horn sounding

[mebeached]

help! my horn is going off while in garage several times. some one said pull the plug on the system alarm. I pulled the plug on that horn under the hood. I disconnected the negative battery cable first and now when I touch the negative cable back to hook it up the horn blows. I only have one horn connected.

I bought the 1997 Boxster about 6 months ago had to replace the one horn that was connected by two sets of wires twice. The horns would stop working.

last time I just used one set of the horn wires and left the others tied up and caped.

I even changed the clock spring! Still have the problem.

now I sit with the battery negative cable off wondering what to do next.

Has any of you had this problem.

[Deserion]

Have you changed the airbag retaining frame?

[mebeached]

Originally Posted by Deserion

Have you changed the airbag retaining frame?

no ! does that go bad?

[oldskool73]

Yes, common problem!

The horn is activated by the metal frame behind the airbag being grounded, it's held off until pressed by 4 rubber grommets, and they can go bad and allow it to make contact when it shouldn't.

The first sign is it starts honking when you brake. My 97 did it to me soon after I bought it, sooo embarrassing, everyone thinks you're the dick in the Porsche honking at them at lights! You can hold it off for a bit by shoving a folded card in the top of the airbag, but sooner or later they go completely and your horn sounds all the time. Sounds like yours may be at stage 2 already, and maybe the grounding is causing them to blow?

You can repair it with a few dollars of rubber washers, or get a new one for not too much.

See:
https://www.renntech.org/forums/topic/1728-horn-problem/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WqhZaaXL2I

[mebeached]

thank you yes one of the four rubbers is bad loose! thanks again but worried there is something else. when no one is around car and it blows by itself in the garage . did that several times !

[particlewave]

As already stated, it's your airbag frame and this is a very common issue!


P.S. you seem very excited!

[mebeached]

Yes and the key laying in the seat! don't know if that has anything to do with it! so many switches and alarms !!

[78F350]

Originally Posted by mebeached

... worried there is something else. when no one is around car and it blows by itself in the garage . did that several times !

Ah yes. Typical case of haunting. A new or repaired airbag frame will fix that as well if you rub a sliced onion on it before you install it. Ghosts hate the smell of onions.

[Burg Boxster]

Originally Posted by 78F350

Ah yes. Typical case of haunting. A new or repaired airbag frame will fix that as well if you rub a sliced onion on it before you install it. Ghosts hate the smell of onions.

You sure? Was always taught you had to stash five cloves of crushed garlic into the headliner for ghosts.

[78F350]

Originally Posted by Burg Boxster

You sure? Was always taught you had to stash five cloves of crushed garlic into the headliner for ghosts.

I've read that the garlic/headliner method is more specific to James Dean and he prefers the older air-cooled cars.

[mebeached]

tried everything may as well !

[Lew]

If you watched this video and heard him test the horn, it sounded like his high tone horn was bad. Mine sounded the same way when it went out a while back. Replacing it is a job since you have to remove the front bumper. Maybe he don't care on just don't know how the horns are supposed to sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WqhZaaXL2I

[dghii]

While waiting on parts, stuff a folded business card or two between the horn and the steering wheel. You can hide the card and it stops the honking.

[Lew]

Originally Posted by dghii

While waiting on parts, stuff a folded business card or two between the horn and the steering wheel. You can hide the card and it stops the honking.

You learned that too!

[jdlmodelt]

the rubber bushings on your horn centerpiece are stretched and you might get away with adding some small "O" ring gaskets to space it out so it doesn't apply the horn on you as temperatures change.

[mikesz]

I was going to replace the rubber o rings but went with replacing the steering wheel with a later 3 spoke.

[Boxstard]

Had the same issue when I picked up my car 2 years ago, used 1-in long silicone vacuum hose under the horn pad/ airbag unit along the upper steering housing as spring/ cushioning, it did the trick!

[mebeached]

Hello my friends I went with the silicone on all four top and bottoms added a thin rubber washer under the bottom and it is working fine. It works fine you just need to push it a little harder ,that is good the old way beeped just touching it!

Thanks again for all the advise !
Mebeached