Horn electrics

[chuckycheese]

I thought my horn might work a little better if I gave it a better ground so I connected a wire from the negative battery terminal to the ground post on the horn...(this was just a test to see, so I disconnected the exising ground wire).

Well.....when I did that, the horn sounded..even though the ignition was off (and I wasn't even pushing the button)!! Why would it do that? .....I simply can't figure it out since all the horn button does is complete the ground....and it doesn't work when the ignition is off. What's going on and what should I do?

By the way, the horn was REALLY loud (which was good).

Thanks much, guys!

 

[Billy Ricks]

The horn switch is actually a ground. It gets positive current full time. It's triggered by ground.

 

[chuckycheese]

Confused

Confused

Well, I'm confused! If that's the case, why doesn't the horn work when the ignition is off all the time? Also, I edited my message and added that the horn sounded even though I wasn't pushing the button.

In any event, how can I provide a better ground for the horn??

Thanks!!

 

[Billy Ricks]

It doesn't need a better ground. If they wanted a solid ground the horn switch would be hooked up to the positive side of the electrics. That's why they are rubber mounted. You don't get positive current until the ignition is switched on.

 

[chuckycheese]

Why?

Why?

Well, why did it work when the ignition wasn't turned on? Also, Billy, it was really loud and sounded good...is there something I can do to keep it that way?

Thanks!!

 

[Billy Ricks]

When you press the horn button it completes the ground circuit. If the horn sounds with the ignition off then the hot wire is hot all the time, simple as that. The reason it sounds louder is just because the motor is not running and you probably didn't have a helmet on. Also nothing else is consuming power, so it's getting more juice than it normally would.

 

[chuckycheese]

Thanks!

Thanks!

I don't want to "beat a dead horse" but if the horn is hot all the time and pushing the horn button completes the ground circuit....why in the world wouldn't the horn sound when I push the button and the key isn't in the ignition??

Also, it was louder, by far, when I connected the horn ground to the battery. The engine wasn't on and I didn't have on a helmet....but I am was fairly astute about compensating for those things when I came to that conclusion. :roll: .......(and, of course, I tried doing the same thing with the engine running to see if it would make a difference....it didn't) :?:

 

[Billy Ricks]

It won't sound because the horn itself is not grounded, it is rubber mounted in it's bracket. That's why you have two wires going to the horn instead of just a hot wire. You could use a different type of switch and hook a hot wire to and from it and hook up a permanent ground if you feel industrious.

 

[chuckycheese]

OK

OK

I appreciate your advice but.....and I guess we can leave it at that. I still don't understand a couple of things:

If the horn is always "hot"....and I connect the ground by pressing the horn button with the ignition off (there appears to be no ground connection to the ignition in the wiring diragram)...why is there no noise?

 

[Billy Ricks]

Okay, my wording got you confused. The hot wire is hot when you turn the ignition on. Trust me, when you press the horn button you complete the ground circuit. Look at a wiring diagram or take the switch apart if you don't believe me. The end.

 

[chuckycheese]

Thanks

Thanks

That still doesn't explain why the horn would "blow" without the ignition on so I guess I'll remain confused....for now...and I'll try to clear up my confusion sometime soon and leave a message for others that might be interested. Thanks!

 

[thomastedder]

The + is always connected. The grnd goes through the switch. The switch only closes when the ignition is on. Therefore, the circuit also goes through the ignition. No other explaination. It may go through the fuse box or the ignition switch itself, but it goes through the ignition somewhere.

 

[Billy Ricks]

The positive supply goes directly from the fuse box to the horns and is switched. The main power line goes from the fuse box's 15 amp fuse to the ignition switch then back to the fuse box where it powers the other three fuses.The ground runs to the horn button then to the horns. Look at a wiring diagram. You have a black wire with a white tracer which is a ground going to the horn button.

 

[chuckycheese]

Thank you

Thank you

Well, that seems to make sense! So.......how's the best way to make sure that the ground is good (as I said, grounding the horn to the negative post really made it "blast"). What's a boy to do????? :?: :?:

 

[Billy Ricks]

What's a boy to do?????

Buy a louder horn.

 

[chuckycheese]

OK

OK

I appreciate all the fast responses but it makes for mix-ups!

I understand about black/white wires.....no such thing going to my horn...my green goes to the ground.

I have a good horn....as I said, quite loud when I hook up with a good ground!!

Thanks, again!

 

[Billy Ricks]

My wiring diagram shows a black/white wire going to the horn button and a green wire coming out. There doesn't need to be a ground wire at all though. It's likely the diagram just shows a black/white wire going in to denote that this is a ground circuit. All the horn button needs to do is make contact with the handle bars when depressed. That's why they don't run a positive wire to the button, so you don't short the system if something goes wrong with the button.

 

[Billy Ricks]

Try cleaning the contacts on the horn button. That's all you can do to get a better ground.

 

[chuckycheese]

Different

Different

Well, I guess the colors are often different...My colors to the horn are Dark Green and Green/Red...with the former being the ground.

I'm still sort of excited to find out why my horn works so well when I ground it to the battery........ :?:

Stay tuned!! :!:

And thanks to all!! :lol:

 

[Billy Ricks]

Chuck,

Just the fact that the horn sounds when you hook up an extra ground should tell you something. What it tells you is that the ground is the switched part of the horn circuit. Short of using some sort of an aftermarket horn switch and running a hot wire through it instead of a ground, or using a relay and knowing how to hook it up there is nothing you can do other than installing a louder horn. You could use a relay hooked up so the horn button activates the relay to get power straight from the battery to the horn.