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Horn relay

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Old Feb 7, 2015 | 11:30 AM
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Horn relay

Dumb question but does the Horn relay do anything besides honk the horn? The reason I'm asking is because I wanted to remove it.
 
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Old Feb 7, 2015 | 12:14 PM
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Or maybe my question should be what is this I've been told it was a horn relay
 
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Old Feb 7, 2015 | 01:08 PM
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The horn relay only activates the horn.

Btw, why would ya want to remove it?:

1. A working horn is required to be street legal; and,
2. A horn is more useful than yelling at the top of your lungs... alone and the windows rolled up.

 
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Old Feb 7, 2015 | 01:14 PM
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I'm with hio. Why?
I removed mine after going to a 3G alternator, but only because it wasn't used anyway. I have a wolo air horn on my truck and it uses a standard relay.
 
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Old Feb 7, 2015 | 01:16 PM
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Thanks for the information. The reason I was going to remove it I have it wired on the direct short switch and just didn't see The need for it. I'm actually not sure why it's there in the first place.
 
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Old Feb 7, 2015 | 01:31 PM
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It's an electrically controlled switch. It allows a small amperage current, controlled by the horn ring, to switch at the relay, rather than the full load going up and down the wiring in the column. The heavy current is somewhat directly taken straight from the battery to the relay, then to the horn, bypassing the column and reducing the arcing and wear there. This is a good thing.

If the relay is clicking when you push on the horn button, but the horn is not working, check the wiring at the horn for corrosion. Especially check the grounding to make sure the circuit is completed - rusty mounting screws are often the culprit whent the horn won't work or blows fuzes.
I found the answer the horn was wired on a push button when I got
 
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Old Feb 7, 2015 | 01:34 PM
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Originally Posted by 19711969
Thanks for the information. The reason I was going to remove it I have it wired on the direct short switch and just didn't see The need for it. I'm actually not sure why it's there in the first place.
Relays are used to reduce voltage drops (amperage spikes) . It'll simply be louder by sourcing its voltage directly from the battery.

Leave it I say.... but it's your truck so do what you will.
 
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Old Feb 7, 2015 | 01:36 PM
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Originally Posted by HIO Silver
Relays are used to reduce voltage drops (amperage spikes) . It'll simply be louder by sourcing its voltage directly from the battery.

Leave it I say.... but it's your truck so do what you will.
Thanks hio
 
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Old Feb 7, 2015 | 11:32 PM
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That's some funky looking wire lug terminals on your solenoid next to the horn relay.

That's one of the type of things that can cause it not to start sooner or later form over heating..
Orich
 
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Old Feb 8, 2015 | 09:35 AM
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Originally Posted by orich
That's some funky looking wire lug terminals on your solenoid next to the horn relay.

That's one of the type of things that can cause it not to start sooner or later form over heating..
Orich
I didn't really see much difference in stoping at the solenoid or going to the battery, plus I have a #4 cable going to the battery.
 
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Old Feb 8, 2015 | 10:02 AM
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Hard to tell from photo tho it looks like a lot of daylight in that connection. Plenty of current, maybe 250 amps goes through that.
 
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Old Feb 8, 2015 | 10:15 AM
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Originally Posted by Tedster9
Hard to tell from photo tho it looks like a lot of daylight in that connection. Plenty of current, maybe 250 amps goes through that.
That was my thought when I first saw it. People need to learn to crimp proper ends on wires.
I haven't searched for a thread regarding wiring, such as proper ends to use, using butt-connectors, when to solder, when to shrink wrap.
Maybe someone who knows electrical can do a tutorial on wires. Different gauge wire and how to splice, yaddaa yaddaa.
 
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Old Feb 8, 2015 | 01:13 PM
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My bad, it was loose when I took the original pic.
 
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Old Feb 8, 2015 | 02:04 PM
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That's OK, this has been wired "backwards" since I bought it 20 years ago. Gotta get on that.
 
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Old Feb 8, 2015 | 05:43 PM
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It should not take you any longer to switch those wires around way less then it takes to take a whiz. Unless you been drinking a lot of coffee or beer.
Orich
 
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