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horn button issues

sailor2000

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Houston Texas
Old or new????????????? what is the difference???? I need one too.. there is 'a' spot where mine works... not real good for a panic switch!!! LOL!!
 

nf6x

Feral Engineer
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48
Location
Riverside, CA, USA
sailor2000 said:
Old or new????????????? what is the difference????
The kit pictured above at the OD Iron site link would be the "old" kit. It has a big button that fills the whole center area of the steering wheel hub, with a rubber cover that goes over it. I see two or three of these kits on eBay at the moment, too.

The "new" kit looks like this:

http://saturnsurplus.com/m35/4152.jpg

That kit has a big rubber spacer that mounts in the hub in place of the "old" button assembly, and then a smaller sealed button unit mounts in the center of that spacer and is held in place with a snap ring. Saturn Surplus's web page says they're out of stock and I don't see any on eBay at the moment. You might try calling other MV dealers such as Memphis Equipment if you want this style.
 

cranetruck

Moderator
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
10,350
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Location
Meadows of Dan, Virginia
I got a "kit" from ACE a few weeks ago, the old style and must say that it isn't very "military" with the brass parts suspended by a spring and relying on clean contacts to operate correctly.
I gave all parts a good cleaning and checked for good contact as I moved along in the assembly.
It works now, but having a sealed unit should be an advantage. The sliding contact down the steering column (on the xm757 anyway) needed attention too.
 

Ugg013

New member
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Location
North of Chicago, IL.
Re: RE: horn button issues

sailor2000 said:
there is 'a' spot where mine works... not real good for a panic switch!!! LOL!!
Sailopr:

I got the same issue too, and know what ya mean. It really sucks when ya gotta feel around for that right spot when some moron cuts in front of you & stops. :lol:

Later
Ugg 8)
 

BFR

Rocket Surgeon
2,331
43
48
Location
North Georgia
RE: Re: RE: horn button issues

so, what does a fouled up solenoid on the horns result in? Full time horns, or no horns? ?
 

Barrman

Well-known member
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Location
Giddings, Texas
RE: Re: RE: horn button issues

The horn solenoid has a rubber tipped plunger. Air coming to the horn holds this plunger down. A spring keeps the plunger against the air line to the horns when there is no air in the system, but it is not very strong. When you energize the coil, the plunger is magnetically pulled back and air is allowed to flow to the horns. The plunger has to overcome the air psi to move.

So, to anwswer you question, it will not work if the solenoid is bad.

A solenoid will also not work on 12V either. At least not at a psi where the horns sound good. I have OBA on my M715 and I thought a spare M35 horn would be great to install. It only works below 14 psi in the system and sounds like a sick duck at that low of a pressure.

You can pull a solenoid apart, but you can only get to the plunger and spring. If yours isn't working, you might try that to get crud out. But, the rest is just a coil that works as an electro magnet and can't really be worked on.
 

Barrman

Well-known member
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Location
Giddings, Texas
RE: Re: RE: horn button issues

As always, check your ground would be my first suggestion.

With the air system empty, you should be able to hear the solenoid clicking if it functions. It will sound just like a flipper on a pin ball machine which works exactly the same way.
 

jeli

Member
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18
Location
Stillwater, MN
Where are the air horns normally mounted? Mine are missing and the solenoid too I believe. The sick little electric horn still works but you can't hear it over the engine idling. I have a set of air horns off a different truck I'm going to install.
 

BFR

Rocket Surgeon
2,331
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Location
North Georgia
Re: RE: Re: RE: horn button issues

Barrman said:
As always, check your ground would be my first suggestion.
My first thought too. Should one of the wires going to the horn be hot all the time with the other wire going to the button which only grounds/closes the circuit when the button is pushed? Also can i just pull a new lead up the the steering column w/o opening the box(it is probably the only thing that doesn't leak on my truck :roll: )
 

m-35tom

Well-known member
Supporting Vendor
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eldersburg maryland
RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: horn button issues

it is just a straight shot up the steering column with a little tapered rubber plug at the bottom. the horn selenoid valve can be rewound for 12 volt, half as many turns of wire that has twice the area, usually 2 wire sizes different (larger) benn there, done that.
 
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