I have searched multiple forums and the web so there is a lot of info out there about the problems with Porsche horns. My issue is a bit strange though as the horns will work, when they want to. They will work fine for a while, but then on any given day absolutely nada. I moved the horn around that you can reach without taking the bumper off and sprayed some electrical cleaner and then I would get a one beep horn then nothing. Then yesterday I was driving on the way to the autoparts store to buy some simple napa replacement horns, and my horn suddenly was working just dandy. A lady in a large van suddenly stopped in front of me and started to back up. I instinctively laid into the horn and luckily it worked and she stopped just inches of making a front end mess. I couldn't back up because there were people behind me. For the rest of the day and night I kept trying it, horn is fine. This morning, no horn. I pulled on all the fuses and turned the wheel all the way left and right, and tried the horn. It works. It seems that if it were just a contact it would be more intermittent in the time that it seems working. For instance I am assuming the remainder of the day it will be fine but not tomorrow morning.
I did do the reset all on the information lever to the left of the wheel. I'm wondering where to begin looking. I have read that it could be behind the steering wheel for the horn contacts, or by the horns, or the relay but I can't find any horn relay just the fuse panel fuses.

If I clean the wheel horn contacts do I have to remove the whole thing including the airbag, or is there a quick and easier access to clean?
Even with the horn working, it is not very loud or attention getting so I just ordered the hella supertones. I used youtube to play the sound and liked it much better than oem horns or the ferrari style air horns.

Any advice or links would be very much appreciated!

thanks,

Everett

 

On a quick check, I went out to try the horn, not working. I steered the wheel left and right, got on beep, then nothing, then it started working fine. Argh.

 

Perhaps the issue is with a loose electrical contact/wire in your steering wheel, since it works sometimes whe you turn the wheel?

 

Now it seems completely random. I think doing an indian rain dance has as much a chance at getting the horn to work. I will install new horns first to see if that fixes the problem. They should be here in about a week. If that doesn't do it, then I'll try the steering wheel clean.

 

Well, it's official, the horns were shot. I installed the Hella Supertones and they work fine, and consistently. Much louder! The sound has the old raspy metallic sound that my old 1965 bug had but a hella bit louder.

Interestingly the old horns are Bosch. I thought they made good stuff, horns included. I kept them as some time this summer if I get bored I may open them up and try to see if I can get them going again. I fixed my old bug horns at one time as I was a poor starving college student and couldn't afford $15 for a new one. If I can get them to work I'll put them on my boat, and if not they will go to the dump. Even when they worked they didn't have a unique tone, and they weren't loud although I realize it may have only been one horn working.

Taking the bumper off was a slight *****. I didn't realize at first you had to remove the tires on both sides. It would have been easier had I started it on a weekend morning rather than afterwork trying to beat a rainstorm coming in. I am going to pick up a small hydraulic jack to make it even easier because I think I'll remove the tires from time to time to really clean the wheels inside and out.

There was a bunch of crap in the radiator area, so installing grills will be my next step. I realized when I put it all back together that somehow my center bumper is just a hair off track, so that the hood when closed is slightly lower than the bumper. Oops. I'll fix that when I put the grills on. Why the heck didn't Porshe install grills? Really. Oh well. I love my %$##%ing car anyway despite the strange things they did or didn't do. By the way,
http://gallery.rennlist.com/gallery/album430/IMG_1990 is really the bomb link on removing the bumper. I read a bunch of others but that one is perfect and clear.