Horn stopped working...usual searches performed.

jsukey

New member
Okay...so I've done a couple of different searches, and turned up a couple of different suggestions, but nothing exactly like mine. My horn stopped working on my '00 Limited S/C 4X4. The horns do work when the alarm goes off, so the connections there and the horns are good. They don't work when activated by the horn button itself. Everything I searched mentions either the relay, or the clock spring. I can hear a clicking, so I guess the relay is good. My blinkers and cruise control still work fine though. No ABS light, or CEL. Every ad I read said that something else would be off if it were the clock spring. I am up for my annual inspection at the end of this month, so I need to get this figured out. Any thoughts?
 
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Okay...so I've done a couple of different searches, and turned up a couple of different suggestions, but nothing exactly like mine. My horn stopped working on my '00 Limited S/C 4X4. The horns do work when the alarm goes off, so the connections there and the horns are good. They don't work when activated by the horn button itself. Everything I searched mentions either the relay, or the clock spring. I can hear a clicking, so I guess the relay is good. My blinkers and cruise control still work fine though. No ABS light, or CEL. Every ad I read said that something else would be off if it were the clock spring. I am up for my annual inspection at the end of this month, so I need to get this figured out. Any thoughts?

First, you're wrong. A clicking relay is not always a good relay. Frequently they fail so that the contact arm can move and make a click, but the contact is too burnt to pass a current or the arm contact misses the sweet spot on the fixed contact. Second, there is no guarantee that the clockspring can't fail on only the horn circuit.

The relay is built into the Body ECU, so it's a major pain to change. A new Body ECU is wild expensive, so you have to junkyard. Clockspring change is no picnic, either. So you need to use a meter or test light to test the input and output to the Body ECU and nail down what the issue is.

I don't have a 2000 EWD, but 2000 is usually a clone of 1999 and I have that. So the input wire should be a green-red wire on Pin 1 pf Plug B16. B16 is a big white 23-pin plug just below the fuses by driver's knee on left. The green-red horn switch wire is on the left on the bottom. Pull the plug and see if that pin shows ground when horn button is pushed. If it does, it's your Body ECU or beyond. If not, it's your clockspring.

The clicking actually suggests the clockspring is good, but I'd still do this check. Assuming it shows good, you want to see if you have output. That's on the back of the fuse panel, a black wire on Pin 8 of Plug 1E. 1E is a white 12-pin plug on left side one down from the top. Pin 8 is bottom left on the plug with the latch on top. That's the wire that powers the horn. If it does not get 12V+ when you push the button, your Body-ECU needs changed. Poor you.

Honestly though, the alarm circuit is also in the Body ECU. So it's virtually certain the problem is in there. I'd still do the tests to be sure. You'd hate to be wrong. It's only $233 new.(I think this is the one, but I'd need VIN to be sure.)

http://www.toyotapartsdeal.com/oem/toyota~block~driver~side~junction~82730-35260.html?Make=Toyota&Model=4Runner&Year=2000&Submodel=&Filter=(1=5VZFE;4=LULI;5=ATM;6=4FC;0=VZN185L-GKPZKA)
 
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I guessed it was good. I was simply going off of what other users had said in previous posts. My bad! I looked at the procedure for changing the clockspring. I don't feel it to be as hard of a job as some people put on. I just don't want to start replacing parts to try and narrow down the root of the problem. I'm no electrical guru by any means. I really don't want to spend a small fortune, just to fix the horn. I just had the supercharger and lower intake taken off to replace the knock sensors and harness. All due to the harness that had disentigrated, due to heat.
 

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