Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

Boomyal · Sep 5, 2005

2003 Mitsubishi Lancer. The horn does not work. The car had been in a front left collision that resulted in damage and replacement of the front hood lock panel where the horns are located. I do not have a wiring diagram but I have this recollection that horns are switched off the ground. Is this correct? I do have constant power (key on or off) to the fuse for the horn and suspect that there might be a break in the wire to the horn due to the collision. Any help to diagnose would be appreciated. There are two horns bolted to the center hood lock panel strut, each with one with a single wire coming out of a harness to the connector on the horn. Once the power leaves the fuse box where does it go. I think the contact in the horn button is on the negative side.

CalicoKid · Sep 5, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

There should be a relay under the hood or in the cabin fuse box. Usually the horn button is wired to the relay low current (coil) circuit and relay (normally open) gets power from horn fuse ad passes it to the horn when coil is energized.

Boomyal · Sep 6, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

I'll check the manual for a horn relay CalicoK, thanks. Is the fuse before or after a relay?

Dunaruna · Sep 6, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

The horn circuit on modern cars use a ground switch to activate the relay, which then supplies 12v to the horn. The fuse is always first in the circuit, then the relay. Easy peasy to check, boom. Test light on the single horn wire (use a KNOW GOOD ground). Have someone push the horn button. If the test light doesn't work, replace the relay and/or wire to the horn. (when you find the relay, you will find a group of relays. Identify one that is the same as the horn relay and swap it for test purposes only). If the test light lights up > use the horn mounting bolt as the ground for the test light. No light > the panel that the horn is mounted on has probably been isolated from ground when refitted (chaulking compound). If after using the mounting bolt as a ground and the light still works - the horn is faulty. Make sense?

Boomyal · Sep 6, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

Method of diagnosis has been committed to print and at first light I'll run out to Daughters car, with instructions and testlite in hand and dig in with both elbows.

Thanks Aldo. All I could conjure up, without a schematic, was my experience as a lubeboy on '60's Volkswagens. Horn hooked directly to fuse positive, Ground wire up to the spring loaded contact switch on the steering wheel, yada yada yada!

Dunaruna · Sep 6, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

I don't have a genuine Mitsubishi manual. The only reference I can find for the relay is - "It is mounted under the bonnet near the battery". Like that helps! I'm still searching.

Boomyal · Sep 6, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

Originally posted by Dunaruna: I don't have a genuine Mitsubishi manual. The only reference I can find for the relay is - "It is mounted under the bonnet near the battery". Like that helps! I'm still searching.

There is a relay box along side the underhood fuse block, right behind the battery. I will look at the inside of the cover to see if they label any of them. I don't know if that is common. Whereas the owners manual give you fuse info, they don't give you relay info.

Dunaruna · Sep 6, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

Sometimes the label is there under the lid, sometimes it's not. Being that the horn worked before the body repairs, I would tend to agree with you that the wire is probably the culprit. BTW, very nice car - well built and they have a very good longevity record. My daughter wants one.

Boomyal · Sep 6, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

Originally posted by Dunaruna: BTW, very nice car - well built and they have a very good longevity record. My daughter wants one.

It had 35k mi on it when she bought it. Big mag wheels with low profile tires, A/C, power windows, mirrors and door locks, with 5sp gearbox. It is very quiet and smooth riding down the freeways even with the A/C on and it has a lot of pep. All for a lot less money than an equivalent Toyota or Honda.

Dunaruna · Sep 7, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

Honk if it's fixed.

Boomyal · Sep 7, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

_ _ _ _!!!

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Haven't had a chance to look at the little relay box yet Aldo. Hopefully I'll get to it in the morning before my daughter gets off to school then work. She is a cashier at a Volkswagen dealer which is next door to a Mitsubishi dealer owned by the same group. If I can't identify the horn relay I'll have her ask them to point it out to her.

Boomyal · Sep 10, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

I finally got around to looking for the horn relay. It was supposed to be in a small relay carrier that is adjacent to the main underhood fuse box. Seems that the carrier is broken right through the socket area that the relay would have been plugged into and they had taped it together. There was no relay in the socket. Apparently the relay carrier is part of the fuse box so I would have to buy the whole thing if the contacts are interupted from the crack. As I had mentioned, the car had been damaged in the fuse box area and they never bothered to replace the box.

TilliamWe · Sep 11, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

As I had mentioned, the car had been damaged in the fuse box area and they never bothered to replace the box

I hope they didn't get paid to replace it (big bucks, I'll assume!), and just didn't. Not sure when it was wrecked, but was your daughter the owner at the time? What I am getting at, is either someone stuck insurance money in their pocket, or the damage was missed on the original inspection. If it was truly accident related, the insurance carrier owed to pay the cost to fix it properly. It might be too late now, and it definately is if your daughter didn't own the car when it was wrecked.

Boomyal · Sep 11, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

No Tilliam, my daughter bought it with a Salvage Title. She got a very good deal on the car and you could not even tell that it had been hit. We saw pictures of the extent of the damage and it did not get into any critical structure. We new the horn did not work when she bought it and assumed it was collision related.

CalicoKid · Sep 11, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

You could wire around the damaged box and hang a relay wherever you like under the hood just bypassing the damaged box. I'm sure you could trace out and use the existing wiring. Not the prettiest but who's gonna see it?

Xcusme · Sep 12, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

I'd go for a rewire job of the existing circuit. All you'd need is the horn wire to the steering wheel (normally open wire that gets grounded when you hit the horn button.) You'll also need the wire feeding the horn(s), this gets 12VDC to sound the horns. The last part is a SPST 12vdc relay. If you need a very simple drawing, let me know.

Boomyal · Sep 12, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

Originally posted by Xcusme: I'd go for a rewire job of the existing circuit. All you'd need is the horn wire to the steering wheel (normally open wire that gets grounded when you hit the horn button.) You'll also need the wire feeding the horn(s), this gets 12VDC to sound the horns. The last part is a SPST 12vdc relay. If you need a very simple drawing, let me know.

Wood, fiberglass and nuts and bolts I can usually deal with. Some wiring and computers are a little abstract for this hardened gray matter. A diagram would be nice Xcusme. Thanks. Relays always scare me. They always have little symbols that I don't understand. BTB, a leeetle computer question thrown in here, if I may. Windows XP, where is it that you make all folders look like the one you change in 'view'? I know I've done it before but cannot find something that works 'globally'. Under Tools, Folder options, view tab there is a button that says 'make all folders look like this one' but after selecting 'details' in 'view' then going to this box and pushing the aforementioned button under 'tools' it doesn't hold. Whew?

Xcusme · Sep 12, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

You're pretty close on the folder view thing. Click on Tools,Folder Options. On this screen (General ) Web View- place a tick mark in Use Windows Classic Folders. I'm on Win2k here, this should be close. Remember, you have to close Explorer and re-open to see the changes. As for the horn relay, it's a no brainer for sure. Get to an auto parts store and get a standard Bosch SPST (single pole-single throw relay) You can get these for under 5 bucks. If they have 1/4" prewired leads available, get those too. You'll need 4 of them. The bottom of the relay is labled with numbers. Follow the diagram below.

As an afterthought, you can add an inline fuse , between the 2-12VDC supply lines and a battery source as added protection. Not knowing what the current draw of the horn (or horns) is, I can only suggest a fuse value, perhaps 10 amps??

Bob_VT · Sep 12, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

How about the good old fashioned bumper sticker.... HORN BROKEN....Watch for Finger

Sorry but this was just too appropriate! Bob

Xcusme · Sep 15, 2005

Re: Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

Hey Boomyal...you get that horn sorted out yet??

Horn Problem on Daughter's car? PROBLEM SOLVED 10/2/05

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