Car Rego Conundrum - Horn Not Working

CrankyCarrot on 03/05/2019 - 22:35
Last edited 04/05/2019 - 16:46 by 1 other user

I've recently taken over driving duties for my old man (as he's just too old) and am looking to get his '93 Toyota Camry Vienta through rego.

Despite the age, it's only got 35,000km on the clock, and the mechanic said it just needs 4 new tyres… and to have the horn fixed.

This last part poses the conundrum as it seems like it'll be hard to impossible to do. A while back the horn went berserk, with one long beeeeeeeeeee-! until the NRMA came out and yanked the fuse. They said the problem was a "coil," or something under the horn pad had likely corroded and that I might try a wrecker's for spare bits.

Having checked around it seems nobody has a spare horn pad that will fit. I'm in Sydney and tried a few different mechanics and Jap World spares. Couldn't see anything on Gumtree or eBay either. There's only a couple of weeks 'til the rego is up.

  1. If the car has already been for a pink slip and come back with these issues (needs 4 tyres and horn fixed), is that info registered on a database somewhere with the RMS or whatever? ie I have a feeling the only reason these guys noted the horn was because I mentioned it to them beforehand. I can live without it and feel it's not worth spending hundreds to repair an arguably non-critical feature on a vehicle barely worth a grand, if that. If I just go to another mechanic and don't mention the horn, is there a decent chance they won't notice/care and not bother with it for rego or are the faults going to be pre-populated based on the last check?

  2. If so, does this change if it's after the 14 day period you have to go back to the original mechanic?

  3. Any ideas about fixing the horn and it's corroded coil? How hard would this be to DIY?

  4. Another post somewhere said "just go to Bankstown," for a quick rego pass. I have no problem replacing the tyres, it's just the horn which I never use anyway.

  5. Is there no way to transfer CTP to another vehicle? What if I blow $425 bucks on that and the car goes kaput in 3 months?

  6. Oh yeah, and does the fact that it's only got 35,000km on the clock significantly change it's value? I had a quick look online and estimates were around the $1500 mark for something similar.

Not a car guy, but learning.

Automotive

Comments

  • CrankyCarrot on 03/05/2019 - 22:36
    1. Oh yeah, and does the fact that it's only got 35,000km on the clock significantly change it's value? I had a quick look online and estimates were around the $1500 mark for something similar.
    • Quantumcat on 04/05/2019 - 08:51

      You should be able to edit your own post

    • brad1-8tsi on 06/05/2019 - 12:05

      It might help if the condition matches that of a 35k km vehicle. I know my dad's car had low mileage (100k km) but was scratched and dented from touch parking and hadn't been serviced properly ("Not worth spending the money as I could die next week") and was worth no more than a car with 250k km on it.

      The horn issue is probably the clock spring. The part should be around $100. You can get them on ebay or here https://clocksprings.com.au/product-category/toyota/camry/ for <$100. Genuine are ~$300.

      Has anyone actually looked at it properly? Have you got a proper diagnosis and quote?

      • CrankyCarrot on 06/05/2019 - 16:56

        I have now. I don't think it even has a clockspring. At the very least it wasn't involved. It was just a wire gone astray (see post further down).

        The NMRMA guy who helped me with it (shout out) said that while low KM's = less wear on the engine, all the rubber bits (timing belts and other stuff) could simply perish due to age. That said, he figured it was worth spending up to a grand on.

  • resubaehtgnolhcs on 03/05/2019 - 22:44
    +4

    A horn is important in emergency type situations

    Regarding your questions, it depends if they officially recorded the faults and failed your pink slip.If not, just take it to another mechanic with 4 new tyres (and don't mention the horn), and ask for a pink slip.

    • CrankyCarrot on 04/05/2019 - 00:19

      "it depends if they officially recorded the faults and failed your pink slip."

      How would I know that? I have the receipt… It has a doc attached with NSW RMS letterhead. e-Safety Check Number/Status: Fail, and vehicle info.

      • resubaehtgnolhcs on 04/05/2019 - 14:08

        The fact that you have a doc on RMS letterhead with a fail status, gives you your answer. It has been officially documented!

    • northern nsw on 04/05/2019 - 07:50
      +1

      In NSW, if a vehicle fails a Safety Check, it is recorded on the RMS database, and you cannot take your vehicle to another authorised inspection station, it must go back to the original place for another check.

      • CrankyCarrot on 04/05/2019 - 14:09

        But after 14 days apparently you have to do it again. I don't think it has to be at the same place.

      • Mrbean007 on 06/05/2019 - 16:51

        Not necessarily my commodore failed a pink slip fixed the problems and sent it to another mechanic no problems when getting pink slip done.

        NSW

  • sparkles on 03/05/2019 - 22:49
    +1

    It's a Toyota. It's only done 35k. Keep it and drive it until it dies. It has more intrinsic value that you realise. It's the opportunity cost. It might be "old" but buying something with equivalent low kms might set you back $15k.

    Try more wreckers for the horn parts. Although it's tempting to think you don't need a horn, there are some situations it is essential.

  • JIMB0 on 03/05/2019 - 22:58
    +13

    Put a sticker on the back that reads "Horn broken, watch for Finger"

    • CrankyCarrot on 04/05/2019 - 00:07
      +4

      Or just roll down the window and yell.

  • Nice one baby on 03/05/2019 - 23:14

    Have you taken it apart and worked out what part you actually need?

    I'm not much of car guy but have you been asking the wreckers for a horn pad or just the part number for the horn coil?

    I would guess that a 93 Toyota Camry horn coil would probably be the same as any similar year Toyota.

    • CrankyCarrot on 04/05/2019 - 00:08

      I'll probably take a crack at that this weekend. No experience, but I do have my pals Google and Youtube on hand…

  • dattodaniel on 03/05/2019 - 23:19

    You may have more luck chasing a whole wheel with the horn pad assembly rather than just the pad. Try to use broader search terms on eBay and i'm certain you will locate one. If not continue to ring around different wreckers, they may even be able to help you locate one at another wrecker or point you in the right direction if you ask kindly. I don't know a great deal about Camrys but I wouldn't recommend tackling it if you have little automotive know-how.

    Car would be a gem at 35k and if you continue to maintain and service it you should be pretty pleased.

    • CrankyCarrot on 04/05/2019 - 00:21

      Yeah, even if I just source it and pay a mechanic to install the thing, it's worth checking a few more wreckers yards.

  • altomic on 04/05/2019 - 00:44
    +7

    DIY horn repair.

    watch this youtube vid first

    basically the centre of the steering wheel is a huge button. if anything then when the horn went "bbbbbbbbbb" it was stuck.

    follow the vid. clean the contacts as shown. (disconnect battery first)

    otherwise just source a replacement steering wheel from a wrecker (i.e. gumtree - "93 vienta wrecking")

  • qwerty on 04/05/2019 - 09:03

    Try https://partslocator.com.au/

  • Amaris on 04/05/2019 - 09:25
    +1

    Wire the horn to a new switch which you can fix to the dash.

  • Amaris on 04/05/2019 - 10:22

    I've used these guys before. Maybe they can find it for you. Alternatively you can use their site to find the part number and then search on the net.

    https://partsouq.com/en/catalog/genuine/unit?c=Toyota&ssd=%2…

  • pjetson on 04/05/2019 - 10:24

    I just typed:

    horn pad 1993 camry

    into Google and got a bunch of results. Surely there's something there that will help.

  • djkelly69 on 04/05/2019 - 11:19
    +3

    Aftermarket 'La Cucaracha' horn?

  • bazzato on 04/05/2019 - 13:17
    +1

    Maybe you could find another one for sale that has a working horn and passable tyres ($1000?). take the parts you need and then strip/sell for parts worth more than what you paid (or take to wreckers).

    Its a bit of effort though…..

    • brad1-8tsi on 06/05/2019 - 12:07

      the new tyres will be <$400

      • CrankyCarrot on 06/05/2019 - 16:45
        +1

        $85 per installed//$340 total for the 4 of em. - Kumho Sense.

  • CrankyCarrot on 06/05/2019 - 16:48

    Sweet talked the NRMA into helping out in the end. We pried off the horn pad and it was just a matter of twisting and re-positioning a wire/contact so it wasn't constantly earthing out. Looked super basic once we got in there.

    Now to sort CTP… Can I do better than $475 with GIO?

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