• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)

Horn doesn't work

  • Thread starter Thread starter 2Triumphs
  • Start date Start date

Share this page

2

2Triumphs

Guest
Guest
Offline
Button appears to be making contact. Notice clicking noise coming from horn relay. Anyone know what to do next?
 
write it off as a bad Lucas experiance, and just don't use the horn??
 
There is actually an adjustment screw on the horns themselves which is to compensate for wear. According to Haynes, "At the rear of the horn is a small adjustment screw on the broad rim, nearly opposite the two terminals. Do not confuse this with the large screw in the centre. Turn the adjustment screw anti-clockwise until the horn just fails to sound. Then turn the screw a quarter of a turn clockwise, which is the optimum setting." I was only getting the clicking as well, and i fiddled with those screws and voila! horn music! Now I honk in every tunnel I pass through.
 
Although the above solution worked for me, here's more from Haynes, just in case:

1. If a horn works badly or fails completely first check the wiring leading to it for short circuits, blown fuse or loose connections. Also check that the horn is firmly secured and that there is nothing lying on the horn body.
2. Twin horns are fitted and are of two different notes. The high note has a letter H on the inside of the trumpet and the low note horn has a letter L
3. If a horn loses its adjustment it will not alter the pitch as the tone of a horn depnds on the vibration of an air column. It will however give a softer and more harsh sound. Also excessive current will be required which is one cause for fuses to blow.
 
...or get one of those bumper stickers "Horn Broken, Watch for Finger".

I think I would rig up a couple of stout jumper wires to directly test the horn with the battery to be sure it was the unit itself at fault. If yes, adjust that screw, if no, trace back thru the circuit.
 
don't write of the relay as being the culprit even though it still makes the clicking sounds. The output leaving the relay can still be bad (this is what happened to mine). Yes, connect a jumper from your +batt. to your horn make sure they still blow (I bet they do).

Achtung
 
Yes, the realy can click and still be bad. What you do know is that the switch and power to the coil side of the relay is good. Now you need to check to see if the switch side of the relay is good. Jump B+ and B- to the coil terminals of the relay and then check the other two leads with an ohmeter. You should have a closed circuit. If this is good, then check for power at the horn. If so, horn is bad; if not, wires are bad. You could do this step first, but no power does not prove a bad relay, as it could also be the wires.
 
2Triumphs, the little screw on the horns has a very shollow slot, (almost like they didn't want you to adjust it). If you do find they need adjustment, take a small cutting blade on a Dremel and cut the slot deeper or if you have them off the car a hacksaw blade will work. If no results, your points are corroded and short of drilling out the rivets to clean them up, get new ones and save the old ones for a rainy day and you want to just piddle around in the garage. Wayne
 
Back
Top