Horn Help

[tvacc]

Hello all,
Working on my newly acquired 72 Sprint, Federal. I would like to thank all of you for the help so far. I have installed the Spyder headlight pod system, fixed the seat and throttle cable issues. All with your help.

I am in the process of upgrading my tach because we now have electronic ignition. While the steering wheel is off
I decided to remove the "Chapman" wheel and put on my red leather steering wheel that I bought for my 26r Clone. I traded the 26r clone for this Sprint with my best friend.

As I am sure you know, the Federal Sprint does not have a center horn button on the "Chapman" steering wheel. The horn is activated by a small button located on the under dash trim. I do not like that. By the time I remember where the horn button is, what ever I was beeping about is long gone.

I bought a 2 inch center Lotus horn push with the button that rests on copper ring from Ray at RD Enterprises.

I want to retro fit the center horn button. How does the wiring work for the horn button? I think I remember when you press the center, it pushes or "Grounds out" the connection to make the horn beep. But I am not sure. Can someone point me in the right direction here. Thanks in advance.

Edit a few hours later. I went back out to the car to think about this a bit. I may end up doing all this but going back to the "Chapman" wheel as the red wheel is flat. The "Chapman" wheel is "dished" a bit. I may not like the wheel being farther away from me.

Any ways. I know there were two wires connected to the button on the trim panel when I started working on this. Looking at it now I only see one wire, a black with green trace. I must have pushed the other one (don't know the color) somewhere up when I was reaching to take the mounting screws off the tach. I am not going to crawl back under the dash right now. At 72, it is bear to get my head out from under the dash. So what I guess would would be great is if someone knows what those two wires attached to the switch were from. Obviously when you pressed it, a circuit was completed to beep the horn. Does someone with a Federal Sprint tell me the color of those two wires?

If someone knows how to reroute those two wires to operate the horn using the horn button on the steering wheel.

[JohnMorin]

If you really want to use your red wheel it is possible to move the steering column further away from the dashboard by loosening the clamps and pulling it towards you, it might just be enough

[RichardHawkins]

Tony,

Please keep in mind that I do not have an electrical background. Of the two wires that fitted your under dash switch one would have been earth (ground) probably black in colour. The black with a green trace is probably the horn supply, if you touch this wire to earth the horn should sound, confirming that it is the horn supply and you have completed the circuit. If the horn does not sound then the wire you have lost is the supply.

My car is a1968 S4 Coupe and the steering column is the earth return. This is achieved by an earth braid around the steering column coupling which then connects to the steering rack which in turn has another earth braid from a nut on top of the rack to the chassis completing the earth. As your car is a Federal Sprint, this earth return circuit may be missing and need to be installed so that a central horn press can work.

I don’t remember how the various bits in the central horn press go together and don’t currently have access to my car.

Hope this helps,

Richard Hawkins

[tvacc]

I decided to do a search on the site. Found a great post about horn wiring.

But, I am for sure getting old. It was my post from 14 years ago. When Brian Buckland and Bob Dance were at my house. I asked a similar question after Brian and I could not figure out a horn issue on another Elan.

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=26549

Don't think it answers all my questions as I am trying to retrofit a steering wheel horn push to a Federal Sprint but it was funny to like a post and then realize it was mine.

Tony V

[mbell]

The horn should work by bridging the brass ring to the steering column.(This provides an earth for the horn or horn relay.)

So first it check the horn does work by using something metal to bridge the two.

If it work then you just need a switch arrangement to trigger it. This is normally a "pencil" that touches the ring, that is connected to the horn push, that connects that to the steering wheel hub when pushed. Connecting the ground for the horn.

If it doesn't work check the column is earthed. If it is then need to check wiring from the ring back to the horn.

[pharriso]

As I am sure you know, the Federal Sprint does not have a center horn button on the "Chapman" steering wheel. The horn is activated by a small button located on the under dash trim. I do not like that. By the time I remember where the horn button is, what ever I was beeping about is long gone.

Tony, you are incorrect with that statement, the Federal cars had exactly the same horn arrangement as those from the rest of the world. The original horn push in your car (0309K) would look like this;

A small button under the dash is a dpo (dreaded prior owner) bodge.

Sounds like you may have it sorted, if not I can help...

[tvacc]

I will ck it out. Let you know

[tvacc]

My Sprint has a thin plastic Lotus emblem piece in the center. It does not push. Now I did not try to push the outer black bezel. If this is a mistake on my part, it is a mistake I have been making for 37 years. I bought my first Sprint in 1987. Had the same sort of steering wheel. I was the second owner of the car. I am sure it was not modified as I believe this car is not modified.

Maybe I have just been pushing the wrong part of the center of the steering wheel?

Tony V

[david.g.chapman]

I had a similar problem on my early +2 when I obtained a Lotus steering wheel rather than the Mountney wheel I had originally. The centre horn push did not work as it was incomplete.

My solution was to use a redundant push button function on the end of my only left hand indicator stalk. it works really well ergonomically as it falls easily to hand when driving. I added a Letroset "HORN" label and varnished over.

You have a later car with two indicator stalks, but you may have the same redundant feature, if you wanted to use it.

Dave Chapman.

[tvacc]

Dave, I will look at that if it is too difficult to fix the center push option.


Tony V

[gjz30075]

Phil's right, there is no push button under the dash. My Sprint wheel is exactly like Phil's and
it doesn't really have a push in the middle of the wheel but rather it's more of a 'rocker' with
the plastic surrounding the middle emblem.
'

[tvacc]

Phil's right, there is no push button under the dash. My Sprint wheel is exactly like Phil's and
it doesn't really have a push in the middle of the wheel but rather it's more of a 'rocker' with
the plastic surrounding the middle emblem.
'

I did not say Phil was wrong. I said I have been wrong myself for 37 years!

Edit, I am going to try and use my new red steering wheel. See of that works. Hopefully I am all set and that it was just be being "stupid" for 37 years.

[pharriso]

Tony, take a look at this thread https://lotuselan.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=42607, it describes the operation of our late style horn pad very well....

Here's what the back of the Steering wheel should look like with the Slip ring: