for mot as long as the tester is aware of its function.hth

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Tue 13 Mar 2012 10:00

Volvo 440/460 1.6i LE (1996) - Horn not working, (but was OK last week!). - Quicksilver

OK thanks for this.

Good to know that the MOT will be OK if a seperate switch is used. Does the switch have to be a push button type that only makes contact when pushed or any type? I have many old switches, (1973 mini van!) lying around and could use one of tem.

Thanks,

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Tue 13 Mar 2012 13:22

Volvo 440/460 1.6i LE (1996) - Horn not working, (but was OK last week!). - ChannelZ

Could be the "clock spring" - that's the cable that connects the wheel to the car. Commonly they wear out, and it's an easy job to replace.

Don't be afraid of the airbags, they won't go off if you disconnect the battery 10 mins before working on the car, and it's impossible for them to go off if they're unplugged, so if you're still not sure, unplug them at a good arm's length (IE don't stick your face against it while unplugging).

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Tue 13 Mar 2012 14:58

Volvo 440/460 1.6i LE (1996) - Horn not working, (but was OK last week!). - jc2

Any switch you like!

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Tue 13 Mar 2012 17:23

Volvo 440/460 1.6i LE (1996) - Horn not working, (but was OK last week!). - Quicksilver

OK that is good to know. Do you still think you can get the spare parts? This car is now 16 years old!

I did replace this on old cars in the past but they did not have an airbag.

Some of them had the horn on the stalk. That was easy to fix.

Thanks,

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Sat 17 Mar 2012 11:40

Volvo 440/460 1.6i LE (1996) - Horn not working, (but was OK last week!). - Quicksilver

Just to let everybody know. I fixed the problem.

Problem was with one of the wire feeds to the horn.

It had corroded inside the plastic outer cable covering. It looked perfectly OK and was not suspect.

I had some tips from a Volvo mechanic who said: "check the wiring, it will be rotten". He was right but it was not obvious that this was the problem.

One traced repair was simple. However, Volvo should be shot for placing the horn and the wiring in such a stupid location. There are many other better locations on the car that would offer much better protection from the elements.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

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