Re: Horn problem

In December of '02 I had a similar problem. My lady friend had borrowed my

96 SC2, while her car was being serviced. Sometime after parking the Saturn in her driveway, she kept hearing a car horn. She became annoyed and went outside to find that my car was the problem. She tried the steering wheel buttons to no avail. Then drove the honking car to a gas station. There a kind service person pulled the fuse for her, at no charge.

Later I put the fuse back in and had no other problem. I did however replace the horn myself. I figured that it was only a matter of time until the problem occurred again. The part cost $47.

Before I replaced anything, I talked to the parts man at my local dealership. Being an older guy, I thought it could be the horn solenoid. On older cars, if a horn button was not stuck then probably the culprit was a stuck solenoid. A solenoid is simply an electrically operated switch, which receives a low current connection from the horn button and provides a high current connection to the horn. I found that my Saturn has as integrated horn/solenoid assembly. In other words, replace the horn and you are replacing the solenoid.

On my car, the assembly is located within the drivers side front fender, below the headlight assembly. It is accessible from below and is relatively easy to install after you remove and/or loosen two or three of the plastic under-car and wheel-well shields.

Jim

>I awoke a couple of nights ago to my 1999 SC1 with it's horn blaring as if I > >was leaning on it. I don't have an alarm system on it so it wasn't > >associated > >with that. So I ran outside and hoped that pressing the horn button a few > >times might make it stop. Being dark, I thought I would move the car > >elsewhere > >so I could get some light and also not disturn the neighbors. So as soon as > >I > >started the car up, the horn stopped blaring. Only problem is now the horn > >won't work at all. I checked and replaced the fuse for the horn but no luck. > > > > I had a similar problem in my 97 SC2. > The difference was that I was diving the car and the horn just started blaring. > I thought someone was honking at me......then realized it was my car. I > pulled over and opened the hood and couldn`t find the horn. Luckily I was near > my house. I drove home, the horn blaring all the way. > Even with the car turned off the horn kept blaring. The only thing I could > think of was to disconnect the battery. I then found the fuse box and removed > the horn fuse. Later > in the same day I was driving and decided to try to replace the horn fuse to > see what would happen. I put the fuse back in and the horn was silent but > would work when I pushed on the button on the steering wheel. This was about a > month ago and the problem never came up again. > Totally weird? > Dan
Reply to
Jim Polley
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Talk to the dealer. There is a TSB on the horns of at least 97 SL2s -

Recall 98V307000: Horn Inoperable/Unexpectedly Operates

These vehicles were produced or serviced with a horn assembly which could fail. The horn could either become inoperable or activate without the driver pressing the horn button.

Under certain conditions, heat can build up within the assembly and an underhood fire could result.

Dealers will replace the horn assembly.

Owner notification began December 5, 1998. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Saturn at

1-800-553-6000. Also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

This might have impacted yours too.

Reply to
Kirk Kohnen

I wish my car had been covered - would have saved me @ $50. When the horn died, I knew about the possibility of a recall, from my occasional browsing here in this newsgroup. Checked with the local Saturn service manager, gave him my VIN, he looked me up, and said my car wasn't covered.

Jim

Reply to
Jim Polley

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