OEM horns died...AGAIN!

Discussion in 'MINI' started by SNEEEZY - Erika, Jul 31, 2011.

  1. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    So Erica, you want your OEM and the Bad Boy to operate at the same time.... And not in place of the OEM horns?
     
  2. Justa Jim

    Justa Jim Well-Known Member
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    She is going to it the horns and the car will move backwards. :lol:

    Jim
     
  3. SNEEEZY - Erika

    SNEEEZY - Erika M/A Wrenchin' Babe!
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    Yes...unless that's not a good idea.
     
  4. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    Point them horns backwards for a jet at take off effect.... :)
     
  5. HRM

    HRM New Member

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    Erika, you are not getting any answers, but you are getting views. I think I know why. The diagram is either pretty clear or not depending on experience. If you are asking, folks are afraid to get you going on the project since it seems the skills you will need are on the job training.

    You should use diagram B. Find the positive at one of the horns and use that for the trigger @85. I'm not trying to make you mad, but if that info doesn't' help, probably best to just find someone to do it with you. It isn't rocket science, but there is some science involved and once you see it done, you can do it too.

    Some wire, wire ends, a crimper, zip ties, shrink wrap and you are good to go *I always solder any wires under the hood, but it isn't necessary. The diagram will show you how the wires terminate, but you have to route them and make it fit to your liking.

    Hope this helps.
     
  6. SNEEEZY - Erika

    SNEEEZY - Erika M/A Wrenchin' Babe!
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    I know how to solder, but I just realized that my friend never returned my soldering set, so now I get to buy a new set. Yay! :mad2:

    I really don't want to cut the OEM connectors, so I guess I will need to use a quick-splice.

    Thanks for the info. :Thumbsup:
     
  7. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    The oem wires are of such a small gauge that using a splice is going to be hard to do. The brown wire to the horn is the ground side....

    Not wanting to cut into the wiring is the reason Metalman now owns my Hella's.
     
  8. SNEEEZY - Erika

    SNEEEZY - Erika M/A Wrenchin' Babe!
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    Thanks... :Thumbsup:
     
  9. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    #89 Metalman, Aug 18, 2011
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2011
    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.
     
  10. HRM

    HRM New Member

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    Get some shrink wrap or liquid tape and splice/solder away. As long as you have a good connection and protect it from the elements, you can't go wrong. There may be that have a way to clip another one onto it. Then you could just clip the factory onto the new one.

    It is not a bad project. Having both black and red wire makes it look more pro.
     
  11. SNEEEZY - Erika

    SNEEEZY - Erika M/A Wrenchin' Babe!
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    I guess I'll take another look at the Bentley and see if I can locate the OEM Horn Relay...I recall seeing it in the Bentley previously when I was looking for something else and if memory serves me correctly, it's a square relay, too.

    So...if that's the case, shouldn't I be able to simply splice into the OEM Horn Relay so the signal gets sent to the Bad Boy to go beep? Then I could just run a new hot wire to the battery/fuse box and ground the other wire?
     
  12. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    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.:Thumbsup:
     
  13. Crashton

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    I have air honks on my NOT N MG. They are the typical type with a separate compressor. I really don't see or rather hear any lag. My guess is the bad-boy horn would not either since it is all in one compact unit with no air hoses to run. This is just old fart speculation based on how many donuts I did not eat this morning. :wink:
     
  14. SNEEEZY - Erika

    SNEEEZY - Erika M/A Wrenchin' Babe!
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    If I were to find an air compressor tank that would fit in the space under the passenger-side cowl vent, would there be any danger to installing it there and actually installing real air horns down the road?

    Is there a risk to installing an air compressor in the boot?
     
  15. Crashton

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    You would need a bigger compressor than comes with standard air horns. Erica I think this is going way over the top. Those Bad-boy honks are going to be plenty loud. :eek6:
     
  16. SNEEEZY - Erika

    SNEEEZY - Erika M/A Wrenchin' Babe!
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    Duly noted. :D
     
  17. SNEEEZY - Erika

    SNEEEZY - Erika M/A Wrenchin' Babe!
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    Ok...today is T-H-E day...do or die trying!

    Starting with the #86 male on the relay, I will use a female disconnect to attach approx. 4" of red 12g wire to the #86 terminal on the relay.

    The other end of the 4" wire will go into a butt connector which will also include one side of the 20-amp add-a-fuse. The other end of the butt connector will be approx 4" of red 12g wire which will then be attached via female disconnect to the #30 male on the relay.

    I will be using a ring terminal to connect the other side of the 20-amp add-a-fuse to the battery. ***If there's a better method, please let me know.***

    I will be using red 12g wire via a female disconnect to attach the (+) on the Bad Boy to the #87 male on the relay.

    I will be using black #12 wire via a female disconnect to attach the (-) on the Bad Boy and then use a ring terminal to attach it to a ground point in the engine bay.

    This leaves the #85 terminal on the relay which is for the horn button relay if I were installing a separate horn button for the Bad Boy (which I'm not).

    So...if this is all proper & correct, I'm still confused by how I will be attaching the setup so that the Bad Boy will be activated when I push the horn on the steering wheel.

    The OEM horns are not being removed at this time; the Bad Boy is supplementing the OEM horns.
     
  18. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    My ears are covered.....:D
     
  19. SNEEEZY - Erika

    SNEEEZY - Erika M/A Wrenchin' Babe!
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    Does that mean my plans as outlined are correct?

    I'm still confused as to how the Bad Boy is going to "work" if it's not linked to the OEM Horn relay somehow...
     
  20. DneprDave

    DneprDave Well-Known Member
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    They died again! This thread is ten pages long, how many times have they died?:biggrin5:

    Poor Erica's oem horns must have been made after a four day weekend!:lol:

    I know you are installing louder aftermarket horns, but it's just the title of the thread that tickles me, everytime I log on they've gone and died again!:cryin:

    Dave
     

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