-New to Forum
Here's a puzzler!
Recently noticed that horn (activated by pushing center of steering wheel) does not work in 1998 4cyl auto EX Accord when engine is running. However, it does work if engine is off with key out!
Swapped horn relay with no change. Car is stock except for remote stater but that was added 7 years ago and no problem until now.
Anyone with a guess to problem solving before resorting to dealer?

 

My best guess would be a bad ground connection.

 

If the starter also is an alarm with a horn relay, that could be the problem also. More likely the ground as mentioned.

 

I think the horns are self-grounded. IOW there's only one wire (hot). Check for dirt & rust where the horn is bolted to its bracket. & the bracket bolted to whatever...

 

Could be a bad ground at the horn relay connection also.

 

Has this ever worked properly?

 

Thanks for the thoughts.
Horn worked fine until recently.
It does have factory alarm which works thru horn.
I will check/clean horn/bracket grounds tonight and keep you posted on results.

 

they are , the ground at the steering wheel provides ground to the horn relay thus energizing it , closing the inner switch and relay sends power to the horn ( blue/red wire ..)

 

So the horn trigger circuit has to go thru the cable reel at the steering wheel, to the horn button. Anything in there that would know or care whether the engine's running?

The horn switch simply connects that triggercircuit to ground. The alarm also can connect it to ground, so that doesn't seem like it should be able to interfere.

There's a branch of that circuit off to the multiplexer, but that too shouldn't be able to interfere with the horn button.

 

Ahhh, didn't realize that. Multiplex unit is now my best guess. I've been seeing those things do some screwy *** **** here lately.