No ground to steering column

dglazeii

dglazeii

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Oct 10, 2024
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Marianna, FL
I am having issues with my horn button not working. If I connect the wire in the steering column to a know ground, the horn works. Is there a ground wire that is used to connect the steering column to ground and where would it be located? Thanks, Doyle
 
Wiring diagrams are in section 8w.

JeepNWilly

STICKY Thread 'Jeep Wrangler TJ Factory Service Manuals (FSM) & Technical Documentation'

This post is for TJ documentation like Factory Service Manuals Etc..
A while back I was able to find the FSM for my 2006 TJ. I decided to look at the same website I have used to download FMS to see if I can find others. I hit the jackpot so I am sharing :beer-toast1:

Please if there are any issues or they are inaccurate let me know.

Thanks @UpperMI for the additional 2002 manuals
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-Mac
 
There is no wire for ground. The FSM states to check the continuity between the metal steering column jacket and a good ground. If there is no continuity the steering column mounting nuts should be checked for proper installation.
 
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dglazeii said:
I am having issues with my horn button not working. If I connect the wire in the steering column to a know ground, the horn works. Is there a ground wire that is used to connect the steering column to ground and where would it be located? Thanks, Doyle
Click to expand...

If my horn did not work when I pushed on the air bag cover where the horn symbol is, the first thing I would check is the clock spring.
 
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mrblaine said:
If my horn did not work when I pushed on the air bag cover where the horn symbol is, the first thing I would check is the clock spring.
Click to expand...

The wire connected to the clock spring works. The issue is that the steering column is not connected to a ground. Need to find where it would connect and check it.
 
dglazeii said:
The wire connected to the clock spring works. The issue is that the steering column is not connected to a ground. Need to find where it would connect and check it.
Click to expand...
The only way the column loses its ground is if the mounting screws are not there or have magically become isolated where they are no longer connected to the tub. That and it would take about 8.5 seconds to clamp a wire on the column and stick the other end under any of several ground screws in the immediate area. The TJ is a body ground set up if that wasn't obvious yet. Pop a speaker grill off, yep there is a series of grounds under a screw into the dash frame. Pop the cluster out, yep, there is a ground going to a screw behind it. Body ground, pretty hard to separate the column from the body without some effort and break the ground circuit.
 
mrblaine said:
The only way the column loses its ground is if the mounting screws are not there or have magically become isolated where they are no longer connected to the tub. That and it would take about 8.5 seconds to clamp a wire on the column and stick the other end under any of several ground screws in the immediate area. The TJ is a body ground set up if that wasn't obvious yet. Pop a speaker grill off, yep there is a series of grounds under a screw into the dash frame. Pop the cluster out, yep, there is a ground going to a screw behind it. Body ground, pretty hard to separate the column from the body without some effort and break the ground circuit.
Click to expand...

That is my thought but it is the case. The steering wheel is not connected to gound and don't understand why.
 
dglazeii said:
That is my thought but it is the case. The steering wheel is not connected to gound and don't understand why.
Click to expand...

You have taken a test light, hooked the clip to power 12V+ and touched the column inside the area behind the knee blocker with the probe to verify that?
 
Next to your battery is a big ground cable that runs to the firewall...is that present? Might want to clean the battery terminals and that ground location.

-Mac
 
dglazeii said:
Yes, that is how I know that I do not have a ground to it.
Click to expand...

I just pulled the knee blocker off and checked. The 2 bolts at the tilt are isolated from the column via the plastic bushings. The next pair of studs at the firewall are not isolated at all. If you put either a continuity checker or powered up test light, the two studs are grounded to any part of the aluminum column.
 
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