Horn Ring needed for safety's sake

I understand your point, it is harder to get the horn to activate in my newer cars. But if I had every smashed my face against a horn ring I'd probably be glad to get rid of it.

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.

I have a 68 Torino that has a horn ring. The steering wheel is padded and you would have to have a face the size of a baseball to smash it against the horn ring. In any case, the horn ring is only cheap potmetal and would break. I've broken mine once already. (I have a couple spares in my parts bin)

Ted

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.

The one in my '66 Polara is designed to pop off the hub if your face ever hit it. And your face, as you said, would have to be about the size of a grapefruit.

But "George Orwell" is just stirring crap, as usual. If he really wants convenience, go back to the "rim blow" horn offered on early 70s Mopars.

:-)

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

They should bring back those nice rim blow switches instead.

Steve B.

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.

.....and how many of you are old enough to remember the GM "squeeze the rim" horn -- I think it came out in 1964 and I remember them well.

Buick developed it and the idea was you could squeeze any part of the rim - in any position - to sound the horn. what a concept - you didn't have to take your hands off the wheel to blow the horn.

the higher-ups at GM decided that such an upscale new feature should be introduced on the Cadillac first. The only problem they didn't discover in time was, the average Cadillac owner then was too arthritic to squeeze hard enough to activate the horn !! It didn't last long.

That may be the same year that Caddie introduced the heated seat......that had an unfortunate tendency to overheat and set the upholstery on fire!

Both true = I swear

I was never a fan of heated seating simply because of the fire danger. But there are mornings with a temperature reading of minus 20 & my @ss has a hard time with the cold seat.

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