Hey All Happy 4th!

Trying to wire up my horn today, horn works by running pos and ground direct to battery. Now I am trying to get it working with a relay. Can anyone tell me if the horn button completes the pos or ground connection?

Thanks

 

.............Ground.

 

Thanks that likely explains why it doesn't work and my starter solenoid clicks when I try it.

 

On older cars it was easier for the engineers to just run one wire up the steering shaft, so hot/power into and out of the relay to the isolated horn and circuit is completed by grounding the switching side of the relay at the horn button. If you are still 6 volt then the correct answer to your question would be both, because of being positive ground.

I am not sure why or what the starter solenoid would have to do with anything?

 

Well, if he's running battery power off the "BATT" post of the starter solenoid - as he should be, then when the generator isn't turning he's pulling megaamps from the battery to the horns throught the starter solenoid. But I would venture to say that the clicking may be the horn relay.

The Horn button completes the ground for the horn relay. The relay then closes and power flows to the horns from the relay.

If you have a 6 volt system then the 6 volt relay and 6 volt horns should be fine. If you have converted to 12 volt, then the horns will still work but you need to change to a 12 volt relay and relocate 2 wires.

Take a look at my relay diagrams at this link:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...-box-wire.html

Good luck

 

If you aren't using the original starter button for the starter it makes a great horn button.

 

No way I'm losing the starter button. My favorite part of the truck.

 

Mine too. You don't lose it...just use it for another purpose. I like it as a horn button on my 48 since I have a tilt column with an ignition key start and don't need it for that purpose...

 

Well got a horn working, thanks all. Not the horn I wanted unfortunately all my trial and error seems to have fried the beautiful 57 F100 horn I bought on ebay. Now I have the 'Freeway Blaster' from O'Reilly's groan, I hate normal.

Anyway found it worked best without any horn relay just straight battery power and neg ground from the horn itself. Not sure why this would cause an issue? Don't think I'll have any power draw without the ground complete.

 

It may burn out the horn button. Depends how much and how long you use it.

 

Well wait a sec,,,,,,,,your 57 horn may not be burned out. If it has a tone adjustment on it, it may just be out of tune. On my 51 trumpets, I had to retune (change the points gap) on all FOUR of my horns when I switched them to 12 volt. They wouldn't sound at all until I did that.

Ross is very definately right. You do NOT want to engage the horns without a relay. The relays are designed to handle the high amperage the horns draw and th ebuttons are not - which is exactly why there is a relay in the first place.

If you hit the horn button while the lights are on or there is another reason for you generator/alternator to be putting out amps, chances are very good that you won't necessarily burn out the horn button, you will weld it together in the on position - then you are going to start frying stuff.

 

The 1957 horn is 12 volt. Prior to 1956, the horns are 6 volt.

In fact...

B8AZ13832B .. Hi Pitch Horn

and...

B8AZ13833B .. Low Pitch Horn

Were used on most passenger cars/trucks from 1956 thru at least 1979.

As Julie mentiond, these horns have a nut you can turn to adjust the tone.

 

The horn was working fine till I tried wiring it up with the relay. I did try adjusting the tone also. It appears the cylinder inside is frozen in place now. May not be related to my hillbilly wiring attempts. I don't understand how you guys are saying I can fry it without a relay? Its wired only to the battery and steering horn ground. How could it draw more that the 14V tops the battery would put out? Sorry I'm an electrical newbie I know pos and neg, not much more.

 

the horn sucks a TON of amperage (power) to operate.. the tiny button contact and the small wire up the column really can't take the abuse..

So, a relay is used to shunt all that drain onto something that CAN handle the load.

the button just closes the relay circuit, the power flows THRU the relay..

on the relay are 4 terminals.

87/30 are the device (horn) and power leads.
85/86 are the relay control circuit leads.. one is power, one it ground.

so when 85 gets grounded, the relay closes and power flows from 87 to 30.

Sam

 

Ok there is lots of good info in this post but it's all a little piecemeal - lets put it together.

You mentioned that the horns work fine until you tried to hook them to the relay. So, OK the horns work - hold that thought.

You mentioned you heard (your starter solenoid) clicking when you hooked up the horns to the relay. Ok, even on my truck sometimes when the truck is not running (ie alternator providing good stepped up amps and higher voltage) the horns will not sound the relay just "grinds/clicks" I know this is horrible to say but it's just a thud when the button is pushed.

Honestly, I think your components are all ok - maybe your relay needs to be replaced - and you need to make sure it is wired correctly - good CLEAN contacts. But, also maybe you need to check it with the truck running and the generator/alternator providing some good clean power. Spray some WD-40 down in the throats too.

There is no greater horny feeling than hearing that sucker sound and seeing that very first big rust brown cloud blow out of the horn. Stick with it, play with it, I think it will work and be ok.