[T3] Invasion prep

[Max Welton]

My car is from 1967. Mostly. ;-)

Max

On Fri, Jan 23, 2026 at 5:33 PM Gary Forsmo <gbforsmo at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> 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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