Horn does not work

[1996Starcraft]

I have been prepping the boat for use and I noticed the horn doesn't work. When I took it out of the water last fall, everything was fine.<br /><br />Is there a quick test to check out the horn and eliminate a wiring problem? First thing tomorrow, I'll get under the console and check the connections.<br /><br />It is a pretty lame horn anyway. It may be a good excuse to install a new one.

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: Horn does not work

If you have a test light or a meter you can go across the leads at the horn to see if you have 12v when you hit the switch, if you do then it's probably a bad horn.

 

[ThomWV]

Re: Horn does not work

Its the horn, they crap out all the time. If you pull the little lid off the top of it you'll usually find an adjusting screw that will have a little lock nut on top of it. Loosen that up all the way, unbolt the thing and without disconnecting the wires hold it upside down and bang it a couple of times to knock some of the rust out, then screw it back down and have someone try the button. If it honks start adjusting in that screw until it sounds loud enough to you. That should last for another year. After you do that three times toss it and replace, costs about thirty bucks.<br /><br />Thom

 

[djvan]

Re: Horn does not work

I filed the contacts on mine 3 years ago just to "get me by" and (knocks on wood) it still works fine.<br /><br />DougV>

 

[1996Starcraft]

Re: Horn does not work

I took the horn out and tested the wires on my riding mower battery and the horn worked. Next I metered the leads and found a bad wire or connector from the switch to the horn leads. <br /><br />I tried the adjustment screw and it had a some sort of glue on it so I didn't try to move it out to make it louder. <br /><br />Everything works now, so thanks for everyone's advice. This site is so valuable to us shade-tree mechanics.

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: Horn does not work

Whenever one of my gadgets doesn't work, I always clean all applicable terminals before getting out the voltmeter - I would say 99% (99.99999?) of the time, it's dirty terminals in some form or other. Just my personal experience, but an easy thing to do for even those of us who are fairly inept (self included!).