1st Gen R50 Cooper HORNS: The Saga continues!

Discussion in '1st Generation: 2002–06 R50, R53 & 2004–08 R52' started by SNEEEZY - Erika, Sep 21, 2011.

  1. SNEEEZY - Erika

    SNEEEZY - Erika M/A Wrenchin' Babe!
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    Nationwide gave authorization for me to take Schultze to an aftermarket shop since I had such difficulties with the dealership that did the original repairs to the electrical components after the accident.

    Diagnosis: BOTH of the OEM horns were bad and would ONLY work when they hit them with a hammer. (Reminded me of the occasional love-tap I had to give the starter on an older Ford....)

    Anyhow, as I was heading home I had an opportunity to use the horns out of reflexive habit...AND THEY WORKED!

    They continued to work for the next 4 or 5 days and then they suddenly stopped working. (I discovered this just as a Charger Wagon decided to make a right on red into the FAR lane (aka MY LANE) instead of the lane nearest the curb...but I digress...)

    Since the collision center was only 1.5 blocks down the road, I went there and we made arrangements to have it checked by another shop.

    THAT shop said the same thing...the horns would ONLY work if they were hit with a hammer.

    Okie dokie...so I head home and decide to just go ahead and install the aftermarket horns.

    I already had the old wiring harness from another MINI which was being parted out, so I unwrapped all the electrical tape & stuff and ended up with about 9" of OEM wire.

    I snipped the p-side OEM connector from Schultze and used a butt-connector & female quick connect to marry the aftermarket horn to the OEM wiring.

    I set the horn on the "crush bumper" while I started the car and tested the horn.

    (crickets)

    I turned off the car, got out, and swapped the wiring (per the instructions if no sound) and tested the horn again.

    (crickets)

    I did the same thing with the Bad Boy & ended up with the same results.

    BOTH shops verified that the fuse wasn't blown, the relay was good, and the wiring was in good shape (power & grounded), so that's not the issue.

    I took pics:

    [​IMG]"]

    [​IMG]

    :cryin::cryin::cryin:
     
  2. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Erika.....
    I really think the reason your horns don't work goes back to the turn signal module. There is a little spring loaded button that makes contact as you turn your steering wheel. From what I gather, the spring is easily subject to damage.
    I think it's not making full contact and the"hit it with a hammer" is enough to jar the button to making a temporary contact allowing the horn to work only at that instant.

    Try hitting it with a hammer, and I bet the horns will work. Of course don't ruin your steering wheel.
     
  3. Justa Jim

    Justa Jim Well-Known Member
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    I think you need to move someplace where you don't need to use your horn that much. :lol::lol:

    Jim
     
  4. SNEEEZY - Erika

    SNEEEZY - Erika M/A Wrenchin' Babe!
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    The shop techs used the hammer on the actual horn by the bumper...not on the steering wheel.

    Hmmm....here's what the 2nd shop did:

    One tech was sitting behind the wheel holding down the horn button on the steering wheel...no sound until the other tech hit the horn by the bumper with the hammer.

    Would that still be possible if the spring were damaged? The "hammer impact" isn't anywhere near the steering column...
     
  5. SNEEEZY - Erika

    SNEEEZY - Erika M/A Wrenchin' Babe!
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    Maybe it's time for a road trip...

    Metalman: I went to the local NAPA store and they didn't have any Posi-taps...they only had Posi-locks which looked NOTHING like what you showed me via previous link.
     
  6. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Sorry..... I took it that he was hitting the horn button on the steering wheel, thinking the jarring was causing intermittent contact of that spring loaded contacter in the turn signal module.
     
  7. SNEEEZY - Erika

    SNEEEZY - Erika M/A Wrenchin' Babe!
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    Well, I revisited the Posi-Tap website and tomorrow I'm going to see if any of the local Carquest stores have the Posi-Lock (aka butt connector) in stock.

    I'm second-guessing the crimping that I did for the traditional butt connectors, so if there's STILL an issue after using the Posi-Locks, I'll have to give more focus to the clock spring in the steering wheel.

    'course, I could always go out and buy another soldering kit to replace the one that my friend borrowed and forgot to return before relocating...

    Either way, hopefully there's info about the clock spring in the Bentley Manual...

    (sigh)...
     
  8. Justa Jim

    Justa Jim Well-Known Member
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    Erika, I like your determination to stick with this and not give up. Electrical problems are the most frustrating things in the world sometimes. :Thumbsup:

    Jim
     
  9. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Two things to check that's relatively easy. Get a volt / ohm meter and check the ground wire at the horn wires you just cut and spliced. I believe it's the brown wire. Locate the horn relay and remove it and also check it with the same meter. Obviously smacking the bumper is causing enough vibration to make intermittent electrical contact, it could be just enough to make a good ground or enough to let the horn relay make contact or even that spring loaded button in the turn signal module. And yeah, electrical problems are tough to find sometimes.
    Oh..... By the way, nice Hellyeah's.....:D
     
  10. Justa Jim

    Justa Jim Well-Known Member
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    Speaking of which, are both of yours in and working yet or still just the one mounted?

    Jim
     
  11. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    (Crikets)
     
  12. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Yeah, so I got the one mounted behind the passenger side fog light. The second one is / was planned for the driver side fog....... Except...... a "formed" windshield washer bottle occupies that space......:mad: There really is no unused space on these cars. So right now I'm stumped for a mounting location for the second horn. I think there might be some room under the passenger seat.......

    I really didn't want to remove the front JCW bumper skin but I may need to. At this point I haven't been motivated, but it'l happen, just have to find the time.
     
  13. Justa Jim

    Justa Jim Well-Known Member
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    #13 Justa Jim, Sep 22, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 22, 2011
    You only drive on nice days in the summer, so get rid of that useless bottle and mount the horn. :lol::lol:

    Jim
     
  14. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    Open the bottle insert horn, close bottle. Done! :cool:
     
  15. SNEEEZY - Erika

    SNEEEZY - Erika M/A Wrenchin' Babe!
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    Um...by any chance did an opened bottle of rum spill onto your box of donuts today?
     
  16. SNEEEZY - Erika

    SNEEEZY - Erika M/A Wrenchin' Babe!
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    Well, after spending almost 1-1/2 hours on this project today, I was hoping to be able to post a sound clip...

    Relay is fine.

    There is power to all four wires after cutting the connectors.

    I used Posi-locks to bridge the harness wiring to the wiring which was taken from a wrecked MINI's harness and attached female connectors.

    No matter how I attach the quick connects to the horns, the horns simply will not work.

    I am truly at my wit's end at this very moment and I'm pretty darn close to taking a sledgehammer to SOMETHING!

    waaaaaaaa
     
  17. Justa Jim

    Justa Jim Well-Known Member
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    Have you tested the horns to be sure they actually work?

    Jim
     
  18. SNEEEZY - Erika

    SNEEEZY - Erika M/A Wrenchin' Babe!
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    Ok...I'm tired & frustrated...how can I test them without having them spliced into the OEM wiring?

    I tried the Hellas AND the Bad Boy. (crickets!)
     
  19. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Are you saying you have power at the original OEM leads going to the OEM horns???? And when you connect them to any of the new horns, they don't work???
     
  20. SNEEEZY - Erika

    SNEEEZY - Erika M/A Wrenchin' Babe!
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    Yes.
     

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