I tend to agree with you as the horn switch in the steering wheel is in parallel with the BCM horn relay control. The BCM horn relay control operates the horn relay from the remote. So it proves the horn circuit is good. The steering wheel horn switch and or contact rings are probably dirty.

 

So the other day I was honking at a friend and I "popped" the steering wheel with a fist to honk the horn. Is it likely I broke something inside? I guess I need to pull the airbag and see what's under it, huh? Any helpful videos you can send a link to?

 

Possible but hard to say if there is a broken part under there but there is a lot of plastic anymore. I don't have any videos to share but try googling 2001 Silverado steering wheel removal.

 

This morning?? The horn works fine. What the??? Last night I sprayed contact cleaner in the relay holes, swapped out the fuse just for grins, swapped the relay with the AC relay, no help. The horn did not work. Now this morning, it works fine. Crazy. Contacts in the fuse box??

 

Gremlins, don't get them wet or feed them after midnight .........

Intermittent electrical issues are the worst to track down.
Start wiggling wires to see if you can reproduce the problem.

 

I'd like to check the horn connections for corrosion but I'm having quite a time firguring out where the darn horns are located. I read the high tone is on the pasenger side below the headlight. The drivers' side location is sketchier.

 

Does anyone know for sure how to remove the airbag on a 2001 Silverado? I'm not sure mine has the holes on the sides. I saw one video where a guy had a flat screwdriver and pried a clip up on top of the steering wheel......

 

Try this. http://www.autowoods.com/1998-02_guide.htm

 

Had horn problem, honest reason why I joined this forum, to add my repair. Horn would only work when I turned the steering wheel to the left. Every forum or site said the same thing. Horn contacts were bad. Fuse. Relay. Wire harness. Nada. I bought a new contact online, as I thought that was the cheapest and quickest fix. Didn't work. So I kept trying. Noticed that the turn signal switch had a copper rod sticking out touching the steering wheel. I removed the turn signal, cleaned the steering wheel with steel wool and applied dielectric grease(vaseline). Looked at the contact and saw that it was worn. I got a spring from a ball point pen, cut it down to size, and put it over the copper contact on the switch. Voila! It worked. I could have fixed it without buying the new contact but whatever. If you jave any questions please ask.

 

Jason,... you need "special tools" to dismantle the upper steering column, mainly a steering wheel puller, a steering wheel lock plate compressor, and 2 very strong dental pick tools (one with a 90 degree hook pin) to walk the lock plate retainer ring off the steering shaft. Then have a super good memory to know what sequence all the steering shaft washer / shims are. 80% of the people who get into a column, screw something up.

Chances are you cracked the horn contact itself.

 

And remember, you have an air bag in there.
It can kill!

 

Jason, try my fix. All you need is T25 and T20 sockets. T20 under the column, pull the steering column adjuster knob while column is up. Pull off cover from bottom of column. Insert column adjuster knob and bring column back down. Take off top cover .T25 socket on top of turn signal . One one bottom behind steering wheel(its a pain). Lift out turn ssignal. Look at copper nub. Clean steering wheel. Apply grease to nub and wheel. Add spring. Reverse. Drink beer.

 

I have the identical problem.... I'm confused on adding a spring.
I have a 2001 Chevy Silverado-replaced the horn contacts where the airbag plugs into. When the airbag is out, I'm able to press onto the 2 contacts that sends a signal through a red wire that has a spring on the end of it, that spring plugs into the clockspring. The horn works perfectly when pressing the contacts. When I put the airbag back on the wheel and drive the horn doesn't work unless I press it just right when turning the wheel. Any thoughts?
Thx

 

No special tools. No airbags. Nada

 

What Chucos is failing to tell you, ... his repair WILL NOT / IS NOT the problem. The problem will continue after his recommendations.
Just a bunch of guesstimation diagnosis.

What happens people beat on the horn contacts to a point they either crack the chit out them, or knock then out of adjustment. The horn contacts are directly behind the air bag. Not the crap under the steering column covers .

Here's a YouTube video of your steering column under the air bag:

Lot of the time also it's the "spring loaded" red contact wire pin the loses contact (wears out) with the round rotating horn contact under the steering column lock plate.

Here is a picture of your horn contacts:

Next step, order this part out of Rock Auto.

Disconnect battery cable overnight, remove air bag. Get torx tool to remove horn contacts.
Reinstall "new" horn contact at the "proper" torque to prevent further problems. Test horn multiple times while air bag is still off the steering wheel.

So fricken simple to do it right the first time

 

Jason buy that contact like I did. Replace the old one like I did. Follow the instructions on that YouTube video like I did. If it still doesn't work like mine didn't work, try my fix. You can even use the spring from the old contact like I did.

 

And you don't need any special tools to replace that contact.

 

Proof is in the wisdom of the man who has the experience. Quote by MCR in 1989 at an ASE convention.

Look at my "Like rating" compared to everybody else. Who has a 43% like rating??? I know my chit!!!

 

I just repaired my truck today. This exact repair. When did you repair yours? Curious

 

Been at heavy driveabilty and electrical diagnosis close to 48 years.

Started out as diagnostic / driveability field tech for General Motors "CPC" group, but also assisted with "BOC" diagnostics. Ran through GM's Service Technology Group (STG, Warren, Michigan) working under field service engineers assisting with proper diagnosis of potential "Buybacks" under the lemon car laws that were cropping up throughout this country. Also did a chit load of over the phone diagnostics. Most of time mechanics wanted an easy fix from us with no effort on their part.

I was the tech that was sent to dealers to find out why a car couldn't get fixed or go down the road straight. I was told I had close to 20,000 corrective fixes under my belt that mechanics /techs couldn't solve in 36 years. Most of the time it was dumb azz mechanics making "guesstimate repairs" hoping for a simple fix. The biggest problem was their ego, their lack of drive to read service manuals, researching TSB's, no training on products, not following the most simplest diagnostic procedure, ...and cutting corners because of labor rates.

90% of the mechanics and techs in this country I wouldn't trust with my dead dog!!! I see the same behaviors here when people tell me their repair horror stories. ...and the trolls that add procedures with no foundation of fact. Slapping on hundreds of dollars worth of parts and still can't find the problem. I use to bet arrogant mechanics one of their expensive tools, … if I got it right the first time, ...and it stayed fixed. Well my tool box is filled with a chit load of wire strippers, all sorts of pliers, vice grips, SnapOn ratchets, various specialty sockets, ...and even a working impact tool!!! Love "taking" from the arrogant ignorant lazy azzes!!!

I have 27 years on you, experienced with a half a century of motor vehicle changes. ...and did some super heavy chit diagnosis on stuff you have no comprehension of. Unless you have you've done diagnostics for a living for least 20 years, ...you ain't chit!!!!!!!

 

Im the guy who watched a YouTube video and switched out his horn contact, just like you mentioned above. Sat there trying to honk the horn and it still wouldn't work unless wheel was turned left. Took off the contact and brushed the contacts with steel wool to clean them. Reinstalled the contact and still wouldnt work properly. Took off the column cover, noticed the copper nub sticking out of the turn signal switch .Took off the turn switch, scrubbed the back of the steering wheel and the copper nub with steel wool. Reinstalled switch after applying grease and it would honk here and there .Added the spring to the copper nub on the switch, and been honking like an idiot all day. And it keeps working. So, until youve done that, like you said, you can't say chit!

 

Thats the copper contact on the other side, the backside of the steering wheel I've been talking about. It wears down. Cut down a spring from a click pen and put it over it so it's always contacting the steering wheel. That copper nub itself is spring loaded. Just wears down I guess. Doesn't hurt to replace the horn contact behind the airbag as well, as mentioned before by the other gentleman. Good luck.

 

If you hit the steering wheel horn sw hard that is most likely the problem. FOB horn works so switch in the steering wheel may need replacing .
before you break it down you must remove the air bag fuses .. I would also do the battery negative connection removal.

turn steering wheel with your hand pushing on the horn sw .. if horn does not blow then the horn sw .. if it does work with wheel in certain positions then the ring..
IMO do not use steel wool on the copper rings .. use a green med clean pad ..

 

jcat, ...don't you love all the pseudo automotive intellectuals causing all sorts of future bull chit repairs for others??? Fu*king kids!!!

 

Rick, if the fact that my REPAIR worked and it's not what you recommend threatens you, I get it . Ego gets in the way . Doesn't take away from the fact that my repair WORKED. Also, seeing how you want to be disparaging and cursing shows that you don't like that there may be more than one way to repair this problem, and it may not be your way. Sorry you feel the way you feel. Maybe you need a hug, or Jesus, so you can be nicer to people. I had a problem, traced it back to its source(where do you think the horn gets its power from, that copper nub, prove me wrong) and fixed it with a legit repair that SAVES MONEY. I mean, why even have forums if you already know everything and have all the answers? Change the name to MCR forum

 

Your repair "might of worked for you", but what concerns me, ...you did "ONE claimed repair" on a horn circuit with "YOUR" model vehicle and you consider yourself an expert.

The problem I had with your types, ...there are other approaches that are more efficient, easier in labor time and keep the repair from coming back in 1 to 3 months. Not being open to other 3 dimensional thinking, that is a big problem with Generation X, Y and Millennials. If they find it on the internet it must be gospel!!! But when reality hits, ...they come here and ask the people with a "track record", ...and you are very far from any type of track record.

What I find really funny, ...I've been on this website about a year and half, approaching 1,100 entries, just short of 500 likes (almost 44%) and I haven't found 1 blogger that even comes close to my like ratio. So I must be doing something right??? Stats tell everything.
Where's your track record???

It's not ego, it's knowledge skillsets. Better get a track record be for you tangle with some of the people here.

You taste in music tells me a lot.