73 Road Runner horn

Technical Question and Answer - On topic to 71-74 Plymouth B-bodies only.

Moderator: Site Administrators

Post Reply
73RR
Satellite Coupe (RL)
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2009 8:49 pm

73 Road Runner horn

Post by 73RR » Mon Aug 17, 2009 8:40 pm

The horn on my 73 RR doesn't work and prior owner(s) installed a push button down near the emergency brake handle to operate the horn. I don't imagine this can be too complicated to repair, I probably just need to replace the horn switch on the steering wheel. My question is how does the piece on the steering wheel that contains the horn buttons come off so I can get to the switch or switch assembly? I don't see anything obvious like screws or clips to remove. Can you help? Thanks

User avatar
Serious Satellite
GTX (RS)
Posts: 559
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:44 pm
My Cars: 1973 Plymouth Roadrunner (R.I.P.) totalled by my younger brother
1974 Plymouth Satellite Coupe (R.I.P.) sold to my other brother, died an ignoble death
1974 Plymouth Satellite Sebring (Rusted In Place) sent to crusher
1984 Dodge Ram Prospector D250, 360 ci engine, hooker headers, edelbrock 4 barrel carb, 1991 grill replacement
Location: Warsaw, Indiana and Dayton, Ohio...

Re: 73 Road Runner horn

Post by Serious Satellite » Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:19 pm

Okay, I'm a bit confused about where you are in the deconstruction of your wheel. . .

do you have the steering wheel off? If not, you'll need a steering wheel puller. . .

User avatar
Smellslike1974
GTX (RS)
Posts: 2024
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:12 am
Location: south new jersey

Re: 73 Road Runner horn

Post by Smellslike1974 » Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:31 pm

As far i as know you shouldn't have to remove the steering wheel to change the horn,or mess with horn related wires, but Im not too familiar with 71-72 cars maybe you do.If i were you i would hook up the horn to the existing button that your previous owners installed,that way you know if it really works,it would suck to go through everything with the wheel and not know if you did it right or if the horn even works.
"Sunny D"-1974 Plymouth Satellite Sebring With Sundance Packaging

User avatar
Serious Satellite
GTX (RS)
Posts: 559
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:44 pm
My Cars: 1973 Plymouth Roadrunner (R.I.P.) totalled by my younger brother
1974 Plymouth Satellite Coupe (R.I.P.) sold to my other brother, died an ignoble death
1974 Plymouth Satellite Sebring (Rusted In Place) sent to crusher
1984 Dodge Ram Prospector D250, 360 ci engine, hooker headers, edelbrock 4 barrel carb, 1991 grill replacement
Location: Warsaw, Indiana and Dayton, Ohio...

Re: 73 Road Runner horn

Post by Serious Satellite » Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:34 pm

I was trying to edit my previous post prior to anyone seeing it, but the damn internet crashed before I could complete it and low and behold. . .Smellslike74 sees it first.

I wanted to ask if his horn pad is off. . if he doesn't know how and he has a standard 73 steering wheel, then the two screws/nuts (I can't remember which) are on the back of the steering wheel hidden.

It should be a simple job to chase down the wiring from there if the horn switch is still connected. . if not, connect them. Clean the contacts up with a brass brush first, anal retentive that I am, and a little spray of contact stuff.

73RR
Satellite Coupe (RL)
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2009 8:49 pm

Re: 73 Road Runner horn

Post by 73RR » Sun Aug 23, 2009 6:33 pm

All, I've done some more exploratory work on my '73 RR's horn. Yes, the makeshift horn button and horn do work but I'd like to get everything back in original working order. Here's what I have: The center piece of the steering wheel that contains the 3 horn buttons just snaps off from the steering wheel assembly and was easily removed. I can see the wiring to the three horn buttons. The wiring looks to come off a ground on the center of the steering wheel (black wire), goes through each of the 3 horn buttons coming out as a red wire and then to a single terminal on the side of the steering wheel assembly. From what I have read in the Year One catalog, the '73 RR is supposed to have a horn relay that is mounted on or near the fuse box (I have no relay, I guess it's been removed). My guess is the coil on the missing relay is always hot and that the ground from the steering wheel horn buttons completes the circuit to the relay coil. The common side of the relay must be a hot wire from the battery and then the normally open side would go to the horn itself. The problem is that I can't readily see where the red wire from the horn buttons comes out in the wiring harness in the steering column. does anyoneout ther have a '73 RR that they could check on for me and let me know how their horn is wired? Thanks....................Ken

Post Reply