Horn Repair

[Dane Clay]

I have received my new parts from Pelican and the new euro tail lamp lenses look great!! I also received my horn parts but am unclear how to hook everything up. I purchased the Horn Button Return Spring and the Horn Contact Pin but how do you wire all of this together? I have a brown wire coming out of a hole that seems to be there for the contact pin. I am at a loss, please help. Thanks Dane.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

What year 914 do you have? It makes a difference. Up through at least 72 has one style, while 74 and later have another. Not sure which way the 73s go.

--DD

[BenI]

I hope I understand you correctly-the horn pin is a little (approx 1/8" dia, 3/4" long) pin that is spring loaded and fits into a plastic sleave. This sounds to me like a pre-73 assembly. It should be set up such that the when you push in the pin from the flange side of the sleave the spring resists. The idea is that sleave presses into the rear side of the steering wheel and has a spring loaded pin that pushes against the copper metal ring that is visible on the steering column with the steering wheel removed. This copper ring should be wired to the ground (brown wire) that goes to the horn(s). With the steering wheel mounted, the pin will contact the copper ring at all times, even when the wheel turns. There is then a wire than connects the back side of the pin to the horn button on the steerinf wheel (the piece with the porsche logo on it). The horn button has a black rubber nipple on its backside that acts a a spring. Thus, when you push the horn button, the black rubber nipple compresses and the horn button grounds to the column. The pin thus allows the horns to be grounded and you hear an incredible HONK!

Its difficult sometimes to decribe these things-if you have any questions, feel free to email: ihas@ucsu.colorado.edu

Ben

[Dane Clay]

DD. My 914 is a 1973. Thanks.

[Dane Clay]

Ben, my 914 is a 1973. I don't think I see a brass ring. Is the brown wire somehow supposed to be attached to the cylindrical (sp) horn button?

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Sorry it has taken so long to get back to you on this.

My parts book says that one system was used in 70 and 71, and another from 72 on. I do know one person with a 72 who described his setup as the early one, but yours is a 73 so I would hope it's safe to say it's like my 74.

The horn button (the center section of the steering wheel) is pushed out away from the rest of the steering wheel by a rubber "bushing". This serves as a spring, and also serves to electrically isolate the button from the wheel. When the button is pushed, the bushing gives and the metal part on the backside of the button touches the metal part of the wheel. This provides a ground path (via a wire coming up through the steering column that hooks onto the horn button) for the horn relay, which actuates the relay and sounds the horn.

I remember that it was important to isolate part of the horn contact ring on the back of the horn button from everything else. There were some plastic gromets that were used for that. It's been a long while since I took that apart, though, so my memory is a bit foggy. Bit I recall that it was reasonably obvious once you had the horn button off.

I don't know what you mean by "horn pin". That sounds like the earlier setup to me, where there is a separate part with (from the description) a small switch inside. I haven't dug into that, so I couldn't tell you how that one works. Sorry!

Hope this was of some help! Good luck!

--DD