how do i install new horns without touching my stock horns (dont care if they both work simultaneously). I know how to hook them up to ground and power but what else do I need to know?? is this a big project? I saw the posts showing where the stock horns were, looked like I would have to remove alot of car to get to them...

 

Just out of curiosity, what are you installing. I have always wanted one of those emergency vehicle horns, the really loud, mechanical sounding ones. They are a 10 X 10 looking square box mounted on the bumpers.

 

THe stock horns are located in the fender, and you have to remove the inner fender to get to them. Not a hard job, and you might get by removing some of the clips and bending it back a little. This would be the best way to locate the wire, and you would only have to connect to the hot wire because the horn should be self grounding if you mount it to metal.

Here's a scan of the inner fender removal.

 

just like a loud high pitcjh horn----does this mean i have to take off the whole wheel- i cant tell

 

It's just a square chrome cover. There is a round megaphone style horn behind the bumper. They are made by a company called Federal......... I'm a full time firefighter and I love blasting the air horns when I drive

-Chad

 

I've installed about ten replacement car horns, and it's an easy job - especially since you want to leave the original horns in place.

First you have to determine if the original horns are activated by the horn button sending out +12 volts or by shorting to ground. I've worked on cars that did both.

The wiring diagram should tell you which our car does.

Then just tap into that +12 volt line and use it to activate your new horn relay. Don't wire the horns themselves with this line.

Power the new horn by putting in a new fuse. For lack of an alternative, I usually tap into the battery itself.

Don't try to tap into an existing wire. You don't know what else is on that line, and you may overload a critical circuit. I did that in my Honda Odyssey, blew a fuse, and the car could not shift out of park (a critical solenoid was powered through the fuse).

Don't try to tie the new horns into the existing horn relay. Horns take a great deal of current.

Your new horns should show you how to wire the circuits.

Having always driven small cars, I always worry that someone will drive over me. A cadillac once pushed me over two lanes - despite me cursing him and honking my horns. Since the government won't let me install a 20 millimeter cannon on my car, a loud horn is the best I could do.

 

Thanks. Is that the same one police cars have? I dont mean to hijack the thread but would you mind explaining volunteer firefighting? just send it as a private message if you have the time. I have a lot of respect for people with jobs like mil, police, firefighting, etc. THe horn I am talking about may only be used on police cars and ambulences. Its not the normal fire truck airhorn. I think its more something like this http://www.wattco.net/sirens.htm, with a speaker.

 

Just curious why you would want to replace the stock horn...it's pretty loud. On my last car, I purchased a German Hella horn thinking it would be much louder than the stock horn. I had it replaced before I even took delivery of the new car. When I took delivery, I was very dissappointed in the Hella horn. Although it had a different "tone" it wasn't any louder than the stock horn. The horn's cost approx. $100, and the installation was around $75. Not worth the money IMHO.