Tacoma - horn stuck when lights ON

[Natedogg]

WTF? Anyone ever have this happen? Driving into work today my 01 Taco's horn got stuck (I hadn't even touched it). The first time I shut the engine off it stopped. I started it: horn on. Stopped it: horn on. X2, same result. Finally turned the lights off and the horn stopped. Crossed wires? Some bigger problem (hoping not)??

[Crass3000]

I can't see how that would be crossed wires. I'm not sure how the car is wired but these days cars have lots of processors. Possibly the processer is giving out a signal when it shouldn't? I would suggest looking at a wiring diagram for your car to figure out what has to take place for your car horn to activate. I'm not really a car expert but the wiring diagram would answer some questions.

[MrZach]

LOL - I laughed hard when I read this one. I once wired the right turn signal to the horn in a past-boss' truck: funniest day ever. I followed him around for hours with friends watching other drivers flip him off every time he signaled for a right turn. He eventually went everywhere making only left-hand turns.

In all seriousness, though, I'd say either someone is playing a joke on you or you've got some really whacky wiring problems.

[Crud's Uncle]

I would disconnect the horn.

[bio-smear]

As a temporary fix, remove the fuse on the horn circuit, hopefully it's dedicated on the Tacoma.

[YetiMan]

funniest problem ever!

[Big Blue]

LOL - I laughed hard when I read this one. I once wired the right turn signal to the horn in a past-boss' truck: funniest day ever. I followed him around for hours with friends watching other drivers flip him off every time he signaled for a right turn. He eventually went everywhere making only left-hand turns.

I blew snot all over my monitor when I read this. Classic.

[powder4breakfast]

The extra power outlet in our Montero Sport is whacky. The horn honks when you plug a phone charger into it. It was pretty funny the first few times it happened. Now, we just don't use that plug.

Good luck with your Toy.

[flatfive40]

I had a kinda similar problem with my 99 4runner. Right turn signal went off every time i hit the brakes, drove me absalutely nuts. Turned out to be bad wiring in the trailer hitch. May not have anything to do with your horn issue but check it out, I know of other people that have had wierd electrical issues with toyotas due to the trailer wiring harness.

[GapersGoHome]

LOL - I laughed hard when I read this one. I once wired the right turn signal to the horn in a past-boss' truck: funniest day ever. I followed him around for hours with friends watching other drivers flip him off every time he signaled for a right turn. He eventually went everywhere making only left-hand turns.

Thanks to you, I now have beer in my nose; best practical joke EVER, especially since you followed him around all over the place... did you end up fixing it back to normal?

My girl's '88 Montero has a similar problem; when you plug the horn in, and try to steer in any direction (or just touch the steering wheel), it goes off. Changing lanes (really seemed to piss people off), going around corners, backing up, etc... I finally disconnected it; now she just flips everyone off. :D

[4matic]

Might be the alarm system. Do you have aftermarket audio?

[YetiMan]

at least your horn isn't wired to your brakes...
vg00-yzXBdM

[Snow Dog]

Not that I'm a Tacoma expert but if the high-low beams are controlled by the turn signal stalk then you have a wiring probem in the steering column wire harness. Does this happen with the parking lights? High and low beam?

When working on the steering column disconnect the battery and turn on the ignition for 20s. You don't want the airbag going off becaused you touched the wrong wire.

[Natedogg]

Ha, good shit in this thread...

I'm embarrassed to say that I don't have a tow hitch (yet), and no, no aftermarket alarms or stereo...

It's odd that it all of a sudden started doing this. I've had the truck for three years, have done absolutely nothing to it (haven't even changed the oil in about a month), and this morning it goes nuts. The only possible different thing I can think of was that we had about 8 inches of wet heavy snow overnight. Maybe water got in under the hood? I'm a complete auto mechanical noob, so I don't even know what that could do...

When I get home (ended up turning around and getting a ride to work with a co-worker), I'll look at the wiring diagrams and fuse box. I'm a little sketched out to start working on wiring in the steering column :confused:, but thanks SnowDog--good advice.

[jongtastic]

at least your horn isn't wired to your brakes...
vg00-yzXBdM

we did the same thing to a friend, but we wired up an old horn to a trailer hitch plug and just plugged it into his hitch. took the guy FOREVER to figure out that it wasn't his factory horn going off. needless to say he parks in his garage now :the_finge

[uglymoney]

Maybe water got in under the hood? I'm a complete auto mechanical noob, so I don't even know what that could do...

When I get home (ended up turning around and getting a ride to work with a co-worker), I'll look at the wiring diagrams and fuse box. I'm a little sketched out to start working on wiring in the steering column :confused:, but thanks SnowDog--good advice.

First thing to check is your battery terminals. Clean and polish them and reconnect. All your grounds. Trailer to ground is usually an easy one to check and clean. A lot of weird unexplained things happen because of bad grounds so that is where to start before you begin troubleshooting.

[MrZach]

Thanks to you, I now have beer in my nose; best practical joke EVER, especially since you followed him around all over the place... did you end up fixing it back to normal?

My girl's '88 Montero has a similar problem; when you plug the horn in, and try to steer in any direction (or just touch the steering wheel), it goes off. Changing lanes (really seemed to piss people off), going around corners, backing up, etc... I finally disconnected it; now she just flips everyone off. :D

Heh - yeah, but only after he took it to a shop for repair. He dropped it off and once he left I ran in, talked to the foreman and removed the "fun" wiring. He was never any wiser about it. A month later (during winter) I put baby powder in the defroster and left the fan on "high" - oh god, I had never seen such a pissed of "Casper" before in my life.

[RootSkier]

I put baby powder in the defroster and left the fan on "high" - oh god, I had never seen such a pissed of "Casper" before in my life.

You are an asshole.

A very funny asshole.

[laseranimal]

memo to self

never get Mr Zach pissed off at me

[GapersGoHome]

Heh - yeah, but only after he took it to a shop for repair. He dropped it off and once he left I ran in, talked to the foreman and removed the "fun" wiring. He was never any wiser about it. A month later (during winter) I put baby powder in the defroster and left the fan on "high" - oh god, I had never seen such a pissed of "Casper" before in my life.

You, sir, are a true inspiration to the practical joke world.

Note to self: NEVER let MrZ borrow, drive, or so much look at my car...

[Natedogg]

You are an asshole.
A very funny asshole.

Exactly what I was thinking. Glad I don't have any 'friends' like that. :smile:

ANyway, when I got home last night, I started the truck, let it run for 15 minutes, drive it around the block honking the horn, turning on and off the lights, etc, and the problem never recurred. :confused:

The horn is apparently on the same fuse as the flashers, but I didn't see a wiring diagram in the manual. The battery terminals are pretty corroded--the positive has that green oxidized shit all over it. I guess I'll get out the wire brush, but it seems like I may never know if this is the problem or not...

[Natedogg]

Year and a half later, horn still fucked. Now it doesn't seem related to lights. Garage spent an hour looking at it and said they traced the problem to the fuse box. Said it could be a few hundo$ to fix. Truck won't pass inspection without a working horn... what to do?

[Platinum Pete]

Year and a half later, horn still fucked. Now it doesn't seem related to lights. Garage spent an hour looking at it and said they traced the problem to the fuse box. Said it could be a few hundo$ to fix. Truck won't pass inspection without a working horn... what to do?

sell your truck to me cheap. no safety inspections in Oregon!

[Steven S. Dallas]

Said it could be a few hundo$ to fix. Truck won't pass inspection without a working horn... what to do? Well, since you can't figure it out, and since a new truck costs more than a few hundred bucks, I say get it fixed.

[BigDaddy]

Just get one of those classy bumper stickers... "Honk if You're Horney". You might eventually get something.

Seriously, have you tried to call Car Talk? This is right up their alley.

[waxman]

all i know is based on past experience and nothing is ever Toyotas fault...
you have been driving around like this for a year and a half? you are way more patient than me...

[Blatant]

imagining that horn is funny shit.

[shredgnar]

I had a school bus in elementary school that would honk every time we made a left turn. Funny as hell to us kids and it did it for a few weeks.

[focus]

Glad I happened across this thread. I needed that laugh.

Hilarious problem.

I wonder how hard it would be to hook the horn up to the brake lights on a chevy impala?