Ford Repair: horn/cruis control, google search, ford tempo

Question
-Thank you for your prompt reply. Yes, there is a round plastic plate at the base of the steering wheel whith electrical connectors. I dont know the name of the part. However, there is a part# stamped on the plate. The dealer said that the part was not available from ford. They suggested that i go to the junk yard to find one. I suspect all i will find in the junk yard is just that--junk! Looks like this may be my only alternative unless you have another idea. Thank you again for your advise. ------------------------
Followup To
Question -
I have a '91 ford tempo that i bought about 6 months ago. The horn and cruise control have never worked since I bought the car. I have checked the fuses and I have removed the steering wheel to check the electrical connections. Everything APPEARS to be in order. The car does not have an air bag. Where should I go from here?
Answer -
I don't have a manual for that vehicle, but I suspect that your problem is in the steering column. Wiring, connector, contacts, something common to both horn and cruise control. They are on separate fuses, so I doubt that is the problem. Could even be the horn pad or switches. I do not recall what type of contact Tempo used for these under the wheel. Did it look like a round plastic housing, or a plastic plate with contacts on the wheel?

Answer
Is the plate broken or cracked? Can you clean the contact areas? Sometimes due to wear or use they become tarnished enough to lose contact with the steering wheel. I'm sure sorry I can't remember the setup on the Tempo. There should be either brass-colored strips around the bottom of the plate, with contacts underneath it that rub on the strips; or it has an early version of the "clockspring" that is enclosed in a round plastic housing.

I tried doing a Google search and found plenty of companies selling obsolete parts, but I didn't find anything you need. That will take some time, I went thru a couple pages, you might try that search see if you can find anything.  I will call a friend at a Ford parts store and see what he can find, maybe a part number.


Hi again MIke, I have another question: does this have a tilt steering wheel? If it does then the part you most likely need is E7FZ-9C899-B. This is the last known part number, and it is obsolete thru Ford, but if you search online for Obsolete Ford Parts you might find a site that could find one. This part has three brass-colored buttons sticking up that glide on the back of the steering wheel. Sometimes the part on the wheel would crack and fall apart. If you don't have a tilt wheel or the three buttons on yours, then it is a clockpring and that is still available from Dearborn. No dealers have it in stock. My buddy said they have 5 of this part in the Dearborn warehouse. # F23Z-14A664-A is the clockspring. I hope this helps you in you repair. After talking to my parts guru I now remember how this Tempo was setup as far as what you need. Sorry if I confused you.