lew Posted March 23, 2012 Report Posted March 23, 2012 The horn button for my boat is a knob that you twist to the right to activate, which is something I don't like. I decided to change it to a push button The original has the clips that push onto the back of the switch The new push button has the screws that you wrap the wires around and tighten down Before I did anything this morning I tested the horn and it worked fine. I then cut the clips from the original switch, and installed the wires on the screws on the new switch and the horn wouldn't work. I then switched the wires around and it still wouldn't work. I then put new clips on the wires and put them back on the original switch and now that doesn't work either. The power switch is on and the fuse is fine, infact I even tried a new fuse and still nothing. If it matters, both wires are orange & white. Any thoughts ??
mike rousseau Posted March 23, 2012 Report Posted March 23, 2012 well... my next step if you have access to the horn would be to put alligator clamps from the connections on the horn directly to a battery to test the horn... other then that... sounds like a strange situation lew.... do those orange and white wires go to a panel of some sorts... i had something similar happen to me with my lights... ended up being a corroded connection on the switch panel broke off.... just me playing with the wires was the straw that broke the camels back i guess...
Spiel Posted March 23, 2012 Report Posted March 23, 2012 Strange indeed Lew. Did you try connecting the 2 bare wires together to see if the horn sounded?
bigbuck Posted March 23, 2012 Report Posted March 23, 2012 Try to see if the horn still works by doing what Bill said. Actually, before that, check the contacts to the horn to make sure one didn't come off while you were fiddling. If it works, then follow each wire to see where it goes and make sure it's connected. If you have a test light or voltage meter, make sure you have power. Good luck.
DRIFTER_016 Posted March 23, 2012 Report Posted March 23, 2012 Those wires could very likely connect to a relay that activaes the horn. Check to see that you didn't accidently pull any of the wires off the relay when you were working on connecting them to the new switch.
lew Posted March 23, 2012 Author Report Posted March 23, 2012 All good suggestions guys and thanks, but all connections are clean and tight and I've already tried all your ideas. Actually I never even came close to any of the connections other than the ones right at the switch. I tried your suggestion too Spiel and connected the 2 wires to each other but still nada. If I didn't know better I'd think somehow I blew a fuse but it checks out OK and I've already tried different fuses there. Oh well, I spose if anyone gets in my way this summer I'll just have to scream at them or blow my whistle Thanks anyhoo boyz.
mike rousseau Posted March 23, 2012 Report Posted March 23, 2012 try replacing the horn with something else... maybe a light or something... if it works... your horn is no good.... only so many things that can be bad...horn...connections...broken wire...switch... powers supply...
Skipper D Posted March 23, 2012 Report Posted March 23, 2012 (edited) Check the grounds , if it worked before it should work again .Tomorow morning at 3am it i'll work Lew . Edited March 23, 2012 by Skipper " D "
jimmer Posted March 23, 2012 Report Posted March 23, 2012 I would agree with the person that said to connect the horn directly to the battery to see if it works, before going crazy over the wiring.
SirWhite Posted March 23, 2012 Report Posted March 23, 2012 The switch IS the relay. Its def got to be a loose connection. Your gonna have to follow the wiring and find where it came loose.
lew Posted March 23, 2012 Author Report Posted March 23, 2012 I hooked a battery directly to the horn and it works fine. I've been under the dash for an hour checking connections and they all seem to be tight and I've re-checked the fuses and everything appears good. This is really bizarre because as I said above the only thing I did was take the wires off the back of the old switch and put them on the back of the new switch. The entire job only took a couple minutes.
ecmilley Posted March 23, 2012 Report Posted March 23, 2012 (edited) Lew check all the fuses, if there is a relay in the circuit it could be on another fuse, is there a wiring diagram sticker anywhere? i have one in my bilge area that comes in handy for electrical gremlins also check for a connector off, many boats just have push on connectors that come loose easily Edited March 23, 2012 by ecmilley
Roy Posted March 23, 2012 Report Posted March 23, 2012 Lew, does your ignition key need to be in ACC. or RUN position for these things to work? If you're hotwiring and it's working...well....??
kickingfrog Posted March 23, 2012 Report Posted March 23, 2012 (edited) Have you tried the old/switch? Edit: never mind Edited March 23, 2012 by kickingfrog
Lip-ripper Posted March 23, 2012 Report Posted March 23, 2012 If the wire was really old and brittle the strands could have let go within the jacketing when you bent them to work on them. It would only show with a voltage tester.
lew Posted March 23, 2012 Author Report Posted March 23, 2012 Ernie, there's no actual diagram for the fuse panel but everything is clearly marked on the fuse block including the fuse for the horn. I've checked them all earlier incase the relay is seperate but I'm gonna check them again. Roy, the key doesn't need to be on but there's a seperate master switch on the dash but I had it in the correct position. And Rob, yes I've tried with both the new & old switches. It's no wonder auto mechanics are so well paid
danc Posted March 23, 2012 Report Posted March 23, 2012 I'm no expert on such things, but here's my guess. Did you install the switch back into the dash before trying it? Perhaps the dash is the ground??
lew Posted March 23, 2012 Author Report Posted March 23, 2012 If the wire was really old and brittle the strands could have let go within the jacketing when you bent them to work on them. It would only show with a voltage tester. Sorry Trouty, we were both posting at the same time. The boats only 3 years old and the wires don't seem to be the least bit brittle, but that was a good point.
lew Posted March 23, 2012 Author Report Posted March 23, 2012 I'm no expert on such things, but here's my guess. Did you install the switch back into the dash before trying it? Perhaps the dash is the ground?? No I didn't Dan as the dash is fiberglass with no metal at all near the switch and the old switch itself is a plastic housing but that was one of my 1st thoughts this morning. The new switch is metal but the neck that comes thru the dash is bigger than the old one so I'll need to ream the hole out to make it fit and I don't want to do that until I figure out the problem.
Fisherman Posted March 23, 2012 Report Posted March 23, 2012 Okay, the horn works 100%, you tested it directly to the battery. The only thing that switch does is close the circuit, just like a common light switch in a house. Find out where the or/wh wire comes from under the dash and what it's hooked to for a power source. There's another wire on the other side of the horn, ( you need 2 to make it work) ones + the other -, I'm highly suspecting the or/wh is +positive. Find out where the other wire from the horn goes, most likely a common ground point(buss bar) under the dash. Somewhere under there is a failed connection, the actual connector may be tight however the wire is not making contact at the connector. There's no other way around it.
RangerGuy Posted March 23, 2012 Report Posted March 23, 2012 Didn't read the all the post but maybe the button is no good. If you have meter that test connectivity you could confirm the button is closing the circuit?
Tybo Posted March 23, 2012 Report Posted March 23, 2012 Lew,First check to see if any thing else is not working.The horn fuse will be for the horn not the switch, I think you have a main power fuse blown. Touching the two wires together should make the horn work. Two wires the same colour means power in power out.No ground at the switch.
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