Re: [Amc-list] Help! I need suggestions on my 86 Eagle

[Matt Haas <mhaas@xxxxxxx>]

Jamie,

There are a couple of parts related to the horn in the column. The first 
is a wire that runs up the column and ends in a spring loaded contact 
that's likely part of the turn signal switch assembly.

The next part is part of the turn signal canceling mechanism. It's 
plastic part about 2 - 2.5 inches across. One side has a copper ring on 
it and the other side has a spring loaded contact on it that pokes up 
through the steering wheel. This piece is likely what's broken (or 
missing) since it's easy to break the part that sticks up through the 
wheel if you're not careful. Since AMC used Saginaw columns, this should 
be an easy part to find. I had to put one in my El Camino (and my 68 
American) when I got it and I think it was about $20 from a dealer.

The third part is the horn button mechanism itself. There are several 
ways these work but all of them have to make contact with contact that 
sticks up through the wheel and the column itself (usually via the wheel 
itself).

The last part (and also least likely to be messed up unless the car's 
been hacked on bad) is the column ground. They usually ground through 
the rag joint at the steering gear box. The two methods I've seen for 
grounding is a wire running from the column to the gear box side of the 
joint and a copper tab that does basically the same thing.

Matt

Jamie Smith wrote:
> Jim, I am already a member there, I just never think to post over there. 
> 
> I sure wish I had seen your message before I started working on this thing. It was to the point that just moving the steering wheel or even getting in/out of the car killed all the lights and accessories. So after work today I started tearing into it.
>  First I pulled the steering wheel and opened up the column. Didn't appear to be anything wrong in there but while I had it apart I did tighten up the tilt joint (it was getting really sloppy). Also found why my horn doesn't work. The guy that replaced the ignition piece that likes to break back when my boss still owned it broke a piece and and therefore left some pieces out (I am assuming he threw them away to hide them). When my boss tested it and found the horn didn't work the guy said "oh, a wire must have broke or come loose inside". So, on a related note.....Does anyone have a diagram of the internals of the column (or at least the horn setup) so I can figure out what I need to fix it?
> 
> I then tore the dash apart (had a h#ll of a time getting the gauge cluster out and then later getting it back in). Started checking wires and grounds and testing stuff and everything. While I had the dash torn apart I decided to play around with the a/c and did some testing on the switch. There is power at the switch but I am getting nothing at the clutch. I unplugged the clutch and touched the wire to the (+) side of the battery and it kicked right on. 
> Anyway, after finding nothing wrong under the dash I started testing the fuse block and was getting no juice to a "bat" terminal. I moved and everything started working so I tested again and had juice. I started testing wires under the hood and found that if I tested from the (-) on the battery to any "hot" wire I had juice. Same with going from the engine block. However, if I went from a body screw or bolt to any hot wire (including (+) on the battery) I had nothing. So, I grabbed a chunk of wire and touch it to a body screw and then touched it to the (-) on the battery and "let there be light" everything worked. So, I stripped the ends of the wire and hooked one end under the body screw and the other end to the (-) on the battery and then jumped in and started pushing the brake pedal and moving it and moving the steering wheel and slamming my hand on the dash and everything I could and it continued to work. In fact it didn't even flicker. So, I spent from 1 pm to 6:30 pm
 te
>  aring the column and dash apart and testing and checking before I finally found that it was something so stupidly simple that I could have found it in 5 minutes instead of 5 hours if I had seen Jims reply first.
> 
> So, now that I have it working, where would I normally find this ground that has failed so I can fix it correctly?
> 
> Thanks everyone for your replies.
> 
> Jamie
> Spokane, WA.
> 
> Date: Fri, 07 Sep 2007 22:37:56 -0700
> From: "Jim Blair" <carnuck@xxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:carnuck@xxxxxxxxxxx>>
> Subject: Re: [Amc-list] Help! I need suggestions on my 86 Eagle
> 
> A: Same problem Jeeps have. Bad ground from the body to the battery. Come on 
> over and join "the dark side" AMC-Eagle@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:AMC-Eagle@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> if you dare! 
> MUAAAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!
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> 

-- 
mhaas@xxxxxxx
Cincinnati, OH
http://www.mattsoldcars.com
1967 Rambler American wagon
1968 Rambler American sedan
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