The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 6v horn

I wired up my original 6v horn in my 12v system with a 10w voltage reducer and hit the button- nothing. I then tested the wire running to the horn and found that the reducer was not doing its job and I was getting 12v which lead me to believe that I must have fried the horn so I took it off and tried it with the 6v battery in my F*^d 9N and it worked fine. So my question: Are the voltage reducers directional like a diode or is this brand new one just bad? Why will the horn honk on 6v but not do anything on 12v?

the horn works off of the ground rather than hot wire so i am told. maybe you have it wired backwards. i have my hooked up to 12v no problem. no reducers either, been that way at least 21 yrs. ron

You can run the 6volt horn on 12 volts but its best to wire in a relay. Some guys look for 6 volt horns cause they are louder.

I must have had a bad connection because it will work on 12v but sounds odd. I also tested the voltage reducer and when it has no load it passes the full battery voltage but with a load, even a light bulb, voltage drops to .7 volts so I when down to the local electronics store and bought the same reducer I got for the gas gauge for $1.20.

No No! That gas gauge risister won,t last 2 seconds on a horn. You might use a ignition resistor.

Ive used the same 6 volt trumpet horns for over 15 yrs now, in different cars Ive had. Never a problem!
I use a Mopar starter relay as a horn relay, works best!

I have the loudest Saturn on the road!!

How many amps does a horn draw?

Finally found a spec for my horn and it draws 17 amps. Is there a voltage reducer that can take this kind of load? I tried the horn with 12 volt but it just doesn't sound right.

I would just wire it straight to the 12 volt. I did this with the original horn from the '51, and more recently with the accessory matched horns I installed. The horn is like the starter-it doesn't mind 12 volts, just don't hold the button for minutes at a time, or it might fry. Make sure the contacts inside the horn are clean. It should sound the same on 12v as 6v, only LOUDER.

The 6v horns give a manly sound with 12v and won't complain as long as you're not the kind of person who uses the horn as a weapon

I'll check the contacts and try not to honk to long. I am the kind of guy that rarly if ever honks but when I do, it's one of those longer HO... you stupid #$@&... NKs

best way to make a 6-volt original horn (50 chevy 3100) sound great is to install a 6-volt alternator. Horn is 3 times louder/clearer lights white at idle, engine starts quick when warmed up ,fuel gauge is more better accurate,the old 216 runs 30 % better.This flame thrower would run a v-8. 12 volts---nosir. 50 chevy 3100

I wired mine with a relay, and it sounded odd also. I took apart the horn button and found the contacts were a bit rusted, so I sanded them down a little to new metal, and now it sounds great!