Vauxhall Meriva - Horn not working

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Tue 19 Jul 2022 17:30
Vauxhall Meriva - Horn not working - rustonboy

Any ideas about the most efficient way to approach this problem please? I have checked the fuse (and changed it just in case) - no joy. I have connected a test lamp (working) to the plug-in connector at the horn itself, and again got no joy. The Haynes manual describes method for removing airbag to access the horn switches, and I thought I could do that next, but is there something more obvious I could check first - many thanks :-)

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Tue 19 Jul 2022 18:33
Vauxhall Meriva - Horn not working - _

BE very very careful when removing an airbag... there will be instructions.. follow them carefully.

Edited by _ORB_ on 20/07/2022 at 16:36

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Tue 19 Jul 2022 18:58
Vauxhall Meriva - Horn not working - elekie&a/c doctor
Firstly, there are 2 fuses for the horn circuit # 2 and 8 . There is also a relay in the engine bay electrical box on the passenger side , tucked up behind the wipers . You need to remove the cover , several torx screws, to see if you can hear the relay click when the horn push is operated .
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Wed 20 Jul 2022 21:06
Vauxhall Meriva - Horn not working - rustonboy

Many thanks for your help. Cars are so incredibly complicated these days for the layman. I happened to be passing my friendly local garage and mentioned the horn problem. Shaun kindly sat in the car and turned the ignition key and moved the steering wheel from side to side. Suddenly the right-hand horn button worked, then more intermittently the left-hand button. Apparently this is due to a part called the squib, which is not providing a consistent contact for the horn circuit. So now I can sound the horn with the right-hand button most of the time, but rarely with the left-hand button. Is this situation liley to get worse? If so, please could you suggest a sensible course of action? Any advice gratefully received :-)

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Wed 20 Jul 2022 21:15
Vauxhall Meriva - Horn not working - elekie&a/c doctor
I think he means the clock spring coupling that sits behind the steering wheel. The squib is the airbag . The fault will only get worse. Cheap solution may be to put a separate independent switch on the dashboard somewhere. Bit of rewiring needed , but it will get through the mot .
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Wed 20 Jul 2022 21:46
Vauxhall Meriva - Horn not working - rustonboy

Thank you for your advice. Squib = good name for explosive device - makes sense. I feared it would probably get worse. Your suggestion of a new switch or button sounds within my capabilities. I can see from the Haynes wiring diagram that the wires to the horn switch are Brown/White and Brown, but do you know where I can pick up these wires from within the steering wheel assembly? Many thanks :-)

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Wed 20 Jul 2022 22:17
Vauxhall Meriva - Horn not working - elekie&a/c doctor
Not so simple, I’m afraid. The wiring at the column is not the same as the wiring at the horn . I’ll check the diagram tomorrow.
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Sun 24 Jul 2022 02:36
Vauxhall Meriva - Horn not working - edlithgow
I think he means the clock spring coupling that sits behind the steering wheel. The squib is the airbag . The fault will only get worse. Cheap solution may be to put a separate independent switch on the dashboard somewhere. Bit of rewiring needed , but it will get through the mot .

Score for the MOT then (which generally I don’t miss at all) . This kind of workaround would be illegal here in Taiwan. They don’t like to think too much.
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Sat 1 Oct 2022 15:32
Vauxhall Meriva - Horn not working - rustonboy

Quick update on this: surprisingly, the problem did not get worse. In fact after a couple of months driving around the horn now works pretty well with both right and left buttons. However, it does seem to be important to fully depress the button in just the right place. Maybe because the car had stood unused for so long before I bought it, all the contacts had corroded a bit. Anyway, it's great when something actually goes well for a change :-)

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