Horn Not Working? Here's Why, and What to Do About It

You don’t think much about your car’s horn – until you suddenly need to use it! Your horn is an important way of sounding an urgent warning or signaling your presence to the other vehicles and pedestrians around you. Without it, your vehicle has essentially lost its voice, unable to protect you and your passengers from many of the hazards in your driving environment.

There can be many reasons why your vehicle’s horn is not working. Fixing it can be somewhere between very simple and extremely complex. Once you understand how your horn works and how to fix it, you can be back on the road with your audible automotive defenses in proper working order, ready to protect you from what’s out there!

Here’s our guide to horn problems, their causes, and how to fix them.

How your horn works

Your car’s horn is a simple electrical circuit that is similar to that of a doorbell. When you push on your horn button or steering wheel pad, you close a circuit that allows electrical current to flow from your battery to the horn that is mounted to the front of your vehicle. This is what produces the horn’s warning sound.

Reasons your horn isn't working

A problem in your horn system can usually be traced to one of the elements along the path of the electrical circuit that sends the current to the horn. These are:

• The fuse
• The relay
• The horn itself
• The horn switch inside the car
• The clock spring
• The wiring

RepairPal Tip: Tracking down the cause of a bad horn, once it has progressed beyond a simple blown fuse or bad relay, requires an in-depth knowledge of automotive electrical diagnostics. If you do not have this experience, or you are otherwise uncomfortable dealing with the circuitry in your car’s electrical system, please contact your mechanic, who will be happy to diagnose and repair your horn-related problem.

Fuse issues

Blown fuse: This is the most likely reason for a non-functioning horn. As with many of your car’s electrically-powered systems, the horn circuit incorporates a fuse. This fuse will blow in the event that its circuit is overloaded, shorts out, or has some other problem. The fuse basically gives its “life” to prevent serious damage to the horn system.

Solution: First check your owner’s manual for the location of your vehicle’s fuse box. Next, determine the location of the horn fuse within the fuse box, as well as the proper rating of that fuse. With the car shut off, open the fuse box and remove the fuse for the horn (use the small plastic tweezers for this task if one is provided). Now check the fuse and see if the wire inside it is broken. Also check that the fuse has the correct rating, according to the information in the owner’s manual.

If the fuse is blown, replace it with a new one of the correct rating (never install a fuse of a higher or lower rating). Close everything up, start the car, and check whether the horn now works. If it does, you have fixed the problem! If the horn does not sound, check the new fuse to be sure it has not blown. If it has blown, contact your mechanic for repairs. If the fuse is OK, but the horn does not work, keep reading…

Relay issues

Bad relay: The relay for the horn system is also found in the fuse box. The horn relay controls the delivery of power to the horn itself. A bad relay will prevent the horn from working properly. If the relay is bad, you might hear a clicking sound coming from the relay when you try to honk the horn.

Solution: Look in your owner’s manual for the location of the relays, which are often part of the main fuse box. Identify where the horn relay is located. With the car’s power off, find the relay and remove it.

If there is another relay of identical specifications, you can try to switch that one with the horn relay. If not, you will need to buy a replacement relay and install it. Now start the car and try the horn – if it works, you have solved your horn problem. If you had an identical relay to switch around, put it back in its original location and buy a replacement relay for the horn circuit. Insert it, close everything up, and you are good to go. If the horn still won’t honk, things are going to get more complicated…

Horn unit issues

Bad horn: The horn, located in the front of the car, is exposed to the elements and can be damaged by snow, ice, road salt, and impacts with roadside debris Many cars use a single horn, while others can use two or three. You may hear no sound, a less powerful sound, or even a clicking from the horn itself when you try to use the horn.

Solution: If the fuse and the relay are working, you may have a bad horn. One easy way to check is to push the panic button on your remote key fob (if you have one). If the horn beeps, the problem lies somewhere else. If it does not, some diagnostics will be required – contact your mechanic either way to get the problem fixed.

Horn switch issues

Bad horn switch: Your horn switch is usually found in the center pad of your vehicle’s steering wheel. Pushing on the switch closes the horn circuit, sending power to the horn and activating it. The bad news is that your driver’s side airbag also lives in that center pad, so repairs are strictly mechanics-only. A potentially exploding airbag is not something you should be putting yourself in front of!

Solution: A replacement horn switch can be fitted by your mechanic if the original is bad.

Clock spring issues

Bad clock spring: Have you ever wondered how your horn switch manages to keep its electrical connection, even while the steering wheel rotates in both directions? This is done thanks to a device called the clock spring, a coil of wire that maintains the electrical connection, regardless of which way the wheel turns. A bad clock spring can interrupt the connection between the horn switch and the rest of the system, preventing the horn from sounding when you push on the switch. You may also notice that the airbag warning light on your dash is lit, since the clock spring also maintains contact with the driver’s side airbag. Other steering wheel controls such as radio volume and station, phone, and cruise control can also be affected.

Solution: A replacement clock spring should solve the problem. The process can require the removal of the airbag and the steering wheel. Again, this is a job for your mechanic, since the airbag must be prevented from firing during the repairs.

Wiring issues

Bad wiring: Even if all of the above components are in good shape, a wiring problem can keep your horn from working properly. The wiring in the horn circuit can be faulty due to corrosion, a loose connection, a broken wire, a short due to worn insulation, or a bad ground connection. Your mechanic can track down the exact cause, repair any faults in the wiring, and return your horn to normal operation.

Can I drive with a bad horn?

Technically speaking, your car will still go, stop, and turn without a functioning horn. But when it comes to alerting others to a dangerous situation, you can’t do much without a working horn. In addition, driving without an operational horn is simply not legal in many states, and may cause your car to fail its state mechanical inspection, if your state requires one.

For your safety and the safety of those around you, it is essential to have a horn that functions properly. Your mechanic can professionally repair your horn so that it is there when you need it!