Flamin' Heck - A reason to name my car (sob)

[p38arover]

My car has now got a name. I will call it Horatio.

And the reason? The name is from that literary naval chappie - Horatio Hornblower (by C.S. Forester).

My Rangie is randomly blowing the horn. It's been happening for a while but initially as a short groan that I was unable to determine from whence it came. I suspected it was the alarm horn.

But lately it has progressed to a full on short blast of the horn(s). The tone makes it sound like the main car horns.

Now this is not the sort of thing you want happening as you drive around. Someone is likely to take it as a fit of road rage from me and to take retaliatory action, e.g., I might get my face punched! (In some areas of Los Angeles, I'd probably get shot!).

Has anyone struck this before?

I assume there is a short circuit somewhere. The problem has become more frequent - about 6 times today whereas it used to be once a month. It might be when the steering wheel turns but I can't say for sure. I thought rotary coupler but can't see why.

I'll have to get the manual out to see how to access the coupler.

Ron

[Pedro_The_Swift]

I liked the TV show:D

[Scouse]

Maybe give the horn relay a tap & see if it comes on again - hopefully it's something simple like that anyway.

[Captain_Rightfoot]

I'm afraid I'm coming to the conclusion that you only exist in the matrix to keep our morale up Ron. :)

I've got no meaningful suggestions other than testing the relay and the switch...if you can get to them.

[hiline]

disconnect the wire :D ;)

[drivesafe]

Hi Ron, I don’t know how the Rangie is wired up but a lot of older vehicles had a common problem like yours and it was usually the horn wire in the steering wheel either fraying or just being loose.

Cheers and have fun finding it.

[p38arover]

Hi Ron, I don’t know how the Rangie is wired up but a lot of older vehicles had a common problem like yours and it was usually the horn wire in the steering wheel either fraying or just being loose.

Cheers and have fun finding it.

I suspect (but haven't checked) that the horn wire goes via the very expensive rotary coupler in the steering column. I haven't priced one yet but I know they cost 250 Euros

Ron

[drivesafe]

It seems you really need deep pockets when owning a RR.

Mine is just about to cost me $6k for a new transmission.

I should have got rid of it before the warranty ran out but I like it too much to part with it.

Cheers.

[dobbo]

Hey Ron, You just need a bumper sticker


"You make my horn work baby" :D


Just cut the wire

[p38arover]

Hey Ron, You just need a bumper sticker


"You make my horn work baby" :D


Just cut the wire

Need it for a rego check. I'll pull the fuse.

Ron

[Ace]

There are some rude comments i could make but i wont, cause im a nice religuos boy. The are land rover electrics ron, why does this surprise you? :D

[p38arover]

The are land rover electrics ron, why does this surprise you? :D

But it ain't Lucas. It's French - Valeo.

Oh, I've answered my own comment. My daughter's Peugeot was much worse.

Ron

[amtravic1]

Ron, dont know if its the same but this may help.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Land-Rover-Discovery-rotary-coupling-for-horn-etc_W0QQitemZ290064277899QQihZ019QQcategoryZ102341 QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Ian

[BigJon]

But it ain't Lucas. It's French - Valeo.



We have been of the opinion for quite some time that Valeo IS French for Lucas :eek: .

[p38arover]

We have been of the opinion for quite some time that Valeo IS French for Lucas :eek: .

Hmm, same number of letters. Maybe it's Lucas encrypted!

Ron

[p38arover]

Ron, dont know if its the same but this may help.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Land-Rover-Discovery-rotary-coupling-for-horn-etc_W0QQitemZ290064277899QQihZ019QQcategoryZ102341 QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Ian

Thanks Ian, I hadn't seen that.

I'll see if I can find some part numbers.

Ron

[Scouse]

I'll see if I can find some part numbers.The spiral cassette for your car is YRC100350.
$590 list from LR.
About $390-400 through me.

[p38arover]

The spiral cassette for your car is YRC100350.
$590 list from LR..

I don't want to spend that if it's not the cassette.

It looks (from the workshop manual) like the one on eBay but I suspect the P38A unit has more wires, e.g., for steering wheel cruise control and radio control buttons.

At the moment the car is costing more each month on repairs than paying for my wife's 2005 Forester. I'm glad I'm not paying a dealer to do the work.

Ron

[Scouse]

Do you have access to the wiring diagram for the horn circuit? I assume you're handy with a multimeter - you could remove the cassette & test it.

I can send it across if you don't.

[Wortho]

How often do you use your horn?
If it's just for rego get a cheap($20) horn from supercheap or repco etc and run it to a spare switch in the car. As long as the horn sounds thats all you need for rego. Disconect your horn and just use the cheapie if that dies in the next 10yr's i'd be surprised. $590 to fix a horn is huge can someone please explain how a horn can possibly cost that much, does the horn circut affect anything else?

[p38arover]

Do you have access to the wiring diagram for the horn circuit? I assume you're handy with a multimeter - you could remove the cassette & test it.

I can send it across if you don't.

I have the RAVE CD and ETM so I can trace it out.

Thanks Scouse.

Ron

[Scouse]

I have the RAVE CD and ETM so I can trace it out.

Thanks Scouse.

RonThinking about it (I know, I don't do it often), I doubt it would be the spiral cassette.
It would have to short internally onto the other horn circuit to activate the horn. I doubt that would happen.

My money is on the relay under the bonnet or the actual switch itself.
The BECM is involved too so lets keep our fingers crossed that it's something other than that.

[p38arover]

$590 to fix a horn is huge can someone please explain how a horn can possibly cost that much, does the horn circut affect anything else?

It's not the horn. I can bypass the electronics and use the genuine horns with another button.

If the horn was on the stalk it wouldn't be a problem.

In the old days, cars had a tube up the centre of the steering column and the horn wiring went up the tube to a wiper connecting to a rotary contact.

What LR do is have a spiral cassette (the rotary coupler) in which the wiring for the airbag, horn, and steering wheel controls for the cruise control and the radio contol buttons runs.

I've never seen one but I surmise it is like a coil spring. As the steering wheel turns one way (up to 4-5 turns) the coil winds up. When the wheel is turned the other way, the coil unwinds.

This is why it is very important to prevent the steering wheel being turned when the column is disconnected from the steering box. If th e steering wheel isn't restrained and someone spins the it, the rotation will destroy the cassette.

I've heard of a few blokes having to replace them.

I'll contact Carsten in Germany and ask him for more details on repair: http://www.rangie.com/articles_topic.php?id=307&cat=6&subCat=25

I can't work out what the pic in the article is of.

Ron

[Wortho]

Well that makes sense although it seems very complicated.

[p38arover]

Thinking about it (I know, I don't do it often), I doubt it would be the spiral cassette.
It would have to short internally onto the other horn circuit to activate the horn. I doubt that would happen.

My thoughts exactly. I'd already considered the BeCM or a short in the wiring.

I'll swap the relay first but I can't see why a faulty relay would cause the problem.

I see the relay switches 12v to the horns, rather than switching earth. The horn buttons switches earth to the BeCM. I suppose a button in the steering wheel could be faulty.

Ron

[MacMan]

Not wanting to sound incompassionate (because I know what it's like chasing electric bugs) but am I the only one who's more than a little ammused by this?

Does this make me a bad person? :eek: :twisted:

[p38arover]

Not wanting to sound incompassionate (because I know what it's like chasing electric bugs) but am I the only one who's more than a little ammused by this?

Does this make me a bad person? :eek: :twisted:

Yes, only because you misspelled "amused" and used a non-word "incompassionate"! :D

Ron

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Not wanting to sound incompassionate (because I know what it's like chasing electric bugs) but am I the only one who's more than a little ammused by this?

Does this make me a bad person? :eek: :twisted:

What are you doing? You're letting the side down that's what! In safari both of those words would have been underlined as spelling errors. Are you using another browser?

[abaddonxi]

Hi Ron,

Just a stab in the dark, but does your RR beep when you do the central lock/alarm thing?

Might it be that rather than horn.

Cheers
Simon.

[LandyAndy]

Hi Ron
Is the rotary coupler the same as the Disco1/2 item???? If so there is one on EBAY at the moment,$80 and no bids last time I saw it.
The seller claims its a Disco1 but the same as a Disco2 with a different part no.
Goodluck
Andrew

[p38arover]

The spiral cassette for your car is YRC100350.
$590 list from LR..

I note that the LR parts catalogues say the D1 used AMR5631 up to WA762768 then from WA762769, they used YRC100350 - which is also used by the P38A and the D2.

Karcraft show for AMR5631 - "use YRC100350".

I wonder if the earlier one is compatible, i.e., does it have all the wires for the steering wheel controls, etc. which weren't used on the D1?

The one on eBay is, the seller advises, an AMR5631.

Ron

Ron

[dadsdream]

Hi Ron,

Do you know of anywhere that I can get hold of a dash fascia for under the steering wheel - to the door on the drivers side - I have tried all the wreckers but the P38's seem to be scarce especially in the West! I don't even have a part number?

Finally got an air mass filter from the UK (super fast postage) and put it in - then tried to start it (for the first time) actually turned over and then something sounded like it was hitting inside the motor - very scary!

I will have to get someone to look at the motor - next week, all I want to do is drive it!

My husband is the same - If there is dog poo he tends to find it! (or it looks for him)

cheers

Kris

[UncleHo]

G'day Folks :)

For both Dadsdream and P38arover, try British Off Road in Qld for P38a parts as they wreck most late model accident/rusted vehicles, and will ship Aust wide :)

cheers

[hiline]

just reading through this thread i thought i'd bring up something the wife's car does.........

everyday around 11:30am the alarm go's off all by itself :o
no matter where the car is parked or what temp it is outside or inside

[p38arover]

just reading through this thread i thought i'd bring up something the wife's car does.........

everyday around 11:30am the alarm go's off all by itself :o
no matter where the car is parked or what temp it is outside or inside

That'll be lovely in the dealer's yard after your missus swaps it for the Highlander! :D

Re my horn problem, I never ended the story.

It appears it was the fuse box. Don't ask me how but with these cars, a faulty fuse box is a wondrous thing for faults. I had to replace the fuse box for other reasons and since then, the horn has not blown again (except on my command! :) )

[p38arover]

Hi Ron,

Do you know of anywhere that I can get hold of a dash fascia for under the steering wheel - to the door on the drivers side - I have tried all the wreckers but the P38's seem to be scarce especially in the West! I don't even have a part number?

Finally got an air mass filter from the UK (super fast postage) and put it in - then tried to start it (for the first time) actually turned over and then something sounded like it was hitting inside the motor - very scary!

I will have to get someone to look at the motor - next week, all I want to do is drive it!

My husband is the same - If there is dog poo he tends to find it! (or it looks for him)

cheers

Kris

HJi Kris, as Uncle Ho suggests, try the mob in Qld. Alternatively call Triumph Rover Spares in Lonsdale (Adelaide). I've bought P38A body trim from them. Triumph Rover Spares (http://triumphroverspares.com.au/)

If you give me the VIN and the interior colour, I can give you the part number.

Re the engine noise, I hope it's not a problem. :(