GT - Horn Inoperative

[Beatle]

So, I flew to Newcastle Sat morning to pick up the GT.   After sorting a minor issue with a dodgy battery earth connection, I set off for the drive home to QLD.  Last thing I did as I was driving out, was wave to the previous owner and toot the horn.

That was the last time I heard anything from the horn......

I checked the fuse with a meter = Good
Relay = Good (also swapped relays around)
Hot wire the horn through the relay socket = Good

So the problem seems to be upstream of the relays/fuses, and I suspect it's in the horn pad.

CAN I PULL THE HORN PAD WITHOUT IT BLOWING UP IN MY FACE    How do I remove the pad from the centre of the wheel, and how do I make-safe the airbag while I play around in there?

It's a long way to a knowledgeable Alfa tech, and I need the horn to pass a roadworthy in the next week or so.

Note that everything else on the steering wheel seems to work fine.

Cheers

[colcol]

Grab your radio code, remove battery lead, wait 1/2 hour, as in 156 JTS, use allen key, 5 mm from memory, undo the 3 allen screws on back of steering wheel pad, they are deeply recessed, you need a short allen key, so that you don't hit the dashboard, but too short and the bent bit on the key won't be accessable, use a torch and mirror to see what you are doing.
This will give you access to the horn pad.
Be carefull!, with battery disconnected, airbag won't go off, but parts are delicate, Colin.

[Beatle]

Just to close out this thread.

Pulled it all apart without anything going BANG!    Problem seems to be the same as shown here: http://www.alfaworkshop.co.uk/156_horn_problem.shtml  though mine was only just starting to show corrosion on the little diode-ey thingamajigger.  Cleaned it up with metho and a brush, recoated with some electrical sealer, reinstalled and it works fine (passed roadworthy).  I didn't add the extra wire.

[bazzbazz]

Just for future reference, the corroded Surface Mount Device (SMD) has a 0 on it, indicating it has 0 resistance & is in fact a SMD fusible link. So in future your better off removing the corroded device & replace it with a small link of wire.

Just for next time if it fails again

Baz

[Beatle]

Or prise it off and drive a copper staple across the track?