[T3] Invasion prep

[Gary Forsmo]

Max ... responding to Jim's added analysis,
1.)  What model year is you car?
2.)  My Squareback is a 1969.
3.)  I believe at least one of Jim's cars is a "late" Type 3.

That means that (by his note) his non-working horn problem may be
completely different from your or my problem.
???

Gary F. - Oregon WI

On Fri, Jan 23, 2026, 11:53 AM Jim Adney <jadney at vwtype3.org> wrote:

> I want to clarify some details about the ground side of the horn circuit.
> It has
> two halves: the "hot" side and the grounded side. The two halves are
> separated by the horn siwtch in the steering wheel hub.
>
> The description below is for '70 and earlier. Everything changed in '71.
>
> The "hot" side of the horn ground circuit consists of the brown wire
> leading
> from the cold side of the horn to the steering shaft. I'm not clear on
> where
> this path runs. In early cars, there is a ball bearing at the top of the
> steering
> column that is insulated from the rest of the column by sitting in a
> plastic
> cup. Somehow the brown wire is connected to the outer race of that
> bearing,
> so contact to the steering shaft is made thru the bearing. Note that this
> makes the WHOLE steering shaft, including the steering wheel hub, "hot."
> This MAY be how all cars prior to '71 are wired.
>
> I've heard of the plastic cup that insulates the bearing breaking down.
> That
> could be a problem here, but usually if the cup is broken, the horn would
> sound all the time, but maybe there's something in there making poor
> contact.
>
> To sound the horn, the horn ring is connected to a wire that runs down
> inside
> the steering shaft (which is "hot") and jumps acorss the insulating flex
> coupling.to the steering gearbox input shaft. The jumper from the
> steering
> gearbox to the pan horns complete the path to ground.
>
> I note that in Max's picture of his steering wheel hub, the wire running
> into
> the steering shaft is missing the black rubber grommet/plug that keeps it
> from rubbing. I don't normally think of that as a problem, but it could be
> in
> this case. I may have one of those, if needed.
>
> So, when the horn is not sounding, the entire steering shaft and the
> steering
> wheel hub are "hot." Grounding anything there should cause the horn to
> sound. The horn ring is part of the cold side of this circuit, so
> depressing it
> makes contact between the grounded "cold" side and the floating "hot"
> side,
> causing the horn to sound.
>
> Okay, now I've checked the parts list and I need to add a few more details.
>
> Up thru '67 things are as described above. The steering shaft ball bearing
> and insulator appear to be sold as a single combined assembly. It looks
> like
> it has a connection for a wire, presumably the brown wire for the "hot"
> side of
> the horn ground circuit.
>
> From '68 (when the collapsable steering shaft started) thru '70, the ball
> bearing is sold separately and the insulator is in L & R halves. One of
> those
> halves appears to have a connection for a wire, presumably the brown wire
> for the "hot" side of the horn ground circuit. There is a "contact ring"
> that
> plays some role here, but I'm not sure how it fits in this circuit; it may
> carry
> current from the outer bearing race to the shaft, to keep horn current
> from
> running thru the contact points between the balls and the races. I suspect
> that the horn ground circuit remains pretty much unchanged.
>
> In '71, everything changed.
>
> Max, I hope some of this helps. Let us know what you find.
>
> --
> *******************************
> Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
> Madison, Wisconsin, USA
> *******************************
>
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