Dinky Toyota Horns and What to do About IT!

[Scenic WonderRunner]

Anyone out there tired of their dinky sounding Toyota horn?

Here in crazy SO. CA. the right horn can save your life!:smilies27


~Any Idea's on what to use?

~Has anyone installed a more powerful horn?

~What did you use and how did you do it?



I've read somewhere that Toyota wires up their horns funny and it's not just a simple plug in and go.

Personally I don't like the dinky air horns either because there always seems to be a delay with them. What about a Buick Roadmaster 4 Note Horn?!!

[Nullifier]

you mean the horn has to work LOL! Mine hasn't worked since I got the truck. Although I have been thinking about hooking up a viar horn kit. Mainly so I can start submitting to the hornblasters web site LOL!

[Scott Brady]

I have heard good things about the Hella units.

I think Pangaea (http://www.pangaea-expeditions.com/gear/) can get them

[edgear]

My buddy rigged up a loud air horn on his '85 Toyota pickup, but he kept the stock horn as well. I'm not sure exactly how he has it set up, but I know he can switch back & forth between the two, depending on the traffic situation. Kinda nice having options.


on a side note, I saw a video on the web where some guys switched some wires in their friend's car so that the horn was activated by the brake pedal. I guess they filmed him driving for the first time without him knowing about the "mod." He (and the traffic around him) didn't seem to happy about it. Good 'ol college pranks....

[Jonathan Hanson]

I have the Hella, um, not sure which model, but they're the non-air-horn (no plastic trumpets), metal disk style horn, on the FJ40. Much louder than the factory horn, and very durable, but still sort of a beepbeep tone. Originally I had a set of triple Hella air horns, and let me tell you, those things were evil. No one ignored that sound. They finally oxidized and disintegrated, but it took ten years or more. I'd like to go back to them, and I'm planning to install a set on Roseann's Tacoma.

I found it made a big difference in effect to make sure the trumpets actually pointed out at traffic, rather than in toward the engine.

[Scenic WonderRunner]

I found this note written by Scott Wilson who used to have a 4Runner like mine. Well....mine is NOT like his AT ALL!....hehe

Anyway.....this talks about the funny wire up I tried to mention above.

So will a Hella.....or any horn other than a Toyota Horn, be hard to wire up like the chevy horn noted below?





http://www.barneymc.com/toy_root/techtalk/electric/horn.htm

Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 18:30:37 -0800
From: Scott Wilson
Subject: HORN WIRING

I AM HAVING TROUBLE WIRING IT INTO MY TRUCK.CAN
> ANYONE OUT THERE TELL ME HOW ONE WOULD GO ABOUT THIS? KEEP ON TRUCKIN'
> JEFF K. EDMONTON .

First off, WHY ARE YOU YELLING AT US?

I also have a Chevy horn in my 4Runner (1988). That is until tomorrow.
I ordered the Hella twin air horn set. :) Commuting will never be the
same.

Anyway...The reason your having trouble wiring it up is this. The
toyota horns use two connectors (one + and one - ). The + is always hot
(it always has 12volts). When you hit the horn button, the horn is
grounded and makes noise.

The Chevy horn has only one connector. It is for the + (positive). The
negative connection is made when you mount the horn. The case grounds
itself when it touches metal.

So, you'll have to use your imagination to mount this...here are some
steps to follow.
1) Your going to need to connect the Positive wire from the truck to
the connector on the Chevy horn.
2) The negative wire from the truck you'll need to connect to the case
of the horn.
3) This is the last, and hardest part. You need to mount the horn so
that no part of the case (of the horn) touches any metal part of the
truck. To mount mine I used a very short plastic sleve around the
bolt of the horn, along with some plastic washers. That way when
you attatch horn (using the bolt) The case is not actually
touching the metal on the truck. This is easier done that described.
You may decide this is just too much work and go get a horn with a
case that is not the ground (or negative).

To make my installation trickier, once I got my horn mounted and working
properly I tried to reinstall the grill. I have an SR5, so my grill has
the chrome plating on the plastic grill. You guesses it! It conducts
electricity really well. So I tried to put the grill on, and the horn
went off. I ended up using some plastic tape on the grill to insulate
it from the case of the horn. Overall a pretty lame way to put in a
horn. Plus it doesn't sound all that much better than what Toyota had
in there. I'm sure my Hella air horns will be a significant
improvement.

Scott
- --
Scott A. Wilson

[BajaXplorer]

I'm using the hella horns. They're very loud and basically plug and play.

[Jonathan Hanson]

BajaXplorer: Yup, those are the ones I have too.

Scenic WonderRunner: I believe all the Hella horns have a ground wire, so hookup should be easy. Otherwise you just have to mount the horn to metal to ground it - also easy.

[Steve Curren]

I have a Jeep and the horn is as the Toyota. I found an air horn that's a compact until that I was able to fit under the hood, it is at Girot's Garage . com, product # 77839 and runs $39.99, beats the stock one and it was easy to hook up.

[IggyB]

I kept drowning the stock Nissan horn.

Replaced it with 2 horns out of a wrecked Caddillac for 5 bucks.

Nice and loud. Plug and play

[Jonathan Hanson]

IggyB, you know, those of us who research for weeks to find a sophisticated solution to a problem really find it annoying when someone like yourself accomplishes the same thing for five dollars.

[IggyB]

Thank you

They have that old GM authoritative sound. Just be careful with the stock fuse size, 2 horns are drawing more juice. I can lay into the horns for 10 to 15 seconds before the 10 amp fuse goes.

[+ d]

I can lay into the horns for 10 to 15 seconds before the 10 amp fuse goes.

sounds like you need a relay! (http://www.rallylights.com/useful_info/horn_wiring.htm)

[IggyB]

But it also keeps me from going berzerk with the horn :ar15:

[91xlt]

Anyone out there tired of their dinky sounding Toyota horn?

Here in crazy SO. CA. the right horn can save your life!:smilies27


~Any Idea's on what to use?

~Has anyone installed a more powerful horn?

~What did you use and how did you do it?



I've read somewhere that Toyota wires up their horns funny and it's not just a simple plug in and go.

Personally I don't like the dinky air horns either because there always seems to be a delay with them. What about a Buick Roadmaster 4 Note Horn?!!


Buy a FORD!!!....:hehe: :hehe: :hehe:

[Jonathan Hanson]

The trick to avoiding the lag with the air horns is to keep the air lines between the little compressor and the trumpets short. The delay in mine was virtually unnoticeable.

[BajaXplorer]

Jonathan, your right about the need to ground the hellas. The mounting bracket on the horn is insulated and just mounting to metal does not work. Besides the tab for your horn wire to hook to, there is also an additional tab that you can use to run the ground wire.
BX

[Scenic WonderRunner]

Jonathan, your right about the need to ground the hellas. The mounting bracket on the horn is insulated and just mounting to metal does not work. Besides the tab for your horn wire to hook to, there is also an additional tab that you can use to run the ground wire.
BX

BX.....

So it sounds like from your discription that those Hella's can work both ways.

........Grounded at terminal


........Or non~Grounded with insulated mounting plate


am I reading you right?


............................

And Jonathan.....

Thanks for the tip on the short air line!......Now I get it!



(I still think a Buick Roadmaster 4 note horn would be awesome!):shakin:

.....and how about I aim one out the back for the tailgators!.....hehe:ar15:

[Scenic WonderRunner]

Reviving the wimpy horn thread...............

We all know how Wimpy our Toyota horns are.

Have you done a mod to your Wimpy horn to help save your Life?!!

Share with us your horn mod..........and idea's.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was helping a friend take her old car to the wrecking yard yesterday. That's when I started walking around looking for things I might be able to use. Then I thought of Horns! First I started looking at Buick Park Ave's because I know some of those came with a huge 4 note horn. None to be found. Then Caddie's....nuffin'.

Then I came across a newer Ford F-350 4x4 Pick Up truck. I check up front and sure enough I found a nice clean and new looking pair of Fiamm 125db horns....with bracket and wires! YES!

How much Amigo? $Fiefteeen Dollarz.

How about $7.50. HaHaHa! he says!

OK.....$9.

.....no sir amigo.

OK............$10 Bucks....please help me save my life one day!

It's yours amigo!

Snip.....wrench and I'm smiling and on my way.

I looked them up when I got home and you can buy them online for about $38 bucks shipped.

I get home and do a test of these horns on my Buick battery in the driveway (with my shooting muffs on!....hehe) and it shot my friend in the air 3 inches!.........hehe

I may need some help later with the wires. This is a two wire deal, and our Toyota horns are a one wire and a ground.



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i156/ScenicWonderRunner/2007_0505NewFiamm125dbhorns0003.jpg

[SLOwag]

I used the Freeway Blasters by Fiamm...got 'em for $10 each at Harbor Freight and they've been going strong for two years now. They sound like a traditional Detroit horn, it was a good choice for me. Rig is in sig line and I know 80's owners have also used them.

[Grim Reaper]

I have FIAMM dual air horns in both my trucks.
The set on the Sub are old and ave aluminum trumpets. They sound a little more crisp then the plastic trumpets on the new set. Sounds like the penalty horn at a Hockey game.

On the 86 4runner I popped the grill out and was able to just fit them them in the space left from the stock horn. They point down (make sure water can't trap in them) just behind the bumper. The compressor is Wire tied in right behind the head light to the core support. I just tagged both power wires to the stock horn and went right to the compressor. It already has a relay. If it spins backwards then flip the polarity. Has been working great for 2 years.

A tip when they seem to have lost their punch (cold weather seems to aggravate this) is every once in a while the rubber in the compressor needs lubrication. Couple drops of air tool oil does the truck.

Not a great picture but you can see the bottom of the trumpets above the core support mount.

[adventureduo]

I've used both the HELLA TWIN AIR HORNS and the HELLA TONE vdubb horns. They're both louder than heck and will do you right. There isn't a delay at all.

[flyingwil]

I've used both the HELLA TWIN AIR HORNS and the HELLA TONE vdubb horns. They're both louder than heck and will do you right. There isn't a delay at all.

Great products there! Just installed a set of the Hella Dual Air Horns (http://www.sierraexpeditions.com/index.php/action/item/id/211/prevaction/category/previd/5/prevstart/0/) a few months ago on my brother in law's Range Rover. They are very loud at 118 db, and for about $33.

[ntsqd]

IggyB, you know, those of us who research for weeks to find a sophisticated solution to a problem really find it annoying when someone like yourself accomplishes the same thing for five dollars.
He missed the third Cad horn though. The three together really work well, much better than just two.

Patch came to me with a Fiamm triple set. I didn't like the delay either. The hoses weren't all that long. Eventually dust killed it. I'm thinking a horn that needs oil must have been designed by Lucas.

Patch now has a real air horn. It's an old JCW kit that used a vacuum driven pump to compress air & store it in a small reservoir. The horn itself has a solenoid valve on it. As you might guess that pump was junk. Barely got 5 years out of it b4 it died. Now I use the JY sourced Cad air ride compressor and an ARB pressure switch. I pointed the trumpets at the ground to keep dust out of them.
First trip out with them installed there was some sort of protest going on and one guy had a sign that said "Honk if you....." whatever it was. My then GF asked me to honk for him. Neither the GF nor that guy were expecting what they got.

Scott Wilson, there's a name I've not seen in a long, long time.

[Robthebrit]

If you do air horns you want them to be as long as possible, those short stubby air horns sound like that aerosol horns people take to sports games. Although the short horns are loud on paper they are not very effective as there is not a large quantiy of sound, the horns on my trucks are air powered air horns, they are not that loud on paper but will scare the life out of you.

You guys with compressors should just run with air horns (in addition to the electric horn), maybe even get a train horn! I considered one for the mog but they take so much air I would have to decide between horn and brakes.

Rob

[ntsqd]

Hadley Air Horns (http://www.tectran.com/images/pdf/horns.pdf)

[Scenic WonderRunner]

Well......

I had a little time this morning.

And since I'm feeling a little better about the wiring now, I decided to mount up the Fiamm 125db Horns.

At first I thought I wanted them up under the hood. Hardly any room there. All the fittings seem to be waterproof.....so I started looking under the front bumper.

I found the Perfect fit, right up under the passenger side front bumper. And there was even a magically placed Toyota Factory hole for me to bolt up too!

I'm going to make a shield out of aluminum roof flashing to help keep the rocks and crud from hitting the horns from the front tire. This can also screw into an existing hole.

I found this wiring write up.......... (http://www.yotatech.com/~corey/tech/corey_horns/corey.htm)

I knew there was something funny about the way Toyota wires up their horns!

Anybody out there local who would like to help me figure out the wiring? How 'boutcha there Boston Mangler!


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i156/ScenicWonderRunner/2007_0514FiammHornInstall0002.jpg


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i156/ScenicWonderRunner/2007_0514FiammHornInstall0006.jpg


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i156/ScenicWonderRunner/2007_0514FiammHornInstall0009.jpg


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i156/ScenicWonderRunner/2007_0514FiammHornInstall0011.jpg

[HenryJ]

...Anybody out there local who would like to help me figure out the wiring?
I can offer a little long distance help.

http://www.fmtc.com/~brule/dual.jpg (ignore the ground references. This picture was for a different application.)

The positive, hot all the time wire to the stock horn needs to attach to relay "activate +"(#85) and jumper across and connect it to the relay supply (#87) , the single wire to the new horn needs to attach to relay feed (Normally Open #30) , The negative wire from the stock horn to relay "activate - " (#86).

#85 and #87 attached to the positive wire from the stock horn.
#30 attached to the new horn
#86 attached to the negative wire from the stock horn.

Pretty simple. If you can handle home wiring you can tackle this one. Ask if you have questions :D

[Scenic WonderRunner]

Thanks Henry!


I plugged in the Fiamm today!

It's just a direct two wire plug in to the old Toyota horn wires. Just put two female wire ends on the Fiamm horn wires and it plugs right in to the old Toyota horn Plug.

One hot.....one ground.

I don't understand what all the fuss was at the link I posted above.

Anyway..........

Works Great!

Now I sound like a Huge F~350 with 37" tires and 8" lift......! woohoo!

So.......just do it!

You too can sound like an F~350...........!:wings:


.

[Scenic WonderRunner]

Rats...........!

Grumble.....Grumble............! .....Rats!


My dual Ford F350 horns worked pefect for just over a year now! Saved my *utt many times from dum dums....already!

This past spring I went through the Very deep at the time Coyote Creek in Anza~Borrego. The water went clear up to my front bumper.

It must have swamped my horns. One ended up with water in it. And now one has stopped working. It's the inside one that's facing down.

Now off to the junk yards for another set I guess. It's going to cost me more in gas just to go get one!


Or..........

I could just plug back in my whimpy Toyota horn and forgettaboutit!

I think modifications are jinxed!



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