Horn #$%^% i know but

This is what I did and it worked great with no issues. Connect a new 16-18 gauge insulated stranded wires ti the red wire you have showing in your picture . Hook one end to the center terminal of the horn button. Pull the wire down and out the bottom of the steering shaft. Pull out about 12 inches and coil it loosely around the steering shaft, keep the coil close to the shaft but not tightly wrapped, Fasten the wire were it goes inside the steering shaft with a wire zip tie. What your doing is makes a flexible conductor for the horn. Take the other end and zip tie it to the tube around the steering shaft. Turn the steering wheel lock to lock (as far as it will go to each side. Check to make sure the wiring does not bind up and is still loosely coiled and not getting pinched. Next find a grounding point on the steering tube (mine had a lug for a spade terminal ) or attach the wire with a small screw or pop rivet. Fasten the other end to the chassis ground. Run the end of wire (coiled) to the relay as a switched ground. Power with the key on to one side, and the switched ground to the other Bingo the horn will work

I hope this makes sense  if not Dialog me and ill give you my number and Ill walk you through it

I did the trick above with a wire "service loop" and ended up replacing something at the steering box end about every year because of the flexing the wire is constantly doing.  Finally I gave up and wired everything up the way it was supposed to be from Volkswagen and it's been great ever since.  That included getting the proper top bearing for the steering column I had (a 1969) as well as electrically isolating the steering column from ground.

But to do it right, it is VW year dependent - Do you know what year steering column you have?  They were all the same from 1951-1959, different from '60-'67, different again from '68-'69 and seemed to go back to the earlier way of doing it in '70-'79.

Early columns had a horn wiper contact just below the directional lever (the wiper looks like a stud on the side of the column), 60-67 had the horn wiper contact as part of the directional switch, 68-69 had an electrically isolating bearing (inner and outer plastic covers) at the top of the column and the column itself was insulated from both ground and +12V (electrically "floating") with the steering shaft/steering wheel connected to ground, and the last version went back to the original (more or less).  The horn itself always has +12V going to one connector tab, and the other tab goes to the horn circuit on the steering column and is operated by grounding that end (through the steering wheel/shaft).

Any idea what you might have?

Thank you both for responding

Tab Tanner ... I believe I have sent a private message. If I have not, please send me a private message and I shall respond 

Gorden..... My 356 was built on a 1973 beetle and the steering column should be from the 1970's..... Hope that answers your question and look forward to your thoughts.

This might help .... how to info http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/w...2_00/wired_12_00.htm

I believe my steering tube (not my steering shaft) Is unfortunately grounded. If I am correct,,, how do I un ground the steering tube?

Sassy posted:

I believe my steering tube (not my steering shaft) Is unfortunately grounded. If I am correct,,, how do I un ground the steering tube?

It's supposed to have rubber insulation between the steering tube / column and chassis. 

it has rubber on the bolts that hold steering tube to frame but not on the nuts. therefore I believe that this is grounding everything. When that bolts go thru the steering tube then thru the frame and nuts are placed on and tightened then ground is established,,,,I believe. In order to avoid this one would need rubber for the bolt, a sleeve for the bolts and rubber on the other side where the nuts go? correct?

even if the steering tube can be un grounded then I still have the problem that My steering wheel is mounted to a cap...no holes in cap for a wire to pass through to the horn button. Does anyone else have my type of steering wheel?