# Repair horn button **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** mercury, grandmarquis\ **Created:** [December 6, 2012, 6:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/repair-horn-button/75958 "2012-12-06T06:43:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d9b06d/32.png) [@Hyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Hyman)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 6:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/repair-horn-button/75958/1 "2012-12-06T06:43:16Z")
I have a 1985 Mercury marques station wagon. The horn button on the steeling wheel column is not activating the horn. Can I remove the button from the steeling wheel and clean up the debris between the two metal plates to resume the electrical conductivity? I f you know the place that I can purchase a new horn button that will helpful. Thank you. Hyman ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 6:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/repair-horn-button/75958/2 "2012-12-06T06:49:24Z")
Before tearing the steering wheel apart, have you checked if the horn fuse is good? Tester ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 6:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/repair-horn-button/75958/3 "2012-12-06T06:49:35Z")
I don’t think your Mercury has an airbag, so the job may be simple. You can take it apart and try cleaning the contacts. Probably the only place you can get parts is a dealer and they may not have a horn switch going back 27 years. However, you can get a horn button that attaches to the side of the steering column and run the wires to the horn relay outside the column. This will work if you don’t mind the car not looking original. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 6:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/repair-horn-button/75958/4 "2012-12-06T06:54:09Z")
Sometimes simply using a pencil erasor to clean up copper contact plates will do the trick. I had to do this with a power antenna one time, and it worked. I’ve no experience w/your car, so I don’t know how to access the switch area. I’m assuming you don’t have air bags, but if you do, make sure you ask somebody who knows with 100% certaintly how to disable them first before poking around in that area. Be sure to try the major auto parts stores, they may have the spare parts your need. If not, then a dealership might, but unlikely. A junk yard could help you if you can’t find it at the auto parts store or the dealership. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 8:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/repair-horn-button/75958/5 "2012-12-06T08:49:45Z")
Are you absolutely certain that the horn itself isn’t dead? Have you checked for voltage at the horn while someone pushes the button? Horns do occasionally fail. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Marc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@Big\_Marc](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Big_Marc)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/repair-horn-button/75958/6 "2012-12-06T23:15:22Z")
or the relay