Horn
Jeffrey Walker
walkerjl at charter.net
Thu Mar 19 17:34:02 PDT 2009
Don't forget that the horn needs a ground path as well as power going to it.
The ground path is typically through the mounting bolt.
I have seen horn buttons get corroded and stop working too. But first check
the fuse. Visual inspections of a fuse do show you when a fuse burned, but
I've seen fuse elements corrode and vibrate apart too, and the visual
inspection may not show that. I always test them with a multimeter for
continuity. If the fuse did burn, remember that there is a reason for it,
so don't just stop at replacing the fuse.
A really simple test would be to disconnect the wire going to the horn, then
use a voltmeter on it. The red test lead goes to the wire you pulled off
the horn, the black lead goes to a good ground on the frame somewhere. Push
the button and see if you have +12V on the meter. If yes, then your horn
should be replaced. If no, then start checking everything else.
Checking everything else: Switch your multimeter over to read continuity
(Ohms). You want to turn the key off for this. If I remember, the wires
going to the horn button are spade (slip on) connectors. Carefully pull the
insulation off enough to expose the connectors, then with a test lead on
each, see if you have continuity when you push the button (remember, no
power, turn the key off. Even better, disconnect the battery.) If no
continuity, then your button isn't working. If you have continuity, then...
start testing the wires. Find which of the two wires goes from the switch
to the horn. You should have continuity on one of them. If not, there's
your problem. Once you find which wire goes to the horn, then the other
wire goes to the fuse block. See if you have continuity from the wire end
at the horn button to the fuse (you'll obviously have to pull the fuse to do
that.) On the other side of the fuse, to test that side the best way is
back to using a voltmeter. Turn the key on and see if you have +12V. Also
periodically check to see as you test that you don't have a short to ground.
You should not have continuity with ground at any point on the power circuit
for the horn. The ground path is at the horn, not before.
DC electric is actually very simple...It's not rocket surgery. Just imagine
each circuit like water through a pipe. The 'goes into' (positive
conduction path) has to have a 'goes outta' (ground path). The battery is
like a pump, switches are like valves, and resisters is like water friction
in the pipe (nozzles, restrictive orifices, or waterwheels that turn the
energy of the flowing water into energy (like a light bulb). In fact, the
math involved in modeling fluid flow is very similar to Ohm's law and DC
circuits.
Now, if you wanted to do some high speed farkling: Here's what I did: I
created an auxiliary power bus directly off the battery with 4 gage wire
(same size as the wire on the battery cables) to a fuse block that I located
up on the front of the frame under the headlight fairing. I also replaced
the stock horn and bought a matching horn that is mounted on a bracket on
the frame under the front fairing too so I have a hi / low set. The horn
button stock horn circuit is used to power a relay that draws power directly
off this power bus (far less voltage drop when you use good wire) to power
both hi / low horns. There is something about using both horns together
that is much louder than either horn on its own. It's almost like 1+1=3...
I also use that power bus to provide power to the headlight high / low, each
of those activated by a relay controlled by the stock headlight circuit wire
(Not really necessary, but the headlight IS brighter), power a set of
auxiliary driving lights, power my heated vest, and power my cigarette
lighter power plug and power to my GPS and my Datel voltmeter. I keep
meaning to take pictures of it sometime, but every time I have to remove the
upper fairing (not that often) I always forget my camera.
Good luck! J
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "1KPerDay" <1kperday at gmail.com>
> To: "GPZ List" <gpzlist at micapeak.com>
> Subject: anyone know which fuse controls the horn?
> Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:59:32 -0600
>
>
> My horn stopped working and I need to get the bike inspected this
> month (assuming I can get the forks sorted out... they've been sitting
> since October because they pissed me off so much... plus the fact that
> our street has been iced over until 3 weeks ago).
>
> What do I check first? It doesn't look like I can unplug the wires at
> the horn (and test them on a lightbulb or something). Should I cut the
> wires and try that? Or should I try to find a fuse first?
>
> Any help would be appreciated.
>
> P.S. I'm a total moron when it comes to electricity. Perhaps it has
> something to do with my playing with cut-off extension cords when I
> was a kid. I can still smell my eyebrows smoking.
>
> --
> Utah Jeff
> '96 SheePz1100
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------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 09:26:30 -0600
From: 1KPerDay <1kperday at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: anyone know which fuse controls the horn?
Cc: GPZ List <gpzlist at micapeak.com>
Message-ID:
<3ddf36ea0903190826r284c9a60kb0d38885a94e8287 at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Thanks guys...do you happen to know where the connectors for the horn
join up to the fuse block or battery? Or do I just trace the lines
backward from the horn? Also does anyone know if other Kawi horns are
compatible, and if so, which? I assume it's a standard type horn
that's used on a lot of bikes....
On Wed, Mar 18, 2009 at 4:35 PM, Simon White <swhite at consultant.com> wrote:
> Try taking the horn off (the connectors will just pull off) and connecting
it (carefully) directly across a battery*. ?If it works consistently then
it's time to look elsewhere. ?Definitely don't cut any wires, though - that
will just lead to corrosion in them and more problems.
--
Utah Jeff
'96 SheePz1100
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:22:09 -0400
From: Bob Nelson <majordad at carolina.rr.com>
Subject: Re: anyone know which fuse controls the horn?
To: 1KPerDay <1kperday at gmail.com>
Cc: GPZ List <gpzlist at micapeak.com>
Message-ID: <49C27F41.40906 at carolina.rr.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
1KPerDay wrote:
> Thanks guys...do you happen to know where the connectors for the horn
> join up to the fuse block or battery? Or do I just trace the lines
> backward from the horn? Also does anyone know if other Kawi horns are
> compatible, and if so, which? I assume it's a standard type horn
> that's used on a lot of bikes....
>
> On Wed, Mar 18, 2009 at 4:35 PM, Simon White <swhite at consultant.com>
wrote:
>
>
>> Try taking the horn off (the connectors will just pull off) and
connecting it (carefully) directly across a battery*. If it works
consistently then it's time to look elsewhere. Definitely don't cut any
wires, though - that will just lead to corrosion in them and more problems.
>>
My schematic for a US bike shows seven fuses counting the turn signal
relay/fuse. It numbers the horn fuse as number two and shows a 10A
fuse. The cover for the fusebox on my 95 has a diagram inside. It
shows the horn as the rearmost fuse in the middle row. Hope that helps
Bob
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:24:54 -0700 (PDT)
From: andy burkard <andyburkard at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: anyone know which fuse controls the horn?
To: 1KPerDay <1kperday at gmail.com>
Cc: GPZ List <gpzlist at micapeak.com>
Message-ID: <191717.48375.qm at web110602.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
any 12v horn will work. in fact, i have an extra OEM horn for the GPZ. if
you find the horn is faulty after simply connecting loose wires and holding
them against any 12v battery (even your car's will work) let me know and i
can send it to you. i have no need for it as i did the fiamm hiway blaster
mod which i won't bother undoing when it comes time to part ways with the
geeper.
andy b
--- On Thu, 3/19/09, 1KPerDay <1kperday at gmail.com> wrote:
> From: 1KPerDay <1kperday at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: anyone know which fuse controls the horn?
> To:
> Cc: "GPZ List" <gpzlist at micapeak.com>
> Date: Thursday, March 19, 2009, 8:26 AM
> Thanks guys...do you happen to know
> where the connectors for the horn
> join up to the fuse block or battery? Or do I just trace
> the lines
> backward from the horn? Also does anyone know if other Kawi
> horns are
> compatible, and if so, which? I assume it's a standard type
> horn
> that's used on a lot of bikes....
>
> On Wed, Mar 18, 2009 at 4:35 PM, Simon White <swhite at consultant.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Try taking the horn off (the connectors will just pull
> off) and connecting it (carefully) directly across a
> battery*. ?If it works consistently then it's time to look
> elsewhere. ?Definitely don't cut any wires, though - that
> will just lead to corrosion in them and more problems.
> --
> Utah Jeff
> '96 SheePz1100
>
End of GPZList Digest, Vol 28, Issue 16
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