I just received a 1982 Toyota Tercel as a gift. The horn button on the steering wheel doesn't seem to work. But first, I want to verify that the horn is actually installed on the car. Where is it usually located?
Look in front of the radiator/AC condenser. It is black and round like a snail.
If the horn is present, check the fuses under the dash and under the hood.
If the fuses are all good, check the horn relay.
Especially if the car was sold in the USA, I can guarantee that when it was built it had a horn. It's a federally mandated piece of safety equipment that dates back to the turn of last century.
They are usually behind the grille and in front of the radiator support sheetmetal, but sometimes tucked underneath the grill almost behind the bumper.
Not sure about the Tercel, but the standard way of getting the horn power to the horn switch on the steering wheel is with a slip ring on the back surface of the steering wheel, and a contact brush in the steering column hub. And a normal failure is the contact brush wears out after turning a few thousand corners and the horn stops working.
If that's how yours was built, they stock the contact brushes at the Dealer parts counter, cheap and fairly easy to change.
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Down behind the grill or bumper. For an 82, most likely the problem is the horn itself has given up (due to internal rust). Get a generic replacement from you local parts store.
Stewart DIBBS
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