Can anyone help me detect my problem. the PO put in a aftermarket horn and wired it to a button on the dash. The stock horn is gone but the two wires are still there
Can someone give me step by step instructions on how to see if those two wires are still attached to the steering wheel buttons and power. I put a meter on the wires in the front near radiator and then connected to the wire inside the steering wheel and it seems that I get a reading at first but then it drops to 0. I checked the fuse in the engine compartment and it is good. Not an electrical genius here, but I should be able to follow instructions.
Thanks.

 

A picture paints a thousand words.
"I put a meter on the wires in the front near radiator and then connected to the wire inside the steering wheel and it seems that I get a reading at first but then it drops to 0.1"
Doesn't tel us much. Need to tell us what setting our meter is on.
Need to put us in front of that engine compartment. Show us exactly how and where you hooked up the meter.

I think, this applies to 1988 and earlier:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116.../#post52381275

Tell us what your system is not doing and what makes it different from a working one and we'll go from there.

 

Hi Rad4Runner
Well 1st I connected 1 wire near the radiator for the horn on the meter and then ran the other line of the meter to the steering wheel connection for the horn, the meter was set to buzzer to see if I had a connection between the wire. and that didn't work, no buzzer. Then I connected the meter to both wires where the horn goes and set the meter to 12 volts, pressed the button on the steering wheel and nothing. I don't think a pic is going to help much, it's just the 2 wires where the stock horn goes and the steering wheel where the contacts are for the horn
I just need to know what my meter set at 12 volts should read when i connect it to the 2 wires where the horn goes and then push the horn button, I'm thinking I should get a reading of 12 volts.

 

Did you look at the link I showed you? What did you measure that does not look same as the working system I show?

So which of the two wires that go to the horn did you connect? You only tested continuity with one of them which one? What color?
There are also points / 2 contacts / wires on the steering column, one for each side of the horn button. One goes to ground. Did you test for continuity to ground?
The other to the wire at the horn connector.
Which points did you test?
By test, did you just check for continuity (beep)?
What happened when you pushed the horn button?

Since you could not tell me what color OR which wire, yes picture would help.

 

Ok, I think i found the problem
I connected the green/white wire where the horn goes on the front to 1 wire on the meter, then the other wire from the meter to green/white wire on the steeling wheel then went under the truck and traced the wire and found a crimp in the wire. When I played with it to get it straight i went back pushed my horn button and "I got 12 volts of power" Yea, green/white wire is the wire in the steering wheel and one of the wires down by where the horn goes. so i think i'm ok
Do you suggest any other checks? I don't have a stock horn to connect yet.

 

Crimps suck where they are exposed to the elements. Cut away the crimp, strip wire so you have approx 3/8" of shiny copper strands exposed at each end, twist two ends around each other, solder. If you don't have one yet, invest in a 30-Watt soldering iron. For thicker wires like 12AWG and thicker, I use a Weller 80-Watt iron.

See link I posted ^^^
And search Terrys87 thread for how to check / fix the sliding contact in steering column.

 

RAD4Runner
Thanks for the help. I'll probably rewire the whole truck at some point. The idea is to get everything working before the tear down..