My horn button is not contacting ground when I.push it so need to open and inspect. But not sure how to “open” the button. Is it pried off or something else?
Separately how do.I get.glasses off the front of dashboard dials to clean inside of glass?
not sure about the horn button, for the gauges - remove the gauge and look on the back of it you’ll see how the cover ring is attached, easy to remove to clean glass, had to do all of mine on an XJ6
The gauge bezels have three tabs bent back around the front flange of the gauge can. The flange also has three gaps in it, so if you align the tabs with the gaps the front bezel will fall off. You could possibly accomplish that without disconnecting and removing the gauges by loosening or removing the thumbscrews and pressing the gauges away from the panel.
The horn button is released by three grub screws that go through the hub. You must look behind the spokes to see them in the hub and will need a small screwdriver to unscrew them a bit to release the horn button.
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The 1.5 I worked on had the horn button on the end of the turn signal stalk.
I was waiting for someone to say that! The Series 2’s certainly had the horn activated by pressing on the chrome end of the turn signal stalk - the last inch or two of the stalk slides down the shaft to sound the horn. I don’t know for sure tha the S1.5s are the same, but I suspect so, as other aspects of the steering column are the same. Might be a good time to read the Operator Guide for your car.
We have to remember that there’s no such thing as a 1.5, or 1.25. It’s a continuous two year transition from S1 to S2, with individual change dates for various bits.
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True, but we know what it implies.
That 1.5 slang outdates tweet and twitter by 50 years.LOL
Don’t open the button unless completely necessary because the 3 fold tabs love to snap off, and then you can’t easily reassemble it. You can verify the electrical contact by just checking for continuity between the center and ring using a meter. It’s honestly rarely the button at fault. Usually it’s a missing part in the assembly, or a worn contact in the column, or the wire isn’t connected or the relay is bad, or, or, or. The button is the most reliable part.
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My '68 1.5 is like this. I suspect that it changed at the same time as toggle switches were changed over to rockers. My horn stopped working suddenly several years ago and I found the black wire had broken right where it comes out of the stalk. My guess is fatigue from 45+years of flipping up and down for the turn signals.
David
68 E-type FHC
Phillip
I guess I am not sure which horn arrangement you have but as you get into, getting the horn button to “ground” may or may not be your problem. On the Series 1 style horn, there are a number of weak links that may be failed. In the article linked below are some photos of mine on my 63 but as I recall, my 67 2+2 had the same arrangement. You might find some useful intel from this article.
Erica, I am not sure what you mean By “continuity between the center and the ring”
In my exploration, I found the wire that connects the horn button and the horn relay. There is a coupling in the wire just below where it goes into or by the steering column. I disconnected this, connected top end to a meter and found no connection.when pushing on the button. So either the wire is broken where I can’t see around the column or the button is not connecting to ground when pushed
I read the caution about removing the horn button and tabs but what else can.I do?
Befor you go there, let’s go back to the the original question is this an S1 or an S2 column? If it’s an S2 column, the horn button is on the end of the turn signal stalk. If it’s an S1, it’s on the wheel hub button.
If it’s on the stalk, the center medallion isn’t functional in any way, so don’t be disassembling it.
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I would also add that with either design, the horn button grounds the circuit. So when you say you attached a meter, exactly what were you looking for?
I guess my 68 has the center button not on the stalk. And I connect the green wire to the ohmmeter and to ground but get infinite ohms when I.press the horn button.
Has it ever worked?
My Feb '68 FHC confused me at first. The center button on the steering wheel feels spring loaded so I thought it was the horn button but then I read the horn is activated by pushing in the stalk and the headlights will flash by pulling back on the stalk. I really don’t like the horn arrangement but do not want to ask for trouble in trying to modify things. I am not very good at all with electrical things.
David
68 E-type FHC
I have on my to-do list a photo essay for converting the S2 horn to center button. It’s not difficult from an electrical standpoint, but it requires some light fabrication. I have all the necessary parts on my bench, I just need to find the time.
Phillip,
Can I suggest that you stop guessing and, as a result, have lots of forum folks spending their time offering you advice that will not help you and wastes their time. It is really easy to determine what horn switch you have. Just look at the turn signal switch that you have on your car and compare it with the illustrations on a vendor web site such as SNG Barratt. Here they are - I’ve done it for you:
Horn operated by pushing the end of the stalk of S1.5, S2 (and apparently all 2+2 cars - even S1s according to SNGB):
Horn switch not in stalk of S1 cars - note the skinny stalk:
If you car has the skinny stalk, then the horn switch may be under the push in the center of the wheel (or maybe your car has been modified, and now has no horn switch at all). Removing the center horn push is as indicated in an earlier post by @DrewScherz
If you then find there is nothing behind the wheel center horn push, then you have a problem. Good luck, and please report back on what you find and how you solve the problem. This could help someone else in future.
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Thank you Michael and davidxk.
I have been dumb by assuming my horn button honked the horn. With your help I find it is the stalk. And it works according to my ohm meter test.
My question now is why Jaguar made change from.button to stalk? It it just that they could combine turn signal, head light flasher and horn in one device?