ignition off, horn comes on?!?

[sannabay]

Here's my problem for the collective wisdom of volksmania.

Mostly my van works great but there are some perculiar things going on with the electrics.

Some times in the dead of night the horn comes on, So I get a kick from the wife, sleepily dash down the stairs pulling on some clothes and out into the night to kick the van and disconnect the battery. I notice that as well as the horn blaring the gen and oil lights are on too.

Other times I get where I am going switch off and as i pull out the key and the strearing lock pops out the horn goes off and the gen and oil lights come on. I Run to the back to pull off the earth strap!

This last time I switched off the horn and red lights came on and the engine kept running.

Any Ideas? It's a standard panel van ('71)
My wife is chuntering a bag full, and I am at a loss.

Cheers

 

[*Sam*]

There should be a plastic sleeve that insulates the steering column lock from the column tube etc, perhaps that is missing and causing your problem.

 

[RePhil]

As Sam has said, an earth on the steering column will set off the horn - pedal lock?
However the fact that your ignition seems to be switching on & the barrel pops out with the key, points towards the ignition switch to me.
The mechanical bit may not be aligning with the electrical switch bit. Therefore when you switch OFF the contacts may be very close to being ON. During the night they may just slip enough to make the circuit.
Again if you don't have a steering lock the mechanical parts of the ignition switch may still be shorting out the column to the switch housing.

I'd change the ignition switch complete.

Phil.

 

[spanneredmonkey]

i think you have a combo of the two issues your switch at the base of the ignition barrel has managed to touch the steering housing and that you have an iffy insulator at the bottom of the columb meaning that the circuit is made with the key out

 

[sannabay]

Thanks for your input. I don't have a pedal lock (but will look into it for security). Like many intermitent electrical faults it is difficult to imagine what might be the cause without some previous experience. I'll get my tool bag out and report back. Cheers.

 

[sannabay]

Finally solved this. turned out when i was grinding and welding fitting the new front panel a lil bit of metal when astray. lodged in the back of the fuses I found a splinter of steel. Trapped behind one group of two fuses and leaning across to a hairs breath from the next group. a bit of moisture or vibration was probably just enough to short across.

Right whats the next problem?