Horn won’t honk with wheel straight ahead

As soon as I turn the wheel a bit to either side the horn works fine.

I’m sure this a simple diagnosis, but not so simple to repair

thanks

 

clock spring in the column is probably bad, there was a recall on it years ago because it affected the air bag too so you might want to check with your dealer

 

Second the clock spring. When mine went out (2012 model in 2016 or so), the recall only covered up to 2011. I don't remember exactly, but there is a way to look up recalls on the Toyota site.

I ended up replacing it myself, the part was around $300. The job is fiddly, but not difficult. It is potentially dangerous due to the airbag (you need to disconnect the battery and wait for all charge to dissipate), and it's really easy to screw up the actual install alignment, break the new spring, or mess up the steering wheel spline. There are some good sources online for how to do it safely.

The best advice I got from a coworker:
1. Stand outside the vehicle to undo the wheel nut. If you're in the car, you'll either hit yourself in the nuts or break the windshield when it breaks loose.
2. Don't use a hammer to get the steering wheel off (apparently it is really tempting to tap the spline, but this mushrooms it, amd you'll never get the wheel back on).

 

Clock spring no doubt. I did mine a few week ago, the horn only worked with the steering turned a little bit on the right. I had this problem for some week so i already had a spare in hand but i was lazy. A car blew his stop and nearly t-boned me and another vehicule, yeah that day i replaced the clock spring.

Bought it on Amazon. I settle for one at 40 $ Can shipped. The only thing different was the pin for the connector, the original are silver bright, the one from Amazon is more copperish, and they bend easy so look out for that if you get one. Toyota OEM 575$ Can. If it last 2-3 year i will be happy. It's a common problem for many Vehicule.