I have a problem with a53 plate Meriva 1.8 (well, quite a few problems, but we'll stick to one for now).
One of the horn buttons doesn't cause the horn to sound. The other is fine. Does anyone know......
Does just the one wire exit the steering wheel, or one for each button? IE, is the problem likely to be within the wheel or might it be a connector under the dash?
Are these buttons particularly prone to failure? Are they easy to replace if so?
Is this a known problem with this model? and if so what is the solution?
More likely it's the actual switch not making proper contact. They're usually just of a "bent tin-plate" construction rather than anything substantial.
(FWIW, of my experience (BMW, Land Rover) I've only ever seen the buttons connected together inside the wheel and it'd make no sense to have an extra connection through the clockspring (cost, complexity and basic overkill.) )
Thanks for that Scott. I have now found a Youtube video of how to remove a nd replace the rubber cover over the switch (on a Corsa C which looks ident ical in this regard) Except the guy says "I'll just have to put the camera down" "There we are" it's the same when he fits the replac ement! But at least I do know it can be done with just a screwdriver and a questionable IQ! From what I've gleaned the procedure is.....
1.Check you've got the code for the Radion if it's not Decoded.
disconnect battery.
Wait 10 Minutes.
Undo 2 x 3mm Torx bolts behind the Airbag so as to loosen it (others say to remove it, but Low-IQ Man said loosening was sufficient).
Use screwdriver to carefully remove horn cover(s)
Diagnose and fix problem, replace switch, reconnect wire, whatever.
Put it all back together. I will try and post back here next week end when I've had a go.
A question about how to get into a Meriva Horn Switch.
Here's what I found.
(Having de-coded the radio, disconnected the battery, and waited ten minute s)
By following the advice I put in my earlier post, I managed to undo the Air bag and pull it forwards and without disconnecting it, and rest it on the l ower part of the steering wheel.
I then pulled at the edge of the horn cover and was able to remove it easil y without damage to either the cover or the steering wheel. I was then a ble to lift the switch upwards. I tried to disconnect it, but although I c ould see where it connected in the middle of the steering wheel, it didn't want to come apart. I decided I would instead try and dis-assemble the swi tch.........
Thanks to the nice ward weather, the plastic was nice and pliable and I was able to persuade the little clips out of the way and take the two halves o f the switch apart. In the lower half there was what appeared to be a cros s shaped "brass" contact. I then turned my attention to the upper half and didn't notice i'd turned the lower half upside down.... the brass contact fell out, together with a small piece of either paper or plastic (never did find it afterwards) which I recon had good electrical insulating propertie s.....
In fact I think the procedure for the human or robot at the switch factory should have gone some thing like........ Remove plastic/paper contact prot ector from bottom half of switch... drop in cross shaped contact.. press tw o halves of switch together. Only "they" forgot to remove the insulator/pr otector.
I suspect this switch came with the car and it passed all of Opel/Vauxhall / The Dealer's / The MOT tests since, with this button being in-operative.
Anyways, once i'd put it all back together which was a reversal of the abov e procedures (but leaving aside re-installing the insulator!) it all now wo rks fine !:^*>>))
Hopefully this info will be useful for anyone who comes Googling after.
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