Just installed a T&T Column in Wife's 70. NO start or horn

[Fred Y.]

I just installed a T & T steering column in the Wife's 70. I hooked the battery back up but no start or horn. I HAVE signals & Flasher. Originally it had the std. column but this one makes it alot easier for her to drive.

I have my service manual handy here but hope it may be an adjustment somewhere. 4 Spd car. & the cable for the Reverse lock out seems to be working fine---the key pops right out once in reverse.

Thank you for your help

[Rick R.]

Re: Just installed a T&T Column in Wife's 70. NO start or horn

By "no start" do you mean it won't even crank over, or do you mean it cranks, but won't start? Either way, the horn and no crank/start are most likely caused by separate problems. First inspect all connectors you disturbed for proper seating, corrosion, bent pins or pins that may be pushing back in the connector when you plug them together. The horn button simply makes a ground to cause the horn relay in the engine compartment to activate and send current to the horns. The battery terminal of the horn relay is always hot. Another terminal on the relay has the wire that goes to the horns, and the third terminal is the wire that goes to the horn button. You can ground this wire/brass button at the steering wheel and the horn should blow. If not, the wire is open between the button and the horn relay - either broken inside the replacement column, or a bad connector where it exits the column. If the horn DOES blow when you ground this wire/brass button, then you have misassembled the disc or one of the other pieces of hardware that serve to "make the ground."
As for the no start, if it IS cranking over, then you obviously have power to the ignition switch and back then to the starter solenoid when the switch is held in the start position. For it to run, you most ALSO have battery voltage to the + side of the ignition coil with the key in the start position, and for it to REMAIN running once it fires, there most also be battery voltage to the + side of the coil when the key is released to the RUN position.( Bad switch or open wire in column)
If it doesn't even crank, see if there is voltage on the battery terminal of the ignition switch. If no, find out why. If yes, then for some reason (bad connection at switch, bad switch, broken wire) the voltage is not getting to the solenoid. You can quickly test the switch with a meter while holding it in the start position. If the solenoid terminal of the switch has voltage when held in the start position, check the solenoid wire from the switch to where it exits the column with a meter to see if it is open. If no crank is the issue, another possibility is that you have a connector for a neutral safety switch - I don't know what the setup was for 1970 in regards to whether or not a 4 speed car requires you to have your foot on the clutch or in car in neutral for it to crank. If so, this connector has to be hooked up, or you can simply connect the two pins of the connector together with a jumper wire and get the same result.
Hope this gives you some ideas. I don't have wiring diagrams or I could give you wire colors/etc. All of the GM cars of this era are basically the same, however and not especially difficult. Start with the simple ( connectors ) first and be methodical. Make no assumptions. From there a meter will quickly locate the problem.

Rick.

[Edward J.]

Re: Just installed a T&T Column in Wife's 70. NO start or horn

Fred, As Rick eluded to since your car is a 4 speed have you looked at the safety switch on the clutch pedal. yellow wire is power and the purple wire heads to starter motor. maybe you moved the connector when installing the column?? I have seen the wires at the connector break from constant movement of the clutch pedal.

[Fred Y.]

Re: Just installed a T&T Column in Wife's 70. NO start or horn

Hey Rick & Ed. Thanks for all the points to look for. So far I'm batting 500 !!---I unplugged & re plugged all my elec connectors tonight & tried it again. Having also transferred the original key switch from the straight column to the T&T I was concerned that I may have done something wrong during reassembly.Thankfully not the case. All I did was turn the key from run to off (back & forth a few times) & I could hear the ignition switch rod moving as well. On the 3rd try I pushed it all the way to start & she fired right up. My guess is because the column had sat in this guys shed a good while, it got some rust/dirt in there & didn't make good contact. I shut her off & tried it successfully 3 more times & all is good.

Now back to the to the brass button you mentioned & see if I can make some noise. I'll keep you posted---THANKS !!

[Rick R.]

Re: Just installed a T&T Column in Wife's 70. NO start or horn

Fred, Good work! If you have further intermittent problems with it starting, you might want to go ahead and replace the ignition switch down there on the column, if it is corroded. There may be a small amount of adjustment via slotted mounting holes in the switch, I can't recall. On the horn, remember that the wire from the horn relay to the steering wheel button is just "looking for a ground" to make the relay work/blow the horns. I don't know if you perhaps could have disturbed something else horn related under the hood in the course of your work. To verify the rest of the horn system, you can locate the terminal on the horn relay where the wire from the steering column connects. Simply clip a jumper wire to that terminal and touch the other end of your jumper to a good ground, and the horn should blow. If so, then your problem does lie between the relay and the horn button as previously described.
Rick

[Fred Y.]

Re: Just installed a T&T Column in Wife's 70. NO start or horn

Rick---FIXED !!---Horn contact at the very top !!-----I cleaned (or thought I did) it well on the outside with my wire wheel prior to re install. BUT---when you look at it very closely there is a thin metal plate sandwiched UNDER the 3 plastic rivets.It is barely noticeable until you put on your strong cheaters !! This is again where it obviously picked up rust from where ever it was stored. BAD CONTACT !---I'll check with my local hdwe. store tomorrow to see if they have a similar plastic rivet I can use once once I have cleaned it up.

I WILL also go back and check the slotted adjustment screw for the ignition switch you mentioned down at the base.I think it could stand to be adjusted a bit "North" to kick in sooner.

THANKS for all the suggestions & help !!----Now on to the next job.

Fred