Am helping a friend get an older 98 dodge stratus, 2.4L 1 owner back on the road...She had someone replace the rack an pinion after which neither the horn nor the cruise would work...I have jumped the horn relay and the horn does sound, but when pressing the pad on the steering wheel cannot hear the relay click...She recalls when the old rack and pinion was removed there was a wiring harness attached that was not put on the new rack an pinion....Where is the lower end of the wiring harness from the steering column??? Turn signals and lights work...When you press cruise on the steering wheel it shows cruise on the dash. Also forgot to add that the Air Bag light is on, could the items be related??? Where does the steering column wiring harness come out at under the dash??

..Mainly want horn to work for safety inspection...Any ideas??

 

I think these vehicles have a clockspring behind the airbag that control all steering wheel functions. Maybe that's a thing? I had to replace mine in my 2001 Durango many years ago.

 

Very related. I'm not aware of a wiring harness on the rack, but if the steering wheel wasn't locked and allowed to spin, it will pop that clock spring quick. Both the horn and air bag work through that assembly. The air bag, then the steering wheel need to be removed to repair this. Make sure the person doing the work knows to either disconnect the battery and let sit for a few minutes or pulls the air bag fuse. The bag can go off if not handled properly. They are designed to be in the wheel when they go off. If it's loose, severe injury can result. Replacing it will restore the horn, cruise control and the air bag function. I know a lot of older people don't want the bang in their face but it really does save them from injury or death.

I helped at a head on accident and a 90 year old woman was just shaken up, rather than injured when the bad went off. She went the wrong way up an off ramp.It was a hard enough impact that without the air bag she probably wouldn't have survived.