Neon Steering Column Ground Clock Spring?

The horn stopped working on my wife's 2000 Dodge Neon, and she asked me to fix it...

I started with the battery. Yes, the battery is fully charged and hooked up properly. (test meter works also)

Next I checked the horn fuse. Fuse has power from the battery. Fuse is good, supplying power to two terminals on the horn relay.

Then I moved on to the horn itself. Horn has a good ground, but does not receive power when the horn button is pressed. Continuity test on this power wire shows that the wire is good and that it goes to the horn relay. Jumping power to this wire does honk the horn, thus the horn itself is fine.

Now for the horn relay. I swapped the horn relay for the AC relay, no difference. I check both relays with jumper wires and my test meter, and both relays are fine. I've already checked all but one of the relay terminals in previous steps. The remaining terminal should be a ground when the horn button is pressed, as this would trigger the relay and send power to the horn. I check it with the test meter while my wife presses the horn button,... nothing. Horn button is not providing a ground to the relay.

Next I disarm the airbags and remove the horn pad from the steering wheel. Continuity test shows that the wire from the horn button to the relay is good. Continuity test shows that the horn switch is functioning properly. Using the test meter, I discover that the horn switch is not properly grounded...

The horn switch should get its ground from being attached to the frame of the airbag, which should get it's ground through the two bolts that attach it to the metal steering wheel frame, and the only way I see for the steering wheel to be grounded is through the steering shaft in the center. The steering shaft is not grounded, and that seems to be the problem.

Does anyone know how the steering shaft is supposed to be grounded on these? Using the test meter, I found several things under the dash that were grounded, but for some reason the steering shaft is not grounded. Nothing appears to be unhooked or out of the ordinary. The car is basically stock original. My wife is the second owner, she got it when it was 6 months old. Something must be disconnected somewhere. Anyone have any ideas?

Tav

I looked it over pretty good this evening and still don't see anything out of place, but the steering shaft isn't grounded. I don't see a way to fasten a ground wire to a round shaft that spins.

Does anyone know if the clock spring is supposed to provide a ground to the steering wheel? The wire from the horn switch (through clockspring) to the relay is working fine, but the steering wheel needs to be grounded somehow.

Tav

Without a wiring diagram, i would assume the ground comes from the clockspring on one of the wires and not the steering shaft itself. Generally if everything else is good and no ground or power to the switch it will be the clockspring itself

Yep the column lost it's ground, happened on my SRT. There are 2 sets of white plastic washers where the column bolts to the dash frame. Take one of those white plastic washers out and replace it with metal ones. You will have to pack a few together to get the desired thickness. A real easy fix..maybe 30 minutes. I was told this fix by one of our techs at the dealership I work. Mine has worked ever since then.

Usually if the clock spring goes the cruise dosent work along with the horn.I know for a while they had recalls on them.Rocky

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Yep the column lost it's ground, happened on my SRT. There are 2 sets of white plastic washers where the column bolts to the dash frame. Take one of those white plastic washers out and replace it with metal ones. You will have to pack a few together to get the desired thickness. A real easy fix..maybe 30 minutes. I was told this fix by one of our techs at the dealership I work. Mine has worked ever since then.

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Thanks, this seems like good advice. My washers are black plastic instead of white, but I see what you mean.

I suspect that I may have inadvertantly cleaned a connection while taking things apart and reassembling them. Horn works great today. Hopefully it's fixed.

Tav