Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

So when I park the car, I disconnect the battery. My mechanic took the car to do an oil change and put the car back in the garage. I went to take it for a ride, and when I connected the battery, the horn starts blowing. The only way to stop it was to disconnect the battery.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Wiring looks very simple and not even a relay in the circuit. I would guess something has happened at the horn button or possibly the horn wire might have been pulled or damaged and is shorting -- maybe in the light switch area of steering column.

Not quite sure how the horn wire gets from the button to the light switch area and outside on your year. If wire is similar type to later models where wire goes straight thru the shaft and steering box to exit at the front end of box, those wires are prone to the insulation deteriorating due to heat and grease. If the wire gets a good tug or is hit just right the insulation can fall off leaving the bare wire to short to the exit hole in steering box.

On my 533, the horn button goes thru the center of the steering column.

6V DC power is always applied to the horn.
When the horn wire is grounded, it makes the horn function.
If your wire, which is in the center of the steering column is shorted accidentally, or intentionally by pushing the horn button, it makes the ground contact and the horn activates.

Easiest way to stop the horn is to disconnect one of the two wires that are connected to the horn. I would put a wire on the disconnected wire.

Gar

Thanks for the info. I did see the diagram in the OM and saw the horn wire does go through the left hand light switch. I looked at the OM & MM and can't see how to get the horn button off to see inside.

Before you try to remove the horn button, check where the horn wire exits the lower end of the steering column. It's that portion of the wire extending from there to the horn that is most likely shorted. Also check the connections at the horn. There is a possibility of a leak to ground there.
Good luck!
Phil

Anyone know where I can find out how to take the horn button off the steering column to see the wires?

I don't know how to remove the horn button, but you should be able to disconnect the power lead to the horn relay instead of disconnecting the battery.

Does anyone know if the PackardPaddock website Tom Wilcox had is still active or if anything was archived or might have changed address?

Looking at some old posts on 20s and early 30s horns, if I am understanding correctly the consensus is a throttle or headlight switch tube or maybe both need to be loosened or removed to access screws holding the horn button.

Several of those posts linked to photos and a description on the process in the PackardPaddock website which doesn't appear active.

The Internet Archive has a 2016 archive of the PackardPaddock.

https://web.archive.org/web/20160219161707/http://packardpaddock.com/page57/

If the pictures are now showing, sometimes you have to right click on them and tell it load picture.

Thanks Kev. Doesn't look like the archive saves photos in a sub link -- or it doesn't like my browser. All I see is what appears to be a main photo and when clicking it nothing but squares with icons in the middle show on the page that opens. Right clicking doesn't seem to help.