Milano(75)Horn Problem

[Tim Mills <tm_002@domain.elided>]

Digesti,

I recently replaced the horn button(steering wheel
pad) because the plastic part that forms an integral
piece with the brass contacts(located on the back of
the horn button)was old/frail. I believe this was due
to usage and heat over time. The resulting problem was
that the horn would inadvertently start blaring and
stay blaring as the contacts were allowed to engage
even though the horn button was not depressed.  Not at
all a good thing.

To solve the problem I purchased a brand new unit from
AR Ricambi. This did the trick for about three weeks
and then the same blaring problem persisted all over
again. This time to solve the problem I noticed that
on the left side(as the pad is fitted to the steering
wheel)of the horn button one part of the brass spring
contact was raised higher thereby making contact at
all times and closing the circuit. The fix(with the
keen help of an experienced technician, dear old dad)
was to stick a piece of a trimmed portion of a 3x5
note card between the faulty horn contacts on the left
side of the button.  The horn can now be normally
activated when the pad is depressed on the Alfa Romeo
logo, and both the lower and right arms of the pad. 
The best part is the horn does not go off when it is
not supposed to.

Have any other Milano owners on the list experienced a
problem like this?  Does anyone one have any
suggestions regarding a more permanent fix and a
possible cause? What would cause the clerance between
the contacts to change and only on the left side of
the horn button?  TIA.

Ciao,

Tim Mills
'87 Milano Gold  

P.S. During the three week's time after the new horn
button was installed the horn was hardly ever, if at
all, activated other than initial testing.  
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