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| | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 242 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 242 | I have a set of horns ( 2 horns ) with a horn relay can I by pass the relay and hook the horns direct???? Thanks for your help!!!
Marv, | | | | | Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 2,200 Insomniac | | Insomniac Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 2,200 | Relay is required. The horn button and wiring cannot handle the current passing through the horns. IOW you will fry the switch and the wiring leading up to it.
Last edited by Gord&Fran; 12/18/2017 1:02 AM.
Gord 🇨🇦
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1954 1/2 ton 235 4 speed
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 693 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 693 | the relay also reverses the polarity of the switched signal. since the horn itself is grounded by its mounting bracket it requires the positive voltage to be switched to activate it. at the same time, it is much more convenient and safer to have the button on the wheel work by grounding out the ring behind it in order to avoid running a hot wire up to that moving component. so the relay is a easy component to add for current capacity as mentioned by Gord&Fran and also serve as a way to reverse the switching polarity. the relay is activated by grounding then provides the positive signal to the horn... | | | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 242 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 242 | I see I made a mistake by not telling that the horns are not on a car or truck I pick them at a swap meet and would like to test them before mounting them. The relay has 3 terminals one on each end of the relay and one in the middle. The wire from each horn is hooked up to one of the end terminals the other terminals have no wires. I am not sure which terminal gets the 6 volts and the other would be a ground.
Marv. | | | | | Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 693 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 693 | For test purposes a relay is not required. you do need to identify the horn terminal polarity to make the proper connection. if you don't know what the original application was, its conceivable they are positive ground units. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 242 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 242 | The horns are from what I found on Ebay is for a Chevrolet 1937,1938,1939 town and country horns and bracket, says they are a accessory, I would think 6 volt negative ground or am I wrong?????
Marv. | | | | | Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 693 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 693 | I'm not familiar with that series. I would assume the same as you but someone here surely knows... | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,270 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,270 | 6v negative ground on 1938 Chevrolet trucks. | | | | | Joined: Dec 2015 Posts: 2,063 Big Bolt Forum Moderator | | Big Bolt Forum Moderator Joined: Dec 2015 Posts: 2,063 | the guts of the horn just vibrate and it should not hurt anything to swap polarity if it was originally + ground. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 242 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 242 | Is there a gap on the points or are they normally closed, if open what would be the gap??? Thanks to all so far for your help!!!!
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