M1009 Horn Replacement

[ssdvc]

OK, driving back from Boston, some yutz cut me off and I went and used my horn for the first time. Well, it sound weak, real weak. My wife couldn't stop laughing it was so bad. She kept on nailing me with "big bad truck and you have a Prius horn on it". She was having a good time at my trucks and my expense. Now we can't have too much of that.

Soooooooo, I need a new horn, before my wife rides in the beast again. I want something loud so folks will pay attention, yet not train horn loud. Just a good **** horn at a reasonable price, one my wife can't make fun of.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[natemccabe]

I've got a set of the HF airhorns installed on my 09. Pleanty loud. The kit i had came with the relay and simple instructions. I don't remember how much i paid but it wasn't more than $30.

 

[o1951]

Usually them horns get wimpy because of dirt & grit inside the horn jamming up the diaphragm. I take them apart, clean up and adjust the horn points for max loudness at close to rated amps. Stock horn in good condition is loud enough for me. Some states and cities have rules on how loud a horn can be (decibels)

 

[DriverSideImpact1008]

All 80's Chevy truck horns I've ever heard are weak, and not only weak but a single horn...no dual tone horns like just about every other 80's American built vehicle. You gotta get some Caddy or Buick horns. Or go all out and get an air horn. I am keeping my eyes out on a good deal for some buick horns.

 

[Durango_USMC]

My horn just doesnt work... :/ so Ill be watching this thread.

 

[o1951]

All 80's Chevy truck horns I've ever heard are weak, and not only weak but a single horn...no dual tone horns like just about every other 80's American built vehicle. You gotta get some Caddy or Buick horns. Or go all out and get an air horn. I am keeping my eyes out on a good deal for some buick horns.

1968-75 Caddy tri note horns were the best. Used to get them at junk yard for $10.- I would take the underhood wiring too, and re-use it. Put quite a few in Camaros and Chevelles. Even put a set in a Vega! Get the Caddy horn relay too - it has big contacts for the 3 horns.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

Here ya go!

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200326940_200326940

I recommend using a relay, as this may draw more amps than your stock wiring can handle safely. Just use the existing horn power wire to trip the relay, and you're good to go!

 

[CycleJay]

I've got a set of the HF airhorns installed on my 09. Pleanty loud. The kit i had came with the relay and simple instructions. I don't remember how much i paid but it wasn't more than $30.

Hello Nate, I have the same problem with my '09, it sounds weak, even though it functions properly. The lady I am with has yet to laugh though, not at the horn anyway. She laughs at the whole truck sometimes, and thinks I am nuts for getting it. Anyway, where did you get that set of HF horns? any links to info. etc? Thank you.

 

[CycleJay]

Hello Marcus, a little clarification.. If you install this wolo bad boy in your truck, can you indeed hook the two leads that go into the stock truck horn into the bad boy compressor and be done with it, or does the m1009 have a stock relay that you would hook the bad boy into somehow?

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

Well, there are two ways to go about it. Either approach requires that you run a heavy wire from a good power source (12v buss bar or battery terminal) to a relay.

The factory recommended method uses only one relay and your existing horn switch to trigger the relay. This is probably the best way to do it, but depending on the location of the existing horn relay, it might be a little more hassle. Here are the factory instructions:

http://www.wolo-mfg.com/419 english.pdf

The hassle part comes in when you try to find the wire that provides ground to your existing horn relay, and run it to wherever you are going to locate your new relay. Off the top of my head, I don't know where the stock relay is located. If it's under the hood, this is pretty easy. If it's under the dash, it becomes a hassle.

Another way is to use the existing 12v supply to the existing horn to trigger the relay. Like this:




Mount the new relay close to the existing horn, and use the existing 12v supply for the old horn to trigger the relay. Mount your new horn close by.

The advantages to this approach are twofold:

1. This keeps all the wiring under the hood - no need to poke around under the dash.
2. This keeps the original wiring fully intact. Nothing is cut, spliced, ruined, mangled, spindled, folded, or mutilated. Makes it easy to go back to stock and keep your Bad Boy if you ever sell the truck.

Either approach takes a load off your existing (old, tired) horn circuit, because you either bypass most of it completely (with the factory approach) or you substitute a relay for the horn load on the circuit, which is a much lighter load. (Typically around a quarter amp.)

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

The lady I am with has yet to laugh though, not at the horn anyway. She laughs at the whole truck sometimes, and thinks I am nuts for getting it.

She's right.

Anyway, where did you get that set of HF horns? any links to info. etc? Thank you.

Might find something useful here:




http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/NTESearch?storeId=6970&ipp=24&Ntt=air+horn


I see some things there that make me drool....


I once installed a car phone (back in the days when they were car phones) for a contractor. He had an F-350, and he had installed locomotive air horns in that thing. They barely fit in the engine compartment. Had a compressor, and an air tank. He said they were designed for some ridiculous air pressure like 200 psi or something (don't remember exactly), and he could only run a bit more than half that, but they were PAINFULLY loud anyway! As a friend of mine used to say, "Bad craziness!"

 

[CycleJay]

Hello Marcus, So according to your wiring diagram two 12v power leads go to the new horn it looks like, or does the wire coming off relay pin 86 go to the power connection terminal on the existing horn? Other then that, I think I get it. I will figure it out, or ask you when I am in the process of doing it. By the way, I think I will go with this horn........... http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200584615_200584615 ... I saw the videos/audios for all the horns northern tools carries, and I like the sound of this one for my truck... Even though the one with the 3 sirens and ` big rig horn sound might be fun to play with.. Thank you...

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

12v from the bus bar to the relay (pin 30), then one switched 12v lead from the relay (pin 87) to the new horn. The horn is probably grounded through the mounting bolt - see the instructions on that. The relay (pin 85) needs to be grounded. Your old horn power lead connects to pin 86.

 

[CycleJay]

Marcus, What do you mean switched 12v lead from the relay to the new horn, you mean somewhere between pin 87 and the new horn you install the switch that "honks" the horn, correct? also, the wire coming off pin 86 connects to the power wire that used to feed power to the old horn, correct? Thank you.

 

[o1951]

Before you buy, play the video in post 7 and listen to it. Yes you will be heard, but if I heard that sound from a MV, I would be laughing so hard, I might have to change my shorts.

 

[CycleJay]

Hello, I have seen that video. And heard that horn. It sounds like a car horn.. But why would you be laughing?

 

[Mainsail]

Check craigslist using the search terms 'federal signal' or 'whelen' and look for an old cop siren. I have a model with two 100 watt outputs and let me tell you, people soil their seats when I touch that thing off, more so now that it's windows-down weather.

 

[o1951]

Check craigslist using the search terms 'federal signal' or 'whelen' and look for an old cop siren. I have a model with two 100 watt outputs and let me tell you, people soil their seats when I touch that thing off, more so now that it's windows-down weather.

View attachment 428021

Use it here, LEO gives you big problems - I think vehicle goes to impound lot and you get to see the judge.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

Marcus, What do you mean switched 12v lead from the relay to the new horn, you mean somewhere between pin 87 and the new horn you install the switch that "honks" the horn, correct? also, the wire coming off pin 86 connects to the power wire that used to feed power to the old horn, correct? Thank you.

Nope. Let's go back to the basics.


Every relay needs two things to operate its trigger - 12v and ground. If you have both of them, the relay closes and power flows to whatever device is attached. Of course, we want a switch to control when that happens.

Sometimes we give it a constant 12v supply (like the factory installation instructions show), and switch the ground. That's probably the most common method.

But it works just as well to give it a permanent ground and switch the 12v. Electrically, it's the same thing.

Well, what do you know? You already have a horn that works, right? That means there's an existing circuit which provides 12v to the horn when you lay on the horn button. In other words, it's switched 12v. It's 12v controlled by a switch. That switch is already there, resting comfortably in your steering wheel.

Your existing horn has a wire running to it which supplies that switched 12v to the horn when you press the horn button. It's probably got a female .250" connector on the end of it, which is perfect for your relay. Press the horn button, and it gets 12v. Let off, and 12v goes away.

We'll use that to trigger your relay. We'll just unplug it from the old horn, and plug it into pin 86 of your new relay. (Which you have conveniently mounted near your old horn.)

On the other side of the relay (pin 85) we'll just run a wire to ground.

Well, YOU will. I ain't gonna lift a finger!

The only switch that is needed is already there doing its switching thing - your existing horn switch on the steering wheel. Add one relay (out near the new horn), throw in some wire and a fuse, the new horn, and you're done.


Clear as mud?

 

[Mainsail]

Use it here, LEO gives you big problems - I think vehicle goes to impound lot and you get to see the judge.

I was speaking of using the air horn function, not the siren tones. Siren tones = trubba.