[T3] Invasion prep

[Max Welton]

I got some time on this today.

Jim, disconnecting the horn in this case means disconnecting the
positive wire at the horn.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2646011.jpg

The horn wire is connected as it should be. With everything connected,
the horn sounds when it should.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2646008.jpg

If, however, I remove the ground strap from the battery, I measure 12
volts of potential between the battery terminal and the strap. This
goes to zero with the horn disconnected at the horn.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2646009.jpg

One thing to note is that due to the front beam being freshly
powder-coated I ran a ground wire from the steering box to the
chassis. Without that, the horn wouldn't sound at all. I've run
similar grounding wires for the rear signals and the fuel sender.

Max

Max


On Thu, Jan 22, 2026 at 11:26 AM Jim Adney <jadney at vwtype3.org> wrote:
>
> On 22 Jan 2026 at 11:55, Gary Forsmo wrote:
>
> > My horn inexplicably stopped working several years ago.  It irritates me
> > to no end that it won't "beep".
>
> The horn circuit is the most complicated and confusing circuit in the whole
> car. Basically the horn is supplied power directly from the fuse box and its
> ground is switched at the steering wheel hub.
>
> The power side is direct and simple. It's the ground path that's complicated
> and that's where the problem almost always is.
>
> Max didn't tell us where he disconnected the horn. If he simply removed the
> fuse, it's likely that this fuse also supplied other things and those other
> things are also likely suspects. If he removed a wire from the horn, then that
> narrows things down to the horn itself, or the long, complicated path to the
> steering wheel and to ground.
>
> --
> *******************************
> Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
> Madison, Wisconsin, USA
> *******************************
>
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