By request, step by step instructions to repair the small Pony/Base model style hornbutton.
First step: We need to remove the vinyl cover.
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Looking at the backside of the hornbutton, work your thumbs under the edge of the vinyl, starting right next to each other. Work your way around the hornbutton until the cover is past the hard plastic part
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Now you can slip the vinyl cover off.
Back to the backside, unloop the two wires and feed the terminals under the middle plastic bracket in the center.
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You won't be able to work the wires thru the outside holes, they're just big enough for the wire. If you need to remove everything (I usually don't) simply snip off the terminals on the ends of the wire and replace them with crimp-on connectors after you put them back together. There is enough slack in the wires to separate the contacts and see what's going on.
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This is what the front side looks like after the cover is removed before the contacts are separated. The corrosion on this side doesn't hurt anything (This isn't the contact side), but if you are a purist, you may clean it off.
Now we can separate the contacts. Be patient here. Locate the terminal for the outer contact from the backside and gently push. On the front side, the contacts will separate enough that you can work it off with your fingers or a small blunt object like the non-writing end of a ballpoint pen. Under the outer contact, you'll see two paper spacers. These are important! They keep the contacts from touching each other when you don't want to honk the horn. So now it should look like this:
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If you just need to clean the contacts, this is as far as you need to take it apart. I use a terminal cleaning solution from Radio Shack, and foam cosmetics wedges from the dollar store. I don't recommend using anything abrasive at this point because the contacts are also coated with plastic on the non-contact surfaces. The contacts are made from copper.
If the paper rings are broken, deteriorated, or missing, you may need to locate another used horn button for the parts. If either wire is broken off either contact, the horn will not work, but once again you can part out another horn button. You can also solder the wires back to the terminals on the contacts if they aren't broken off.
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In this picture you can see that the small paper spacer is still on the button and the larger one has been removed. You can't take the small one off without removing the outer contact. The smaller spacer has two tabs that line up with the wire terminals. The outer spacer doesn't have any tabs.
So you've cleaned the contacts and repaired the wires (if necessary). Now it's time to re-assemble. Line up the inner spacer with the terminals and seat it gently. Repeat for the outer spacer. Now start feeding the wire for the outer contact back thru the button until you can seat the contact. Slip the vinyl cover back on and push it as far on as you can. I use a small flatblade screwdriver to work the vinyl back over the button, then seat the center of the front, and work with it until it 'feels right'. Then loop the wires on the back just like they were before you took it apart (look at my pic if you need to). With it back together, we can test it before we put it back on the car with a multimeter (we're checking for continuity).
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Off
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On
The values on my multimeter aren't absolute, but it should start at 0 or 1 and scroll up as you apply pressure on the horn button, then return to the original value when you release the hornbutton. If you fail this test, go back to the top and start over.
Stay tuned for part 2, the deluxe horn button.
Chuck
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Chuk.
Leonard
You're very welcome, Leonard! I hope it helps you out. If your button is ok, let me know, and we'll walk thru the system until it works.
Chuck