Horn relay

[MaddieCycle]

Hi all, anyone know where the horn relay is on an '86 KC 4x4?  My horn fuse is blowing suddenly.  From what I can figure out, the horn switch in the steering wheel is just a ground for the horn relay.  I'm thinking about just running a whole new circuit right off the battery and then pass a ground wire for the new relay through the firewall and to the horn switch.

Where are the actual horns? I can't find them.

[720_Jeff]

Behind valence, on passenger side 

 

 

[MaddieCycle]

Thanks! Any idea where the relay is? Behind dash?

[datzenmike]

Find the horns. If one of the wires to a horn is grounded or pinched, the fuse will blow. Not likely the relay.

 

It appears to be on the right side of the steering column under the dash. Near the wiper amplifier.

[Thomas Perkins]

I put new horns on mine years ago.You have a low and high tone.There is a spring piece that goes into the hole under the steering wheel that is like a connector when you push the horn.I took my steering wheel off and the spring fell out and I didn't see it and my horn quit working.I bought 2 new horns and a new relay and it still didn't work,then read my repair manual that said the spring goes in the hole to make connection when horn is pushed.So I replaced everything that was good.Pull your steering wheel off and check that spring.Might be rusted or bad.I used one of them springs that goes in a writing pen that you can push to let pen end come in and out.Works perfect.

Edited April 20, 2022 by Thomas Perkins

[MaddieCycle]

On 4/19/2022 at 6:14 PM, datzenmike said:

Find the horns. If one of the wires to a horn is grounded or pinched, the fuse will blow. Not likely the relay.

 

It appears to be on the right side of the steering column under the dash. Near the wiper amplifier.

I can't find it anywhere.  My goal is to find it, replace it, and run a new wire from it to the horn through the fire wall. Alternatively, I'll just tap into the ground switches in the steering wheel and run a whole new relay circuit off of that, but that is more of a pain.

[Seven Two Oh No]

Relay is above the steering column behind the dash and is a pain to get to. Here's a thread from Nicoclub about it - https://forums.nicoclub.com/horn-relay-location-t527573.html

[MaddieCycle]

I just gave up and ran a new circuit. Tapped into the green/white wire at the harness connector on the left side of steering column, just under the turn signal switch. Ran that as the ground wire, through the fire wall, to a new relay I installed on the sheet metal next to the battery, then wired that relay up to 12v off the battery and into the horn. Works like a charm. I'm sure if I fixed whatever the problem was in the original horn circuit, I'd have another one in that circuit in a few months when the next clump of 36 year old wiring dissolves.  Easy peasy.

Edited May 2, 2022 by MaddieCycle