Nickel stuck in steering wheel causes sporadic honks!!

91accordman91accordman Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Honda
While trying to clean out the gap between the horn plate and the backing on my 91 Accord DX, the nickel I was using fell far back into the assembly and is now banging around the steering wheel. The worst part of this is that it causes the horn to honk every once in a while, apparently when it hits something just right.

I went to the junkyard (honking all the way) earlier today to see if I could remove the front section of the steering wheel, but the task seems to daunting to me. Is this a quick job at the dealership or should I be prepared to spend some serious $$$? If you're familiar with the 91 DX accords, there is no airbag or cruise control business attached to the steering wheel, which i think would make it easier to get around in there.

How much should I be prepared to pay?

Thanks for any help,
91accordman
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Comments

  • xfordman03xfordman03 Member Posts: 3
    I have an '86 Accord and now that inspection time
    has rolled around, I found out I have no horn.
    I'm getting voltage to the steering wheel terminal
    so the problem must be in the horn itself. But
    where is it? About your nickel problem... if your
    steering wheel is like mine, there are four phillips screws on the back side of the wheel that hold the horn cover on. Once you get the cover off you should find your nickel.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,482
    The nickel is probably acting as a ground, just like your horn button is supposed to do.

    You'll probably need a wheel puller although sometimes you get lucky and you can jiggle it off.
  • swschradswschrad Member Posts: 2,171
    if there is a nut holding the wheel on, and you need to remove it to get to the steering column to get to the nickel, beware. both buick and ford manuals say this is a one-use part, if taken off must be replaced by a brand new nut. there are several places (wheel hub attachments are also common) where deforming fasteners are used these days, and this is one.

    next time, use a popsicle stick or a screwdriver and old T-shirt cloth to clean recesses like that... something that can't fall in at all.
  • dudkadudka Member Posts: 451
    I don't think you need to remove steering wheel, on the side there should be two or 4 bolts that hold the center cover to the steering wheel rim. You just need to remove the cover, which appends to be horn button.

    I would suggest you go out and either look it up in the manual at the store or just buy the manual, it will save you more money than its initial $15 price tag.
    I would suggest getting Hlms manual if you plan on keeping the car for a while and doing all the work your self. It is the same manual Honda dealer uses, but it is pricey, about $70.
    Haynes is the next best manual, and worse come to worse get a Chilton.
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    This is why I never clean the steering column. Just brush off the dust with my hand when it gets too thick! Clean the gaps? Nah, who looks there anyway? Out of sight, out of mind :)
  • xfordman03xfordman03 Member Posts: 3
    I'm answering my own question here in case anybody else wants to know. My '86 Accord has
    two horns, each located directly below the
    headlights. You have to remove the front bumper,
    or at least remove enough screws so that it will
    drop down enough to allow access to the horns.
    After installing two new horns, I'm now legal
    again. The sad part is after all that work, when
    I had the car inspected, they didn't even ask to
    hear the horn!
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