Driving down the highway today and my horn started going crazy and blowing irradically. I stopped at a rest area and pulled the relay and stopped it from going off. When i finally got into town i bought a new relay and plugged it in it started going berserk again. I could hear the relay clicking when it was going nuts and cant seem to figure out why its doing it. I recently got into an accident and had practically a whole new front end put on. Where should i start searching? Thanks

 

If I've said it once I've said it a million times...

This. Is. Normal.

 

Seriously, though, I'm not familiar with airbag equipped XJs but I would guess the likely cause is in your steering wheel/column somewhere. I believe the horn button provides ground continuity so the horn circuit is being grounded which could be a bad spring in the horn button, itself, or a short anywhere in the circuit.

 

remove airbag and check horn connector.

 

Un plug use finger...lol..No gotta take steering wheel off and check like suggested.

 

Probably a defective clockspring.

 

Or horn switch.

 

Time for a new clockspring ! Same thng happened to me

 

its your clockspring.

one easy way to check would be to test cruise control if you have it.
if your cruise control worked before this and doesnt know then its deff clock spring


your clock spring is a wind of copper wire that allows electrical current to pass through to your wheel even with 3-4 turns of allowable movement.
when they put your new front end in im guessing steering was part of that.

im guessing while bleeding your steering pump they broke your clock spring..
unfortunately idk how you could proove it was them cuz imo if you didnt work on your steering system yourself then they were the ones to break it.

usually those clock springs dont go out unless you over turn the wheel in my experiences at least


if you have airbag and cruise control there 150$ for a new clock spring and probly 1-2 hr install time.
maybe more if youve never removed your steering wheel

 

They put on a new bumper, hood, header, fender, and had to replace the steering pump and ac condenser. This all happened a few weeks ago and after the repairs were done i used my cruise control and it seemed to work fine. Ive never had the steering wheel apart so it may be a pain. Ive gotta run around town today so ill check if the cruise is still working.

 

Drove around today and the cruise still works. I was going 50 and hit set and it finally kicked in and kept it at 45 not sure if that helps but thats what i noticed.

 

Does the horn still work?

 

no we already determined that.

well if your cruise control still works.. then clock spring is still in tact.
at least enough for cruise control.?

hmm maybe its your horn switch? idk i thought it was clock spring forsure the way you described it happening..

 

If i plug the relay back in the horn will still work when i hit it but it also beeps when im driving but it isnt a consistent beep it chatters and seems to be set off from the vibrations of the jeep doing 70. Could the clock sprin just be wearing out or is that even possible.

 

yea maybe thats the cause.
maybe its just going out slowly.

if it is the clock spring eventually youll start getting little pieces of flat chewed up copper wire coming out of the bottom of your steering wheel as you turn it ( or at least the last two jeeps ive had did )