This car was booked for my indy (probably with reluctance) to trace an electrical fault - it's not the typical kind which garages can't replicate. Every few months the horn falls silent, for no identifiable reason, and a few months later recovers, again for no apparent reason. Tho this time it might just be hot weather, as the day before the booking I set off for my 40-mile trip to north Wales and found the horn live, to my surprise. So clearly it isn't the fuse (no.8) but may be a temperamental stalk-switch or more likely a wiring fault (after 35 years anything is possible - no snide remarks about French electrics!). I am now hoping that it lasts until the end of July, when its 33rd MoT falls due. If it does, I confidently expect a clean sheet, especially with a brand new rear exhaust box !
Any suggestions ?
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Can't be very complicated, but needs to be broken to determine if it's a supply fault, switch fault, wiring fault, horn fault, or earth fault!
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205 uses a fuse box that’s actually a junction box where all the wiring harnesses meet ( as well as a fuse box) . Maybe an idea to drop down the box and remove and re seat the connectors. Do one at a time .,
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I've ruled out a horn fault, as direct connection to the battery while keeping the earth return shows it's good. I could replace the stalk switch but don't really want to spend £30-40 on another. The fusebox connectors are a likely area I think, but I'll get the MoT done first, next month.
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>> I'll get the MoT done first
I think you'll find it'll fail if the horn's not working.
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My guess is it'll be the switch, presume it's on a stalk rather than the wheel boss.
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>> I think you'll find it'll fail if the horn's not working. <<
That's why I'll get it done while it IS working ! (due in a month or so)
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Wouldn’t be too difficult to rig up an independent push switch on the dash and wire it directly to the horn .
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>> Wouldn’t be too difficult to rig up an independent push switch on the dash and
>> wire it directly to the horn .
I don't know if a Heath Robinson set up like that would pass muster for the MoT but it might help eliminate the stalk.
Casting my mind back I'm sure one of the Pugs or Cits I had suffered a dodgy stalk contact for the horn at one time or another.
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Yes it will pass if you put a sticker near by to indicate what it does
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>> Yes it will pass if you put a sticker near by to indicate what it does >>
I'm sure you are right - the MoT needs to know the horn works, but it isn't bothered how !
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Update - horn is still OK, so car sailed through MoT with only the sporadic comment about Rear brake pipes corroded but covered in grease etc...
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>> Yes it will pass if you put a sticker near by to indicate what it
>> does
>>
It might not even need a sticker. Jap imports with added rear fog light and switch don’t need a sticker.
Last edited by: Dave on Wed 24 Jun 26 at 18:51
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Many years ago I had a similar intermittent problem with my TR7 side/head lights (worked from a single three position off/side/head switch). It was a simple matter to dismantle the switch and deal with the greenery that had appeared around the copper contacts within. I guess you might have a similar problem with your horn switch.
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You may be right, John, but there are very few signs of such growths. I have dismantled one or two simple Pug switches in the past, but I am reluctant to dismantle a device which switches horn, indicators and headlamps .... Probably safer to buy a replacement, even if it may cost £30 or more.
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>> You may be right, John, but there are very few signs of such growths. I
>> have dismantled one or two simple Pug switches in the past, but I am reluctant
>> to dismantle a device which switches horn, indicators and headlamps .... Probably safer to buy
>> a replacement, even if it may cost £30 or more.
>>
Can you squirt contact cleaner into it and then work it a few times?
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Love tis thread - could you imagine the answer to an equivalent query just now of a modern car horn not working!
Well have you got a laptop, an OBD plug........
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>> Can you squirt contact cleaner into it and then work it a few times? <<
An interesting notion. Apart from following John-F's mantra of not fixing things while they are working, there are the disadvantages of [a] limiting the squirt to the problem area and [b] taking off the cowling round the steering wheel before doing anything else. I did all that last year to extract the speedometer for a refurb. That might have been easier if the wheel had come off first - but I didn't want to do that either.
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Peugeot 205 - 91 1.4 Very intermittent fault - RichardW
