Horn Ring needed for safety's sake

My '04 Venture van was like this. Two spots, not much larger than your thumb, had to be pushed precisely in order to get the horn to sound. The one time I really had to use it I couldn't find the sweet spot. Fortunately, I believe in hitting the brakes first before the horn and the accident was avoided.

Shep wrote:

That's some good GM engineering right there....hey, if you are dead you can't sue!

Pathetic.

That design was carried over to the replacement Uplander/Relay?Terraza/Montana SV6. GM later revised the springs or washers in the steering wheel pad and the fix seemed to cure the issue in my 05 Relay. I had reason to test it a couple of days ago when a car turning left next to me took the turn too sharply and veered into my lane, forcing me over.

My '03 S-10 has its horn switch as part of the center of the steering wheel. Press anywhere on that (basically what is probably the entire airbag assembly as well) and you get a horn.

On the other hand, my '84 Plymouth Reliant has two horn buttons in the two spokes that connect the hub of the steering wheel to the outer area. I think that would be harder to use in the case of a sudden need to do so.

William

had to be pushed precisely in order to get the horn

Fortunately, I believe in hitting the brakes first

I often don't have time to find the horn positions on then wheel, so I just rev up the engine to gain attention. It works especially for those dumb street dogs who refuse to get out of the way.

Nope that ugly horn ring isn't what I want, just the horn to be in the center of the steering wheel. I don't hit the horn first, it's the brakes and steering first. My wife's 2001 does have the horn in the center of the steering ring, but unfortunately hadn't figured that out for my '95 LH, which has two small horn push points on the horn spokes. Finding them quickly when turning is so difficult it makes sounding the horn quickly when turning next to impossible.

the horn is not a safety instrument so you dont hit it first, its really more of a hey you suck at driving instrument.

Rubbish. Have I avoided a collision by blowing my car horn? Absolutely! Where? In a parking lot. When some bozo was backing out of a slot. If I had not honked they would have backed into me.

Ted

Hah! Several years ago, I was driving along at the posted speed (55 mph) when a woman in a brand new Chevette - less than 2 months old (the car - not the woman) pulled out in front of me. I made the mistake of hitting the horn - at which moment she panic and slammed on the brakes stopping dead square in front of me. Had I not hit the horn, she would have kept going and likely left just enough room for me to swerve behind her to my right. Totaled the Chevette, and she threatened to sue me for a minor back injury, but that didn't go very far.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Oh Bill, and you a Republican yet!

You did not make a mistake. This woman in the brand new Chevette made 2 mistakes - pulling out without looking then slamming on the brakes. You are sounding like a damn ultraliberal (note I said ultraliberal, not liberal) when you try to absolve the guilty party of blame. It's the same logic that is used when the ultraliberals say that the poor are blameless for being poor, it's the rich's fault they are poor.

The rich may have some blame but the poor are not blameless because of this.

Good, one less fugly vehicle in the world.

I hope the insurance company charged the accident against her and not against you.

Ted

Oh crap - do you think I'm a closet liberal? Or just a compassionate conservative? I started out a full-blown liberal (don't try to read anything into that wording - Homey never played that).

Nope - it came out fine. Strange - I was driving a '73 Mercury Capri.

*Only* damage to it was bumper, hood, and I think radiator. Very minimal considering that it totaled the brand new Chevette. It was a perfect 90° T-bone, so I guess the impact was absorbed evenly across the front of the Capri.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Hmm - 73' and I think that was the last year before the giant 5Mph bumper mandate. Impressive!

Of course today for the same hit on a new car, the entire front would undoubtedly be gone. Such progress! ;-)

Ted