Need help wiring new horn

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Old Jan 17, 2006 | 04:33 PM
  #1  
thann's Avatar
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Need help wiring new horn

OK, so I got a louder horn and I can follow the directions to wire it up as is, but what I would like to do is wire it to use the stock horn switch. Throwing a monkey wrench into the installation, I would also like to be able to switch back to the stock horn (so I don't have any problems getting an inspection sticker).

I've used electronic airhorns in the past (think ambulance or cop car, etc.) and this one is a Sho-Me Able2 that has an amplifier that makes the horn sound and then a 100-watt speaker that mounts at the front of the vehicle. A momentary switch circuit turns on the horn while you're holding the button, so the question is how do I wire this so I can use the steering wheel switch and also switch back to using the stock horns? I'm at work right now, so the only way I could post the new horn's wiring diagram was to take a (rather crappy) picture of the printed instructions here. Thanks in advance!

Oh BTW, I'll not be using the yelp and wail (siren) terminals, so it's just one switch from "12 volts + to switches" to the "horn" terminal.
 

Last edited by thann; Jan 17, 2006 at 04:35 PM.
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Old Jan 18, 2006 | 06:22 PM
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Think it would be easier to hook up in place of the stock horn and worry about it later?
 
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Old Jan 18, 2006 | 07:35 PM
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From: Under the flightpath of old ORD 22R
I don't know if you can wire this set this way, but read on for at least one idea.

The stock horn relay is activated by supplying ground from the air bag sliding contact ( clock spring as it is sometimes call around the forum ) to the ground input side of the coil.

One the coil has ground ( power supplied to the + side of the relay coil from the 20 AMP fuse #7 ) the N.O. contacts are closed, and the power from Fuse #7 is supplied to both the high and low horn.
The horn circuit is #6, it is a Yellow with a light Green stripe. Ground is the black wire at the connectors. This seems to be a direct run from the Battery Junction box, down to the horn connector #C136.

If the horn you got, needs to have the power supplied to it at all times, it seems to me that you need to run a circuit ( not the switched one for #6 ) to the +12 Volt input, and then use the circuit #6 from the horns as the input for the horn function, along with a ground wire. If you try to use circuit #6 as the input, I don't know if that would work. The unit might have a delay'd response to pressing the horn button on the steering wheel ???

I would say just ignore the +12V output of the unit, to a switch ?? See if someone else has the same though on the matter, as you are not going to get the output for the switch to the steering wheel, and back again ( from above that is a switched ground connection, no way to get power to that section ).

That is my thoughts on the topic, I have not wired one of these, so YMMV, and the suggestions in this post may have an adverse effect on the unit in question. Sorry need to CYA myself, just in case I really don't know what I am talking about, and the unit releases the magic smoke.

Good luck.
 
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Old Jan 18, 2006 | 08:42 PM
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From: Susquehanna Valley, pa.
the way i would wire it would be to use a Bosch relay and switch from normally open (30, 87) for the air horn and normally closed (30, 87a) for the truck horn. power 85 and then run 86 to a switch and then to ground to switch back and forth.

use the power from the truck horn to feed 30 and 85.
87a then goes back to the truck horn.
87 will then feed your +12 volt input on the air horn.
the switch white wire can be looped in to the horn because this switch will not be needed.
86 will go to a switch in the cab or where ever you want it and then to a good ground.
 

Last edited by lees99f150; Jan 18, 2006 at 08:47 PM.
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Old Jan 18, 2006 | 09:18 PM
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Ah - yes, I think that's what was trying to bounce around in my head. I just didn't quite have it sorted out that well. Thanks for the help everyone - I'll let you know what happens (and hopefully no magic smoke)!
 
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Old Jan 18, 2006 | 09:22 PM
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From: Susquehanna Valley, pa.
electrical things run by smoke, so if you let it out then they wont work anymore.
 
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Old Jan 18, 2006 | 09:34 PM
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