horn ground contact through lever?

I'm fixing my horn on my '65 Ghia. I've troubleshooted by horn
(problems included poor connection on the jumper to the steering box
and a bad relay), and I'm 99% of the way to getting the horn to beep
correctly when I press the horn button.

The last problem I'm facing is that the chrome horn lever (the semi-
circle thing) doesn't make a good electrical connection from the
ground wire (that comes up through the center of the steering column
and screws into the ring near the center of the lever) through to the
copper donut on the underside of the lever. In other words, the copper
donut is NOT grounded. I've checked. (But I can touch the ground wire
to the column and the horn beeps.) I think the only problem left is
that the chrome paint on the lever is a bad conductor.

So am I doing something wrong? I am surprised that anyone expected
electricity to pass through the chrome lever. Maybe there is supposed
to be some type of conductor/jumper that is supposed to go between the
screw that holds the ground wire and the copper donut?

Here is a link to a photo:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...t=d irectlink
(not actually my car, but it looks very similar)

Thanks,

-Sam

On 8/30/2010 6:11 PM, Sam wrote:
> I'm fixing my horn on my '65 Ghia. I've troubleshooted by horn
> (problems included poor connection on the jumper to the steering box
> and a bad relay), and I'm 99% of the way to getting the horn to beep
> correctly when I press the horn button.
>
> The last problem I'm facing is that the chrome horn lever (the semi-
> circle thing) doesn't make a good electrical connection from the
> ground wire (that comes up through the center of the steering column
> and screws into the ring near the center of the lever) through to the
> copper donut on the underside of the lever. In other words, the copper
> donut is NOT grounded. I've checked. (But I can touch the ground wire
> to the column and the horn beeps.) I think the only problem left is
> that the chrome paint on the lever is a bad conductor.
>
> So am I doing something wrong? I am surprised that anyone expected
> electricity to pass through the chrome lever. Maybe there is supposed
> to be some type of conductor/jumper that is supposed to go between the
> screw that holds the ground wire and the copper donut?
>
> Here is a link to a photo:
> http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...t=d irectlink
> (not actually my car, but it looks very similar)
>
> Thanks,
>
> -Sam


Doug posted a phenomenal photo study of exactly what you have he
http://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic....127622&start=0

See if that doesn't make it clearer and give you some things to test.



Speedy Jim
http://www.nls.net/mp/volks/

Great! I'll check that out. Does it apply to the '65 era Ghia?


On Aug 30, 7:06*pm, Speedy Jim > wrote:
> On 8/30/2010 6:11 PM, Sam wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > I'm fixing my horn on my '65 Ghia. I've troubleshooted by horn
> > (problems included poor connection on the jumper to the steering box
> > and a bad relay), and I'm 99% of the way to getting the horn to beep
> > correctly when I press the horn button.
>
> > The last problem I'm facing is that the chrome horn lever (the semi-
> > circle thing) doesn't make a good electrical connection from the
> > ground wire (that comes up through the center of the steering column
> > and screws into the ring near the center of the lever) through to the
> > copper donut on the underside of the lever. In other words, the copper
> > donut is NOT grounded. I've checked. (But I can touch the ground wire
> > to the column and the horn beeps.) I think the only problem left is
> > that the chrome paint on the lever is a bad conductor.
>
> > So am I doing something wrong? I am surprised that anyone expected
> > electricity to pass through the chrome lever. Maybe there is supposed
> > to be some type of conductor/jumper that is supposed to go between the
> > screw that holds the ground wire and the copper donut?
>
> > Here is a link to a photo:
> >http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...sLoPpGl5mgnfRR...
> > (not actually my car, but it looks very similar)
>
> > Thanks,
>
> > -Sam
>
> Doug posted a phenomenal photo study of exactly what you have hehttp://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic....127622&start=0
>
> See if that doesn't make it clearer and give you some things to test.
>
> Speedy Jimhttp://www.nls.net/mp/volks/

I have a newer setup, without the three pins. It looks sorta like
this:
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...s/DSCN3104.jpg

Again, my only problem is that the ground wire doesn't connect
electrically through the chrome horn lever to the copper donut. I
think I'll just put a copper jumper in there.

-Sam


On Aug 30, 7:35*pm, Sam > wrote:
> Great! I'll check that out. Does it apply to the '65 era Ghia?
>
> On Aug 30, 7:06*pm, Speedy Jim > wrote:
>
>
>
> > On 8/30/2010 6:11 PM, Sam wrote:
>
> > > I'm fixing my horn on my '65 Ghia. I've troubleshooted by horn
> > > (problems included poor connection on the jumper to the steering box
> > > and a bad relay), and I'm 99% of the way to getting the horn to beep
> > > correctly when I press the horn button.
>
> > > The last problem I'm facing is that the chrome horn lever (the semi-
> > > circle thing) doesn't make a good electrical connection from the
> > > ground wire (that comes up through the center of the steering column
> > > and screws into the ring near the center of the lever) through to the
> > > copper donut on the underside of the lever. In other words, the copper
> > > donut is NOT grounded. I've checked. (But I can touch the ground wire
> > > to the column and the horn beeps.) I think the only problem left is
> > > that the chrome paint on the lever is a bad conductor.
>
> > > So am I doing something wrong? I am surprised that anyone expected
> > > electricity to pass through the chrome lever. Maybe there is supposed
> > > to be some type of conductor/jumper that is supposed to go between the
> > > screw that holds the ground wire and the copper donut?
>
> > > Here is a link to a photo:
> > >http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...sLoPpGl5mgnfRR....
> > > (not actually my car, but it looks very similar)
>
> > > Thanks,
>
> > > -Sam
>
> > Doug posted a phenomenal photo study of exactly what you have hehttp://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic....127622&start=0
>
> > See if that doesn't make it clearer and give you some things to test.
>
> > Speedy Jimhttp://www.nls.net/mp/volks/

I annotated the photo to describe my problem:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...t=d irectlink


On Aug 30, 10:58*pm, Sam > wrote:
> I have a newer setup, without the three pins. It looks sorta like
> this:http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j.../DSCN3104..jpg
>
> Again, my only problem is that the ground wire doesn't connect
> electrically through the chrome horn lever to the copper donut. I
> think I'll just put a copper jumper in there.
>
> -Sam
>
> On Aug 30, 7:35*pm, Sam > wrote:
>
>
>
> > Great! I'll check that out. Does it apply to the '65 era Ghia?
>
> > On Aug 30, 7:06*pm, Speedy Jim > wrote:
>
> > > On 8/30/2010 6:11 PM, Sam wrote:
>
> > > > I'm fixing my horn on my '65 Ghia. I've troubleshooted by horn
> > > > (problems included poor connection on the jumper to the steering box
> > > > and a bad relay), and I'm 99% of the way to getting the horn to beep
> > > > correctly when I press the horn button.
>
> > > > The last problem I'm facing is that the chrome horn lever (the semi-
> > > > circle thing) doesn't make a good electrical connection from the
> > > > ground wire (that comes up through the center of the steering column
> > > > and screws into the ring near the center of the lever) through to the
> > > > copper donut on the underside of the lever. In other words, the copper
> > > > donut is NOT grounded. I've checked. (But I can touch the ground wire
> > > > to the column and the horn beeps.) I think the only problem left is
> > > > that the chrome paint on the lever is a bad conductor.
>
> > > > So am I doing something wrong? I am surprised that anyone expected
> > > > electricity to pass through the chrome lever. Maybe there is supposed
> > > > to be some type of conductor/jumper that is supposed to go between the
> > > > screw that holds the ground wire and the copper donut?
>
> > > > Here is a link to a photo:
> > > >http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...sLoPpGl5mgnfRR...
> > > > (not actually my car, but it looks very similar)
>
> > > > Thanks,
>
> > > > -Sam
>
> > > Doug posted a phenomenal photo study of exactly what you have hehttp://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic....127622&start=0
>
> > > See if that doesn't make it clearer and give you some things to test.
>
> > > Speedy Jimhttp://www.nls.net/mp/volks/

Good photo.

Have you tried roughing up the contact surfaces with
abrasive just as an experiment to see if it will conduct?

Jim



On 8/31/2010 4:23 PM, Sam wrote:
> I annotated the photo to describe my problem:
> http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...t=d irectlink
>
>
> On Aug 30, 10:58 pm, > wrote:
>> I have a newer setup, without the three pins. It looks sorta like
>> this:http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...s/DSCN3104.jpg
>>
>> Again, my only problem is that the ground wire doesn't connect
>> electrically through the chrome horn lever to the copper donut. I
>> think I'll just put a copper jumper in there.
>>
>> -Sam
>>
>> On Aug 30, 7:35 pm, > wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>> Great! I'll check that out. Does it apply to the '65 era Ghia?
>>
>>> On Aug 30, 7:06 pm, Speedy > wrote:
>>
>>>> On 8/30/2010 6:11 PM, Sam wrote:
>>
>>>>> I'm fixing my horn on my '65 Ghia. I've troubleshooted by horn
>>>>> (problems included poor connection on the jumper to the steering box
>>>>> and a bad relay), and I'm 99% of the way to getting the horn to beep
>>>>> correctly when I press the horn button.
>>
>>>>> The last problem I'm facing is that the chrome horn lever (the semi-
>>>>> circle thing) doesn't make a good electrical connection from the
>>>>> ground wire (that comes up through the center of the steering column
>>>>> and screws into the ring near the center of the lever) through to the
>>>>> copper donut on the underside of the lever. In other words, the copper
>>>>> donut is NOT grounded. I've checked. (But I can touch the ground wire
>>>>> to the column and the horn beeps.) I think the only problem left is
>>>>> that the chrome paint on the lever is a bad conductor.
>>
>>>>> So am I doing something wrong? I am surprised that anyone expected
>>>>> electricity to pass through the chrome lever. Maybe there is supposed
>>>>> to be some type of conductor/jumper that is supposed to go between the
>>>>> screw that holds the ground wire and the copper donut?
>>
>>>>> Here is a link to a photo:
>>>>> http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...sLoPpGl5mgnfRR...
>>>>> (not actually my car, but it looks very similar)
>>
>>>>> Thanks,
>>
>>>>> -Sam
>>
>>>> Doug posted a phenomenal photo study of exactly what you have hehttp://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic....127622&start=0
>>
>>>> See if that doesn't make it clearer and give you some things to test.
>>
>>>> Speedy Jimhttp://www.nls.net/mp/volks/
>

Speedy Jim,

I did, but probably not enough. I'll repeat. I just though I was doing
something wrong because it seems like a design flaw to expect the
chrome to be a good conductor.

Thanks!

-Sam


On Aug 31, 4:43*pm, Speedy Jim > wrote:
> Good photo.
>
> Have you tried roughing up the contact surfaces with
> abrasive just as an experiment to see if it will conduct?
>
> Jim
>
> On 8/31/2010 4:23 PM, Sam wrote:
>
>
>
> > I annotated the photo to describe my problem:
> >http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...Z7FfpGl5mgnfRR...
>
> > On Aug 30, 10:58 pm, > *wrote:
> >> I have a newer setup, without the three pins. It looks sorta like
> >> this:http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...s/DSCN3104.jpg
>
> >> Again, my only problem is that the ground wire doesn't connect
> >> electrically through the chrome horn lever to the copper donut. I
> >> think I'll just put a copper jumper in there.
>
> >> -Sam
>
> >> On Aug 30, 7:35 pm, > *wrote:
>
> >>> Great! I'll check that out. Does it apply to the '65 era Ghia?
>
> >>> On Aug 30, 7:06 pm, Speedy > *wrote:
>
> >>>> On 8/30/2010 6:11 PM, Sam wrote:
>
> >>>>> I'm fixing my horn on my '65 Ghia. I've troubleshooted by horn
> >>>>> (problems included poor connection on the jumper to the steering box
> >>>>> and a bad relay), and I'm 99% of the way to getting the horn to beep
> >>>>> correctly when I press the horn button.
>
> >>>>> The last problem I'm facing is that the chrome horn lever (the semi-
> >>>>> circle thing) doesn't make a good electrical connection from the
> >>>>> ground wire (that comes up through the center of the steering column
> >>>>> and screws into the ring near the center of the lever) through to the
> >>>>> copper donut on the underside of the lever. In other words, the copper
> >>>>> donut is NOT grounded. I've checked. (But I can touch the ground wire
> >>>>> to the column and the horn beeps.) I think the only problem left is
> >>>>> that the chrome paint on the lever is a bad conductor.
>
> >>>>> So am I doing something wrong? I am surprised that anyone expected
> >>>>> electricity to pass through the chrome lever. Maybe there is supposed
> >>>>> to be some type of conductor/jumper that is supposed to go between the
> >>>>> screw that holds the ground wire and the copper donut?
>
> >>>>> Here is a link to a photo:
> >>>>>http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...sLoPpGl5mgnfRR...
> >>>>> (not actually my car, but it looks very similar)
>
> >>>>> Thanks,
>
> >>>>> -Sam
>
> >>>> Doug posted a phenomenal photo study of exactly what you have hehttp://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic....127622&start=0
>
> >>>> See if that doesn't make it clearer and give you some things to test..
>
> >>>> Speedy Jimhttp://www.nls.net/mp/volks/