Most liked posts in thread: OEM horns died...AGAIN!

Sorry.....
I fell asleep on the couch and was in La La land.

The reason I asked if you were going to use both horns at the same time....

The Bad Boy has a compressor that needs a small amount of time to build pressure for the sound to be generated (since it doesn't have a tank). So when you hit the horn button, for a split second you will hear the OEM first, then followed by the Bad Boy coming on stream. Not sure you'll like the change in sound.

The second thing to consider.... Running both off the same OEM circuit may cause blown fuses. And don't just put in a larger amp fuse, those stock wires are pretty small. The fuse is there to protect the wireing.

 

Erica....
The simplest would be to follow fig. "C"

But I would locate the new horn relay in the general vicinity of the OEM horns. I wouldn't use the relay supplied with the kit. Get the waterproof relay Hella makes here. Waterproof Automotive Relay

Connect wires from the relay at #86 and #85 to the OEM horns, this will power the coil on the relay operating the on/off contacts and still operate the OEM horns. Run a new fused +12 volt to #30. Connect #87 to the + side of the Bad Boy. Then run from the - side of Big Boy to ground.

When you hit the horn button both OEM and the Bad Boy will make noise...

The OEM fuse will still protect the OEM horns and the new +12 fused line will protect the wiring going to the Bad Boy.

 

Aw carp.... I had push on spade connectors in my mind. The MINI has a molded waterproof connector, sorry. That's why Steve cut his off.

Decision time here, you can go the route of the wire taps that cut through the insulation (which by the way I hate). Or go the complicated route and try to find a matching male and female OEM connector off of RealOEM and make your own "Y" splice. Or do what Steve did and add the splitter connector from McMaster Carr.

You might see if the OEM horn plug can be snapped open (sometimes they can be for easy damage replacement), if it can, you might be able to make a solder connection inside the plug. This would also preserve your wiring.

 

Well, just so you know before you cut the wires...
I'm going to see about getting one of those plugs, as I don't particularly want to cut my wires either. Then I'll try and locate the mate. If I'm successful, a simple jumper can be made. It turns out my 09 uses the same horn plug.

 

Hey Chuck, one on top of each fender would be a cool look. You will need red mirror caps to compliment them. :cornut:

Those posi taps are pretty cool.

 

Erika, found this on Way's site. Looks like there are screws at the top and bottom that hold it in place. Hope this helps.

Used R50,R53,Fuse Box - Way Motor Works

Jim

 

So I went down to the shop to work on the MINI and at least try to spot a location to mount the Hella horns. Pulled the upper grill off, nope not much more than an inch of space, if that. Found an open pocket on either side next to the headlights. Got out the duct tape and loosely located the horns in said space. Nope, bonnet wouldn't close.... but oh so close, needed another 1/2".

Is it me, or has anyone else noticed these cars don't have any $&?*&@!?*%! space to add things????? I'm thinking of just "bungee" strapping the horns to the spokes on my rims..... They won't work but maybe everyone that would be near me will know I'm running Hella's and won't dare do something stoopid around me for fear I'll use them.

So that's it for today...... Failure..... But I still have tomorrow....

 

Keep on plugging! I know you can do it.

Mark somehow jammed air horns in there.

 

I never use my horns. Just realized last week that one was dead and the other sounded like a dying reindeer. Neither got better when I pounded on them.

So ordered a pair of Supertones and installed yesterday, the right way, with the relay, etc. replacing the OEMs. MUUUUUUUCH better. Sounds like a MINI should. My wife hates them.

Crazy... they worked perfectly the first time I pushed the button. I'm never that lucky/skillful in wiring new stuff... especially with relays and umpteen connectors/splices.

For mine, I assembled a "hot" wire with a 30amp fuse and ran directly from the battery terminal on the air box, through the cowl area, and around the driver's (left) side of the engine, to the horn area on that side and connected to the input side of the relay using a pre-wired relay socket. Tapped the OEM horn wire there directly to the lead from the relay socket, so the relay is in that same area. Spliced the output lead from the relay to a short "hot wire with terminal for the horn there, as well as to the hot side of a long section of wire to run across to the passenger (right) side (went through the bumper bar, can unplug and pull it back through if I need to remove the bumper). Spliced together the ground lead from the relay socket to a short wire with terminal for the left horn, to the ground side of the wires to run across to the right side (so I wouldn't need to route a separate ground on that side) and to a foot or so to run up to the ground lug for the ECU. So I have everything self contained in the left side horn compartment, except for one easily movable red/black pair that runs across the front to the right side horn. Easy and clean.

 

Hmmm, wonder if mine work:confused5::lol:

Mark

 

Horn? MINI's have a horn? I can honestly say that I have never tried it.

Jim

 

Steve did you have to wire in a relay or did they just hook up using the standard wiring that is already in place?

 

I wonder if this a problem area we just don't know about since we zip away from traffic incidents instead of blowing the horn. I too have 1 dead of the 2, has been that way for quite some too.

 

^^^If I knew if mine worked or not, those would be cool if they didn't

Mark

 

I'm going to order the Hella Super-tones. I have a set of air horns on the Not N MG & I like them, but it has lots of room to mount them. The MINI seems like space is at a premium. I really like the way the Hella horns mount in the same space at the oem ones.

 

Good, I'm glad you're getting them so I can hear them. Been looking at those for a while but wanted to hear them first....