Does it sound like my horn is broken

oldagetraveller1

burtons said:

neilmcl said:

One way to find out is connect the horn directly to the car battery, or any spare 12v battery you have.

I was going to do this but the whole bumper has got to come off

Whether the horn is accessible from underneath I don't know. I had occasion to access front foglights to change the lamps and they may be accessed from underneath. Some plastic has to be removed.

I can't remember if the horn was visible or not. If the bumper definitely has to come off then removing/disconnecting that stuff underneath has to be done anyway.

Again, without having done it, is it possible to remove the fixings (push in centre clips) at the top and pull the bumper far enough forwards to access. There is a further plastic panel in the way, in front of the radiator which might not be removable though.

AdrianC

A 12v horn is a 12v horn is a 12v horn.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07L9G4MPC/ - change from £7.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122836233601 - barely over £5.

burtons

AdrianC said:

If the relay is clicking, then that's a reasonable indication that the control and the relay are good. So it's either the horn itself, or wiring damage/corrosion.

Two minutes with a multimeter will tell you for sure.

Would you know what ohms a horn should read as I'm getting a reading so now I don't know if it's the horn or maybe a faulty earth.

AdrianC

burtons said:

AdrianC said:

If the relay is clicking, then that's a reasonable indication that the control and the relay are good. So it's either the horn itself, or wiring damage/corrosion.

Two minutes with a multimeter will tell you for sure.

Would you know what ohms a horn should read as I'm getting a reading so now I don't know if it's the horn or maybe a faulty earth.

It'll depend on the horn.

Are you getting +12v to the horn feed connector, when the horn is operated?

Is the horn earthed through its metal body, or via an earth connection?

burtons

AdrianC said:

burtons said:

AdrianC said:

If the relay is clicking, then that's a reasonable indication that the control and the relay are good. So it's either the horn itself, or wiring damage/corrosion.

Two minutes with a multimeter will tell you for sure.

Would you know what ohms a horn should read as I'm getting a reading so now I don't know if it's the horn or maybe a faulty earth.

It'll depend on the horn.

Are you getting +12v to the horn feed connector, when the horn is operated?

Is the horn earthed through its metal body, or via an earth connection?

The horn is earthed through the metal bracket that's attached to the horn. Yes I was getting 12v at the connector when the horn was operated but when I connected the multimeter I couldn't use the horns earth bolt as I was on my own and I didn't have anything to hold on to the bolt so I connected the earth to the engine.

AdrianC

So you've got +12v to the horn. The horn is earthed directly. And it doesn't work.

Spend that fiver on a new horn.

burtons

AdrianC said:

So you've got +12v to the horn. The horn is earthed directly. And it doesn't work.

Spend that fiver on a new horn.

I've bought a new horn but will 17 amp wire be ok to wire it up.

AdrianC

Why do you need new wire? You know you've got a good feed to the horn.

But... yes.

burtons

AdrianC said:

Why do you need new wire? You know you've got a good feed to the horn.

But... yes.

The old horn has a spade connector but it's in a connector block and I don't know how to open it and I don't really want to break the plastic casing.

AdrianC

So you cut the wire to it?

There will be a catch on the thin side away from the camera.

But all you need to do is to just bare off a bit of the wire, and attach whatever connector the new horn requires.