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vagonan
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2005
Posts: 46
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 Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 8:32 pm Post subject: Horn issues... Need advice. |
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I recently purchased a Vanagon with a nonworking horn.
Went thru the usual routine: replaced the horn contact ring and turn signal switch but no horn. Replaced the horn itself but still no honk.
When I depress the horn switch on the steering wheel(or contact the two wire together) I get an audible click or thump from the horn.
Fuses look fine. Horn does honk when I hook them up directly to a power source. I'm measuring 12 at the horn too.
Any advice on what to check next? |
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dhaavers
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 8432
Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 8:47 pm Post subject: |
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Check for good ground on this & all your circuits: there are multiple "star" grounds on driver's side below dash/above fuse block. Also engine bay, tranny, fuel pump while you're at it...
Yeah, gotta have that authentic Roadrunner cartoon sound: "bee-beep!"
_________________
86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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ragnarhairybreeks
Samba Member
Joined: October 26, 2009
Posts: 1939
Location: Sidney B.C. Canada
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| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 9:00 pm Post subject: |
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often the horns have a little screw on them, marked with paint. This sort of adjusts the tone and I have successfully made a non working horn toot by adjusting that screw. I bench tested it with a 12 v power source so that i could turn that screw with power applied.
cheers
alistair
_________________
'86 7 passenger syncro, converted to westy pop top, project still in progress
'82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94, now gone...
https://shufti.blog/
Old address still works...
http://shufti.wordpress.com |
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15387
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 10:23 pm Post subject: |
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on mine I had to chase it down to the jumper wire to the base of the steering column, the spade connector was loose.
frustrating but easy and well, now everything else is new/clean
Dan
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| Abscate wrote: |
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DAIZEE
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2010
Posts: 7552
Location: Greater Toronto Area Ontario West Side
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| Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 1:50 pm Post subject: |
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A new horn was put in and it just wouldn't work. It was that notorious loose ground at the bottom of the steering column. Now its not working(just discovered), I checked that ground but its nice and tight.
I find that the original wiring in the Vanagon was just too minimal sized! That's my profound statement gggggrrrrrr |
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Ahwahnee
Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2010
Posts: 10243
Location: Mt Lemmon, AZ
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| Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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| DAIZEE wrote: |
| A new horn was put in and it just wouldn't work... |
If it wasn't the same as the original horn it may require more current than the stock set-up can provide (i.e. a relay may be needed for reliable performance).
Even the stock horn can benefit from a relay on this circuit. Actually, I dunno, maybe later Vanagons used a horn relay. |
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DAIZEE
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2010
Posts: 7552
Location: Greater Toronto Area Ontario West Side
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| Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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thanks. We did get it working and it worked fine. It's just stopped but you see I don't know when it stopped working. If I had my druthers I would pull every original wire out of my Vanagon and redo it with new solenoids, relays, whatever. gggggggrrrrrrrrrrr
_________________
'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold) |
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vagonan
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2005
Posts: 46
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| Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the input guys.
Based on the info I will be cleaning the grounds, try to locate a good used vanagon specific horn, and adjust that screw and see how things go.
I will keep you updated. |
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0to60in6min
Samba Member
Joined: November 27, 2006
Posts: 3459
Location: OR & CA (Oregon/California)
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| Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 10:21 pm Post subject: |
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I always think the original vanagon horn is not loud enough..
so one day got a pair of horns from a BMW (one low tone and one high tone)..
it works GREAT.. very cheap at the junk yard... |
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vweggie
Samba Member
Joined: May 01, 2007
Posts: 219
Location: End of the road, Vancouver Island
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| Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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double post
_________________
1990 Multivan 2.1 AT
Last edited by vweggie on Wed Jun 16, 2010 11:00 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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vweggie
Samba Member
Joined: May 01, 2007
Posts: 219
Location: End of the road, Vancouver Island
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| Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 11:00 pm Post subject: |
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| 0to60in6min wrote: |
I always think the original vanagon horn is not loud enough..
so one day got a pair of horns from a BMW (one low tone and one high tone)..
it works GREAT.. very cheap at the junk yard... |
did you have to make any modifications to get it to work? pics please. 
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1990 Multivan 2.1 AT |
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ragnarhairybreeks
Samba Member
Joined: October 26, 2009
Posts: 1939
Location: Sidney B.C. Canada
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| Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 11:06 pm Post subject: |
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dual horns were a german option and this wiring diagram shows relay installed to power them. You can see where the relay should go (position 6)and the connector numbers. The connectors all look like they are the round, molex type, fitted into the plastic connector blocks on back of fuse/relay panel. Bentley shows the ID system.
I should add that this is for '86 and up vans, with the newer type fuse panel. I added a couple of horns to my '82 westy (one was a very obnoxious Indian horn, "Megha" brand, great noise) and I relayed them. I ran a separate power feed to relay which i mounted (in one of those Vanagon black electrical boxes) behind the upper grill.
alistair
_________________
'86 7 passenger syncro, converted to westy pop top, project still in progress
'82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94, now gone...
https://shufti.blog/
Old address still works...
http://shufti.wordpress.com |
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syncrodoka
Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2005
Posts: 12347
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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| Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 11:33 pm Post subject: |
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That picture is fuzzy on my screen. Do I have this right?
30 to power
87 output to the horns
85 to horn button
86 to switched power
My horn is getting low voltage and needs a horn relay. Searches in the forums here and on the internet give many different configurations. |
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ragnarhairybreeks
Samba Member
Joined: October 26, 2009
Posts: 1939
Location: Sidney B.C. Canada
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| Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 12:17 am Post subject: |
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| syncrodoka wrote: |
That picture is fuzzy on my screen. Do I have this right?
30 to power
87 output to the horns
85 to horn button
86 to switched power
My horn is getting low voltage and needs a horn relay. Searches in the forums here and on the internet give many different configurations. |
not quite...
with a relay plugged into position 6 on panel:
30 to ground via connector L3
87 to horns via connector L2
so you see the relay is providing a path to ground when energised. the horns getting the power from connector C13, and fused by fuse 16. remember, its a switched ground method of sounding the horn(s). They have live power fed to them, but its the horn button that completes the path (either directly or in this example via a relay)
85 to horn button via connector L4 - jumped to - C15 - then out of fuse panel again at connector B25
86 gets power via connector L1 - jumped to - C20, and C20 is fed by fuse 15
simple eh? some short bits of wire, some molex type connectors, and bobs yer uncle. Mind you it may be easier to do it via an external relay as I did in my '82 westy.
alistair
edit: here is a pic of the regular no relay horn wiring diagram with my scribblings on it showing how to modify to add relay. I hope its understandable. The "X" means wire cut and reconnected as shown.
_________________
'86 7 passenger syncro, converted to westy pop top, project still in progress
'82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94, now gone...
https://shufti.blog/
Old address still works...
http://shufti.wordpress.com |
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DAIZEE
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2010
Posts: 7552
Location: Greater Toronto Area Ontario West Side
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| Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 4:19 am Post subject: |
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I want a loud funny horn  but I better get the one I have working first 
_________________
'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold) |
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syncrodoka
Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2005
Posts: 12347
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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| Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 5:30 am Post subject: |
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| ragnarhairybreeks thanks for clearing up the wiring for me. I have the relay all built with a factory relay holder that clips to the fuse block, just had to verify the wires. Thanks |
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ragnarhairybreeks
Samba Member
Joined: October 26, 2009
Posts: 1939
Location: Sidney B.C. Canada
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| Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 7:23 am Post subject: |
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| syncrodoka wrote: |
| ragnarhairybreeks thanks for clearing up the wiring for me. I have the relay all built with a factory relay holder that clips to the fuse block, just had to verify the wires. Thanks |
Just to confirm, your relay is not in position 6, but rather on an aux. holder?
Just being absolutely clear, above diagrams show wiring to horns using a relay in the #6 position on the fuse/relay panel "proper".
cheers
alistair
_________________
'86 7 passenger syncro, converted to westy pop top, project still in progress
'82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94, now gone...
https://shufti.blog/
Old address still works...
http://shufti.wordpress.com |
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DAIZEE
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2010
Posts: 7552
Location: Greater Toronto Area Ontario West Side
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| Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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gggrrrrr this morning I tested the horn and it worked :!:Tried it several times later = no sound. We'll look at it tomorrow
_________________
'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold) |
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 17181
Location: Brookeville, MD
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DAIZEE
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2010
Posts: 7552
Location: Greater Toronto Area Ontario West Side
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| Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 2:46 pm Post subject: |
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 my purpose here is to show that new horn, new wiring, new whatever can still make for a finicky horn. Mine is the example. I haven't taken it off topic, just putting in.
_________________
'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold) |
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