| Author | Message | ||
     Jreichner |
Trying to get my S3T ('99) to pass inspection and I have found that my horn does not work. I first check the obvious...Fuses. I replaced it anyway just in case. Can anyone else provide a little advice about what should be checked next? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks! | ||
| Warlizard |
I w/ unhook wires at the horn and check for current. If you have one then horn is bad. If no current, then its a wiring issue. | ||
| Jreichner |
Warlizard...I assume that I would need an ohm meter or something to test? Is this or something like this an expensive tool? Just curious...This would have to be an addition to the tool box... Thanks for replying so promptly! Have a good one! | ||
| Cyclonemduece |
test the horn with a little 9 volt battery | ||
| Jreichner |
Cyclonemduece...Explain...Inquiring minds want to know... | ||
| Djkaplan |
Just get a little test light to check for current. Go to any autoparts store to get one... they only cost a couple dollars. | ||
| Cyclonemduece |
use the battery to power the terminals if the horn is good, it will sound when you contact the terminals on the battery to the terminals on the horn, this is also a way to test speakers. those little battery can over current things were as a car battery could | ||
| Kyrocket |
Kinda jumping the gun here but if you find that your horn is bad may I suggest you look at the Stebel Nautilus air horn. Very compact and easy to wire up. It includes the relay and albeit too short, the wiring, also uses the existing horn button. At 139db it more than blows the stocker out of the water. It is much louder than either one of my vehicles, so much so that I'm thinking of putting one on the wife's van. Just my $.02. | ||
| Cyclonemduece |
Ky shed some more light price size pics | ||
| Sloppy |
Check for current??? Have fun wiring that in... Follow previous advice on hot wiring horn. Connect wire to battery and horn directly to confirm horn operation. If horn is okay then check continuity between wires from ground and hot circuit. Another option is to put on a voltage meter and see if you have 12 volts during horn button engagement. Culprit could be the terminal switch on your horn button. It's a simple Normally Open switch and if the terminals get dirty then it can't flow enough current to make your horn work. Dissassembly and cleaning is then in order. If this is too new then purchase the SM and a multi-meter and start learning. This is basic electrcity (not a dis, but you need a foundation to learn how to troubleshoot electrical curcuits; V = IR) | ||
| Bad_karma |
James Make sure that you have good contact with the two spade lugs at the horn. The yellow with black wire is the 12VDC to the horn from the switch. Disconnect it and jumper a wire from the battery to the exposed horn terminal. If it works that leaves the button and wiring. Use the test light mentioned above to verify 12VDC on the the Yellow/black wire. If you have 12VDC that leaves the switch and the ground consisting of junction S1 and the main chassis ground above the battery. So check the ground, 12VDC, then the switch would be my plan of attack. Joe | ||
| Kyrocket |
Well I had some pics but the wife erased them off the camera so I'll describe it the best I can. http://www.bikerhiway.com/motorcycle-horns-c-29.ht ml Check out the link, I've seen them on Amazon also but I know biker hiway sends everything needed. IIRC it was about $50 to my door. I realized I needed a new one when two old men eating ice cream cones tried to merge in on me one day and my horn sounded like a sick billy goat. I have a '99 X1 and the horn, compressor and all, fit nicely behind the fly screen. I secured it in a couple of places with heavy duty zip ties and it sits rock solid. I mounted the relay under the seat on the sub frame cross member where there was an empty hole. I made up two wires with connectors to plug into the existing horn wiring to run to the relay because I like to keep everything as stock as possible in case I ever wanted to go back to factory. All in all it was about a 30 min job and it requires minimal electronics knowledge. I will try to get some pics tonight if anyone is interested. I have heard the compressor can be separated from the horn but it's pretty compact as it is and man is it loud. Hope this helps. | ||
| Buellgekk |
Kyrocket, could you please post some pictures of your Nautilus installed? I'm planning to buy one. (Message edited by buellgekk on April 13, 2008) | ||
| Grovskopa |
If you need a horn your mufflers are too quiet ;D | ||
| Skntpig |
I second the Stebel horn. Loudest horn I have found, can't beat the price. It does require wiring a relay. If you can't trouble shoot the 2 wires of the stock horn you may want assistance. I had to fabricate an angle bracket on my S1 and also installed one on my bro's blast. Give them a blast with that horn and they look around for the train! This video shows it with the stock horn as well I think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQqxhRQ1rPE | ||
| Kyrocket |
O.K. here goes. I would have had this up earlier but it was my oldest's birthday today and we've been doing the cake and ice cream with family thing. Family first. I'm going to walk through this assuming someone knows nothing about it. Assuming you have ordered it with all pertinent hardware you'll have everything you need if not look at the pics and you could piece it together. First find a place to mount the relay that will keep it dry. (notice the old school BRAG decal?)  As you can see I used the right side of the cross bar of the sub frame where I had an empty hole. You can also see the inline fuse that goes to the battery, that's one of the four prongs on the bottom of the relay. Two other prongs are filled from the existing horn wiring.  What I did was to use a length of wire that would connect the old horn terminals to the relay and put a blade connector on one end and a female blade on the other. Stick the blade connector into the factory horn terminal and the other to the relay. If you still have the black plastic side pieces the left funnels air back to the rear cylinder and now the stock horn won't be interfering with air flow. Now you have three of the four connectors of the relay taken care of. The last one goes to the horn. Mount the horn in your chosen spot and run a wire from the horn to the relay. The horn also has to be grounded, pick a screw that's easy to get to and make sure it grounds. I mounted mine behind the wind screen. See here.  Notice I drilled a small hole on the bottom left hand side just to give some extra holding power with the zip ties. It's secured around the bottom and the top, on the back there's a mounting hole that I ran another zip tie through. Here's a shot farther back.  Sorry for the picture resolution, I used my phone so I wouldn't have to resize them. If you have any other questions just ask here or PM me. Hope this helps. Like I said it's about a 30 min -/+ job if you have the right tools if not ask a friend. You will not be disappointed with the volume of this horn. | ||
| Buellgekk |
Kyrocket thanks for the pictures and info! | ||
| Buellgekk |
I just bought the nice chromed one on ebay. Will it fit on the stock horn location? | ||
| Kyrocket |
Not without some major modification. I tried that, it was my first choice. I tried using the stock hole but it would also hang below the plastic "pod". It is possible to separate the compressor from the horn and connect the two via some sort of hose. Could probably use something from the big box hardware store. Good luck and let us know how it works out. |
