Something New With My Ford Ranger

[Bird]

Yesterday morning, about 6:30 a.m., I was sitting here reading e-mails, news, and weather on the Internet when a really LOUD AND CONTINOUS horn sounded. To say I was startled would be an understatement. My wife and the dog were still asleep, but they sure got up in a hurry. To make a long story short (well, shorter anyway), I traced the sound to my 2002 Ford Ranger in the garage. Both vehicles had been parked there, with the garage doors shut, for at least 15 hours. My keys and remote control were laying on the dresser in the bedroom. So I got the keys, tried pressing the security button on the remote and that made the lights flash, but didn't change the horn. I pressed it again and the lights quit flashing, but no change in the horn. I'm sure everyone is familiar with the security horn beeps, but this wasn't beeping; it was continuous. So I backed the little truck out of the garage so it would easier to open the hood, but when I backed out, I hit the horn button in the steering wheel a couple of times and the horn stopped; Thank Goodness. I talked to my service advisor at the Ford dealer and he'd never heard of such a thing either. The horn has worked normally ever since. Now the owners manual shows a horn relay fuse "unless equipped with a truck central security module". Mine is so equipped so apparently there is only a breaker in that module, and apparently something in that module caused the horn to engage for unknown reasons. This was something I never heard of, and I didn't ask what it would cost if that security module had to be replaced. But in the meantime, since everything seems normal, I'm keeping the right sized wrench handy in the truck to disconnect the battery if need be.:laughing:

 

[tcartwri]

Y I talked to my service advisor at the Ford dealer and he'd never heard of such a thing either.

they are programmed to say that.

 

[dave1949]

Maybe you aren't using the horn enough?

I don't know anything about the "central security module" or what things may falsely trigger them. It's possible vehicles use a common module but options enable some of the security features like touching the vehicle sets off the horn, etc.

 

[Bird]

they are programmed to say that.

Tim, in general I'd agree with you, but not with this guy. I'm convinced that he's as honest as they come.:laughing:

 

[JerryK]

Could be your vehicle received a signal from some other device in the area [ neighbors, passers by, sub out in the Atlantic, etc. ] that it decided was the signal to turn the horn on....

 

[Tig]

My 90 Corsica did that twice. Both times around 3AM in extremely cold weather (-35)
First time I thought I was going outside to deal with a car wreck. Second time I ran straight to the drive way. And apologized to my neighbours the next morning.
A thump or two on the horn button settled things down both times. After the second time, I disassembled the steering wheel / horn button assembly inspected it and carefully reassembled. Never happened again.

Bird, If hitting the horn button stopped it, then that's where they need to look.

 

[Bird]

My 90 Corsica did that twice. Both times around 3AM in extremely cold weather (-35)
First time I thought I was going outside to deal with a car wreck. Second time I ran straight to the drive way. And apologized to my neighbours the next morning.
A thump or two on the horn button settled things down both times. After the second time, I disassembled the steering wheel / horn button assembly inspected it and carefully reassembled. Never happened again.

Bird, If hitting the horn button stopped it, then that's where they need to look.

Steve, I had the cruise control buttons (switches) replaced less than a month ago and they told me in advance that they would have to deactivate the air bag to do that, so I suspect something there is going to be the cause. But both I, and the service advisor, were unable to find any problem with the horn or the horn contacts, although we did not disassemble it. It may never happen again, but if it does, I'm sure they will disassemble it to see what the problem might be. The little truck only has 98k miles on it.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I had a horn on a GM car do the same thing but it happened as I was driving.

Long story short it was the horn itself. Horn had 3 wires going to it which confused me at first. Ended up having one 12v positive and two grounds. One ground had its circuit completed when you pressed the horns steering wheel button and the other through the remote entry/alarm system.

Must have had a relay internally that was sticking. I got a new used one on ebay for under $20 and never had the issue again.

Chris

 

[Travelover]

I had a Ford Escort that would do it predictably at -10 degrees F when the plastic covering on the steering wheel shrunk. I'd expect you have some thing similar - maybe plastic drying out?

 

[Soundguy]

i'd also have to say that if hitting the horn button stopepd it.. that you will find the issue in that vicinity.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

That's weird.

A Ford work van down the street did the same thing one summer when a rumble of thunder came.

 

[Tig]

Steve, I had the cruise control buttons (switches) replaced less than a month ago........

That may be a clue. I once repaired a turn signal on a 76 Volare. Soon after, the horn would honk when going around corners. My girlfriend got tired of smiling and waving back to everyone at every corner so she made me fix it.

 

[Egon]

Was there an issue some years ago with Ford ?? Ignitions starting fires ?

Not sure of my memory or if true the relevance.

The interconnection of electrical components can be quite complicated . For example, an electrical component for the daytime running lights on my truck failed. That also made it impossible for me to shut the motor off.

 

[mjarrels]

At least you have a working horn. My son, years ago spilled a bottle of water on the dash of my 1994 ford truck and the electrical system has had ghost every since. No working horn for probably 15 years.

mark

 

[Bird]

Was there an issue some years ago with Ford ?? Ignitions starting fires ?

Not sure of my memory or if true the relevance.

The interconnection of electrical components can be quite complicated . For example, an electrical component for the daytime running lights on my truck failed. That also made it impossible for me to shut the motor off.

Egon, the Ford recall 05S28 is the only one I remember. And that "repair" was simply a piece of wiring harness the service writer installed herself in about 2 minutes. I guess the original recall was in 2005, but I don't think it included the Ranger until later. Anyway, mine was done on August 6, 2007.

 

[clemsonfor]

Was there an issue some years ago with Ford ?? Ignitions starting fires ?

Not sure of my memory or if true the relevance.

The interconnection of electrical components can be quite complicated . For example, an electrical component for the daytime running lights on my truck failed. That also made it impossible for me to shut the motor off.

Yea I think it covered all the ford trucks and maybe minivans. I think it was mostly like exploders which is the ranger platform and family as well as the main culprit of the f150 and maybe the expedition.

Yea it was some wireing issue.

 

[Birdhunter1]

Yesterday morning, about 6:30 a.m., I was sitting here reading e-mails, news, and weather on the Internet when a really LOUD AND CONTINOUS horn sounded. To say I was startled would be an understatement. My wife and the dog were still asleep, but they sure got up in a hurry. To make a long story short (well, shorter anyway), I traced the sound to my 2002 Ford Ranger in the garage. Both vehicles had been parked there, with the garage doors shut, for at least 15 hours. My keys and remote control were laying on the dresser in the bedroom. So I got the keys, tried pressing the security button on the remote and that made the lights flash, but didn't change the horn. I pressed it again and the lights quit flashing, but no change in the horn. I'm sure everyone is familiar with the security horn beeps, but this wasn't beeping; it was continuous. So I backed the little truck out of the garage so it would easier to open the hood, but when I backed out, I hit the horn button in the steering wheel a couple of times and the horn stopped; Thank Goodness. I talked to my service advisor at the Ford dealer and he'd never heard of such a thing either. The horn has worked normally ever since. Now the owners manual shows a horn relay fuse "unless equipped with a truck central security module". Mine is so equipped so apparently there is only a breaker in that module, and apparently something in that module caused the horn to engage for unknown reasons. This was something I never heard of, and I didn't ask what it would cost if that security module had to be replaced. But in the meantime, since everything seems normal, I'm keeping the right sized wrench handy in the truck to disconnect the battery if need be.:laughing:

Bird instead of opening the truck, then opening the hood and disconnecting the battery cable wouldn't it be easier and faster to reach in through the grille and pull the wire off the horn? On my 2007 the horn is right there in front of the radiator behind the grille.

 

[Soundguy]

i wonder how hard it is to get to that switch.

I had an old pontiac that had the horn stick on me. I puleld over and puleld the wire off the horn .. luckilly i wasn't on the road following a motorcycle gang or anything

as I recall.. it wasn't too monumental a task to get the cover off the steering wheel and correct something loose at the horn switch.

mind you this was inthe mid 80's and i don't there there were any air bags.. unless they were in t he passanger seat.. um.. or perhaps the back seat occasionally

 

[orezok]

i'd also have to say that if hitting the horn button stopepd it.. that you will find the issue in that vicinity.

That's a good possibility, but hitting the horn button could have sent voltage or ground to the sticking relay/controller thereby cycling it.

 

[Express]

I had the same thing occur on my Honda CRV. I couldn't just pull the fuse for the horn because it is the same for the Brakes and vehicle would not start. It happened after driving that day when it was raining. I don't believe it was the alarm. There is a module that contains the relay and cannot be replaced. You have to buy the whole model $600. It stopped aver sitting for a day and hasn't occurred since.