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Topic: '68 Horn Ring

My '68 Beetle horn ring must be missing a part. When I recently
bought the car, the horn didn't work. I took the steering wheel off
last night to investigate. When I ground the brown wire coming out
of the center of the steering column to the steering column, the
horns sounds. However, when I hook this brown wire to the horn ring
and depress the ring, nothing happens (telling me that there is no
electrical connection, e.g. ground between the ring and the steering
wheel or column when the ring is depressed). I have noticed that
the horn ring is held in by three bolts that are spring loaded. I
assume that these (the springs in particular) are to keep the horn
ring from grounding (and to keep the horn from sounding until the
ring in depressed). The screw that holds the brown wire onto the
ring does not seem to have any electrical (ground)connection to the
steering wheel or the column (particularly since the three spring
loaded bolds appear to be electrically isolated). Am I missing a
piece on the horn ring? It seems there should be a piece that
contacts the steering wheel or column when the ring is depressed.
Is there supposed to be a contact on the other side of the screw
that holds the brown wire in place? If not, I have to believe there
is supposed to be some sort of contact somewhere. Right now the
ring is merely "floating" above the steering wheel and column even
when the ring is depressed because there is no hint of any kind of
contact piece. Any assistance would be appreciated. Hope my
explanation wasn't too hard to understand.
-Lee

2 Reply by Guest

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Re: '68 Horn Ring

Lee wrote:
>
> My '68 Beetle horn ring must be missing a part.
Here's a contact ring that should be sndwiched under the horn ring
and above the springs:
http://store.cip1.com/Merchant2/merchan … e=02-19-03

3 Reply by Guest

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Re: '68 Horn Ring

Lee: I cannot speak to the '68, but on my '65 there is a brass plate
that the horn ring contacts to complete the electrical circuit. See
item No. 4 on Vic's drawing:

http://www.1800vw.bizhosting.com/images/Horn.jpg

or No. 15 on http://www.oldbeetle.de/intl/pcat/T1_116.jpg
I've provided both in case one link doesn't load for you. Good luck.
Clancy

Lee wrote:
>
> My '68 Beetle horn ring must be missing a part. When I recently
> bought the car, the horn didn't work. I took the steering wheel off
> last night to investigate. When I ground the brown wire coming out
> of the center of the steering column to the steering column, the
> horns sounds. However, when I hook this brown wire to the horn ring
> and depress the ring, nothing happens (telling me that there is no
> electrical connection, e.g. ground between the ring and the steering
> wheel or column when the ring is depressed). I have noticed that
> the horn ring is held in by three bolts that are spring loaded. I
> assume that these (the springs in particular) are to keep the horn
> ring from grounding (and to keep the horn from sounding until the
> ring in depressed). The screw that holds the brown wire onto the
> ring does not seem to have any electrical (ground)connection to the
> steering wheel or the column (particularly since the three spring
> loaded bolds appear to be electrically isolated). Am I missing a
> piece on the horn ring? It seems there should be a piece that
> contacts the steering wheel or column when the ring is depressed.
> Is there supposed to be a contact on the other side of the screw
> that holds the brown wire in place? If not, I have to believe there
> is supposed to be some sort of contact somewhere. Right now the
> ring is merely "floating" above the steering wheel and column even
> when the ring is depressed because there is no hint of any kind of
> contact piece. Any assistance would be appreciated. Hope my
> explanation wasn't too hard to understand.
> -Lee
>

4 Reply by Guest

  • Guest
  • Guest

Re: '68 Horn Ring

Thanks for the diagram. After work tonight I'll check and see if I
have the brass ring plate or not. I must admit that I am not clear
on how the ring is supposed to work. Is part number 13 (which is
held in place by screw 12 and attached to the brown wire coming out
of the center of the column) supposed to make contact with the brass
ring plate? At the risk of being redundant, my confusion is
associated with not knowing how the brown wire makes contact with
the steering wheel and column so to complete the electrical
circuit.
-Lee

Clancy wrote:
>
> Lee: I cannot speak to the '68, but on my '65 there is a brass plate
> that the horn ring contacts to complete the electrical circuit. See
> item No. 4 on Vic's drawing:
>
> http://www.1800vw.bizhosting.com/images/Horn.jpg
>
> or No. 15 on http://www.oldbeetle.de/intl/pcat/T1_116.jpg
> I've provided both in case one link doesn't load for you. Good luck.
> Clancy
>
> Lee wrote:
>>
>> My '68 Beetle horn ring must be missing a part. When I recently
>> bought the car, the horn didn't work. I took the steering wheel off
>> last night to investigate. When I ground the brown wire coming out
>> of the center of the steering column to the steering column, the
>> horns sounds. However, when I hook this brown wire to the horn ring
>> and depress the ring, nothing happens (telling me that there is no
>> electrical connection, e.g. ground between the ring and the steering
>> wheel or column when the ring is depressed). I have noticed that
>> the horn ring is held in by three bolts that are spring loaded. I
>> assume that these (the springs in particular) are to keep the horn
>> ring from grounding (and to keep the horn from sounding until the
>> ring in depressed). The screw that holds the brown wire onto the
>> ring does not seem to have any electrical (ground)connection to the
>> steering wheel or the column (particularly since the three spring
>> loaded bolds appear to be electrically isolated). Am I missing a
>> piece on the horn ring? It seems there should be a piece that
>> contacts the steering wheel or column when the ring is depressed.
>> Is there supposed to be a contact on the other side of the screw
>> that holds the brown wire in place? If not, I have to believe there
>> is supposed to be some sort of contact somewhere. Right now the
>> ring is merely "floating" above the steering wheel and column even
>> when the ring is depressed because there is no hint of any kind of
>> contact piece. Any assistance would be appreciated. Hope my
>> explanation wasn't too hard to understand.
>> -Lee
>>
>
>

5 Reply by Guest

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Re: '68 Horn Ring

Lee: The brown wire is in direct contact with the horn ring. When you
press the horn ring, it "rocks" into contact with the brass plate
which is in direct contact with the steering column via the steering
wheel and...the horn sounds. At other times, the horn ring is
insulated/isolated by those 3 little plastic/nylon? bushings,
through which the horn rin mounting screws pass. Take a look at John
Henry's Horn Wiring Hell at http://www.thebugshop.org/bsfqhorn.htm
for a very thorough explanation on how the various year's horns
work. Good luck. Clancy

Lee wrote:
>
> Thanks for the diagram. After work tonight I'll check and see if I
> have the brass ring plate or not. I must admit that I am not clear
> on how the ring is supposed to work. Is part number 13 (which is
> held in place by screw 12 and attached to the brown wire coming out
> of the center of the column) supposed to make contact with the brass
> ring plate? At the risk of being redundant, my confusion is
> associated with not knowing how the brown wire makes contact with
> the steering wheel and column so to complete the electrical
> circuit.
> -Lee
>
> Clancy wrote:
>>
>> Lee: I cannot speak to the '68, but on my '65 there is a brass plate
>> that the horn ring contacts to complete the electrical circuit. See
>> item No. 4 on Vic's drawing:
>>
>> http://www.1800vw.bizhosting.com/images/Horn.jpg
>>
>> or No. 15 on http://www.oldbeetle.de/intl/pcat/T1_116.jpg
>> I've provided both in case one link doesn't load for you. Good luck.
>> Clancy
>>
>> Lee wrote:
>>>
>>> My '68 Beetle horn ring must be missing a part. When I recently
>>> bought the car, the horn didn't work. I took the steering wheel off
>>> last night to investigate. When I ground the brown wire coming out
>>> of the center of the steering column to the steering column, the
>>> horns sounds. However, when I hook this brown wire to the horn ring
>>> and depress the ring, nothing happens (telling me that there is no
>>> electrical connection, e.g. ground between the ring and the steering
>>> wheel or column when the ring is depressed). I have noticed that
>>> the horn ring is held in by three bolts that are spring loaded. I
>>> assume that these (the springs in particular) are to keep the horn
>>> ring from grounding (and to keep the horn from sounding until the
>>> ring in depressed). The screw that holds the brown wire onto the
>>> ring does not seem to have any electrical (ground)connection to the
>>> steering wheel or the column (particularly since the three spring
>>> loaded bolds appear to be electrically isolated). Am I missing a
>>> piece on the horn ring? It seems there should be a piece that
>>> contacts the steering wheel or column when the ring is depressed.
>>> Is there supposed to be a contact on the other side of the screw
>>> that holds the brown wire in place? If not, I have to believe there
>>> is supposed to be some sort of contact somewhere. Right now the
>>> ring is merely "floating" above the steering wheel and column even
>>> when the ring is depressed because there is no hint of any kind of
>>> contact piece. Any assistance would be appreciated. Hope my
>>> explanation wasn't too hard to understand.
>>> -Lee
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

6 Reply by Guest

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Re: '68 Horn Ring

I checked last night and there is already a brass ring plate
installed under the chrome horn ring. It's definitely not missing.
The brass ring which is attached to the bottom of the chrome horn
ring is "floating" above the steering wheel by means of the springs
(held in place by the three bolts). Because depressing the chrome
horn ring (and thereby compressing the springs) does not result in
the brass ring plate coming in contact with any visible electrical
connection, e.g. steering column or top of the steering wheel
center, I am not sure how the horn circuit is completed (to ground).
Can anyone explain how the circuit is supposed to be completed?
Again, the horn sounds when I take the brown wire that comes out of
the center of the steering column and touch it to the steering
column. Thanks in advance for the help.
-Lee
-Lee

Lee wrote:
>
> Thanks for the diagram. After work tonight I'll check and see if I
> have the brass ring plate or not. I must admit that I am not clear
> on how the ring is supposed to work. Is part number 13 (which is
> held in place by screw 12 and attached to the brown wire coming out
> of the center of the column) supposed to make contact with the brass
> ring plate? At the risk of being redundant, my confusion is
> associated with not knowing how the brown wire makes contact with
> the steering wheel and column so to complete the electrical
> circuit.
> -Lee
>
> Clancy wrote:
>>
>> Lee: I cannot speak to the '68, but on my '65 there is a brass plate
>> that the horn ring contacts to complete the electrical circuit. See
>> item No. 4 on Vic's drawing:
>>
>> http://www.1800vw.bizhosting.com/images/Horn.jpg
>>
>> or No. 15 on http://www.oldbeetle.de/intl/pcat/T1_116.jpg
>> I've provided both in case one link doesn't load for you. Good luck.
>> Clancy
>>
>> Lee wrote:
>>>
>>> My '68 Beetle horn ring must be missing a part. When I recently
>>> bought the car, the horn didn't work. I took the steering wheel off
>>> last night to investigate. When I ground the brown wire coming out
>>> of the center of the steering column to the steering column, the
>>> horns sounds. However, when I hook this brown wire to the horn ring
>>> and depress the ring, nothing happens (telling me that there is no
>>> electrical connection, e.g. ground between the ring and the steering
>>> wheel or column when the ring is depressed). I have noticed that
>>> the horn ring is held in by three bolts that are spring loaded. I
>>> assume that these (the springs in particular) are to keep the horn
>>> ring from grounding (and to keep the horn from sounding until the
>>> ring in depressed). The screw that holds the brown wire onto the
>>> ring does not seem to have any electrical (ground)connection to the
>>> steering wheel or the column (particularly since the three spring
>>> loaded bolds appear to be electrically isolated). Am I missing a
>>> piece on the horn ring? It seems there should be a piece that
>>> contacts the steering wheel or column when the ring is depressed.
>>> Is there supposed to be a contact on the other side of the screw
>>> that holds the brown wire in place? If not, I have to believe there
>>> is supposed to be some sort of contact somewhere. Right now the
>>> ring is merely "floating" above the steering wheel and column even
>>> when the ring is depressed because there is no hint of any kind of
>>> contact piece. Any assistance would be appreciated. Hope my
>>> explanation wasn't too hard to understand.
>>> -Lee
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

7 Reply by Guest

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Re: '68 Horn Ring

Hey, Lee: I went out a took my horn ring apart on my '65 to refresh
my memory...different than your 68? I don't know for sure, but here
is what I observed: Pressed into the steering wheel itself is a
thin brass cylinder the diameter of the big opening in the wheel. It
may may not be readily noticeable, especially if it is tarnished
(note that it doesn't protrude very much at all from the opening in
the steering wheel). This is the electrical "contact" that the thin
brass plate under the chrome horn ring contacts when the horn ring
is "rocked". You may want to get a piece of emory cloth or 220 grit
paper and clean up that "cylinder" until it shines.

Now here is something that I have found to be very important in
getting the horn to sound: As you are screwing the 3 mounting screws
into their holes in the steering wheel, it is necessary to screw
them in much further than you might think is necessary. In other
words, just getting the screws started and then turning an extra
turn or so is not enough. My recommendation is to start the car
(this keeps the points in your distributor from burning when you
just have the ignition on) and screw the 3 screws in in a balanced
alternating sequence i.e. a couple of turns on each one to keep the
horn ring "aligned". Keep turning and suddenly (hopefully) the horn
will begin to sound because the brass plate is coming in contact
with the brass "cylinder". Back off the screw that caused the horn
to sound about a half a turn. Now screw the second screw in until
you get sound and then back off that screw a little. Repeat for the
third screw. You should now be able to press the horn ring and the
horn will sound. Give this a try and let us know what you discover.
Other than these hints, I don't have much more to add. Good luck.
Clancy



Lee wrote:
>
> I checked last night and there is already a brass ring plate
> installed under the chrome horn ring. It's definitely not missing.
> The brass ring which is attached to the bottom of the chrome horn
> ring is "floating" above the steering wheel by means of the springs
> (held in place by the three bolts). Because depressing the chrome
> horn ring (and thereby compressing the springs) does not result in
> the brass ring plate coming in contact with any visible electrical
> connection, e.g. steering column or top of the steering wheel
> center, I am not sure how the horn circuit is completed (to ground).
> Can anyone explain how the circuit is supposed to be completed?
> Again, the horn sounds when I take the brown wire that comes out of
> the center of the steering column and touch it to the steering
> column. Thanks in advance for the help.