my Jag has a bad habit of honking at people on the side of the road, startling them and making me look like an idiot. sometimes it also blows on switching the ignition on, startling me and making me look like an idiot.

I lnow the sleev inside the steening column is involved, but that's all I know. Has anyone dealt with this that can give me some pointers?

 

Yes I dealt with mine twice.

Here is how I fixed it using an old static wrist strap and static bag.

Jaguar XJS Restoration : XJS Steering Column Repair

 

On the last picture you show the wire coming up thru, how was it attached for the horn button at the steering wheel

 

I was waiting for that question. I didn't take a photo, I have slapped my wrist....

The end at the steering wheel with the connector on it, I cut that plug off and crimped a spade terminal to the wire down the column. this connected directly to my horn button.

 

This might have been my one opportunity to contribute something technical here, and I'm too late. Anyway, this happened to me once, and it was indeed the steering column.

 

Well, I was expecting trouble, and a lot of scattered parts from this.

I pulled the horn cover and found someone had removed the central copper tube and replaced it, but didn't screw it down.

Done! Whew!!!