Horn problem
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Joined: Jul 2004
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Horn problem
Hi,
I recently replaced my horns as the old ones are totally knackered.
The new ones worked ok for 1 week, and now they work occasionally, when they dont work I can hear a very very faint dull "dong" sound.
What could be causing this pls?
thanks
Amo
87 911 Carrera 3.2
I recently replaced my horns as the old ones are totally knackered.
The new ones worked ok for 1 week, and now they work occasionally, when they dont work I can hear a very very faint dull "dong" sound.
What could be causing this pls?
thanks
Amo
87 911 Carrera 3.2
Rennlist Member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 20,607
Likes: 16
From: Bakersfield, CA, for now...
Amo: Try swapping your horn relay with your cruise control relay (provided that your cruise works!). While you have the relays in hand use something (I use a jewelers screwdriver) to ever so slightly spread the five pins. There should be a small, visible air space between each of the four "legs" on each of the five pins. Don't spread them so far that they won't fit in their holes! The five pins are off-set, so you can't put them in wrong. Good luck with it.
Pete
Pete
Racer
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 425
Likes: 1
From: So. Calif.
"Is there anyway of checking if the relay is faulty?"
The click test is usually pretty accurate. When you push on the horn button, you should hear a click from the relay. No click usually means the relay isn't being energized by the horn button or the relay is NG. Substitute another relay as Pete suggests.
To make sure the click is doing something, connect a test light or voltmeter to the horn wire (+ to horn connnector, – to ground). Press the horn button. If the rellay is okay, there should be voltage (12+volts) at the horn wire connector. If you have two horns, it isn't likely both horns are bad.
If voltage is available but no horn sound, either the horn is NG or the horn ground is dirty/corroded. There's a separate ground wire connected to the horn(s).
If no voltage available, trace for voltage loss back to the relay. It could be a broken horn wire too.
Hope this helps,
Sherwood
The click test is usually pretty accurate. When you push on the horn button, you should hear a click from the relay. No click usually means the relay isn't being energized by the horn button or the relay is NG. Substitute another relay as Pete suggests.
To make sure the click is doing something, connect a test light or voltmeter to the horn wire (+ to horn connnector, – to ground). Press the horn button. If the rellay is okay, there should be voltage (12+volts) at the horn wire connector. If you have two horns, it isn't likely both horns are bad.
If voltage is available but no horn sound, either the horn is NG or the horn ground is dirty/corroded. There's a separate ground wire connected to the horn(s).
If no voltage available, trace for voltage loss back to the relay. It could be a broken horn wire too.
Hope this helps,
Sherwood
Pro
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 630
Likes: 31
From: Oak Park, CA
If it was an English car, I'd say you had a bad ground wire that was temporarily disturbed when you put the new horns on, but the resettled to a bad ground again. I don't know where the grounds are for the horn system. But if the relay doesn't prove to be the problem, it may be worth checking into.