installing a nautilus airhorn = need wirring help!

[mmvalk]

I received my replacement airhorn and spent a while installing it on the swingarm and trying to hook it up using a relay. 

Here's my problem:  Using the supplied relay, I connected the fused wire directly from the battery  + to terminal 30, the horn button wire to terminal 86, the wire directly from the horn to terminal 85 and the ground wire directly from the battery  - to terminal 87.  All I hear when I press the horn button is the relay clicking even when I remove the battery ground wire from terminal 87 all I hear is the relay clicking.  I tried every combination - either no sound nor clicking or only the relay clicking.

What am i doing wrong?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Marty

[Thunderbolt]

 Did you ground the horn case to the frame?  If you put a light or volmeter on the wire that sends power to the actual horn, does 12V get to the horn?
http://www.rattlebars.com/mtz/basicrelay.html

[Madmike]

I received my replacement airhorn and spent a while installing it on the swingarm and trying to hook it up using a relay.  

Here's my problem:  Using the supplied relay, I connected the fused wire directly from the battery  + to terminal 30, the horn button wire to terminal 86, the wire directly from the horn to terminal 85 and the ground wire directly from the battery  - to terminal 87.  All I hear when I press the horn button is the relay clicking even when I remove the battery ground wire from terminal 87 all I hear is the relay clicking.  I tried every combination - either no sound nor clicking or only the relay clicking.

What am i doing wrong?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Marty

Try this:

CONTROL CIRCUIT FOR RELAY terminals 85 and 86

Hook the wire from the horn button to terminal 86 (this wire will be the original circuit that powered the OEM horn).

Ground terminal 85 to frame. (connections to 85 and 86 can be either way as long as you have a source of control power going to one side and the other side is grounded to complete the circuit)

Now, when you push the horn button with the ignition key on you should hear the relay click

LOAD CIRCUIT FOR HORN terminals 30 and 87

(for a 5 terminal relay 87A is NC, 87 is NO - when relay is not powered through control circuit- a 4 terminal relay will only have either 87 or 87A depending on relay design)

Hook the Battery + to terminal 30.

Connect the horn wire to terminal 87.

Ensure that the horn is grounded to the frame via the mount or if there is a separate terminal on teh horn then run that to teh frame.


To check the function of the relay;

You should have power at terminal 30 all the time (assuming wire goes to battery positive)

You should have power at terminal 86 when you push the horn button (I believe that this will be a keyed circuit)

[mmvalk]

Much thanks Madmike!  Your instructions were spot on - it's as if you were here holding my hand.  All is working as it should.

Marty

[Madmike]

Glad you got it working OKay.  I reread your original post and hope that you have a fuse in the supply wire that is coming from the battery (as close to battery as is practical) so that if this wire grounds out the fuse will protect the circuit components.


When I install a relay I like to use the holders (pigtails) that are built for them.  IMHO I believe that I can do a better job of wiring in the pigtail (solder connections etc.) and if you ever need to replace the relay it is a simple unplug the old and then plug the new back in - no confused wires.  I always get the same relays and pigtails (5 terminal) from my local supplier (Bumper to Bumper) and so with one spare relay I have several options covered.  They carry them as driving light relays for aftermarket installation of lights and they are available in 30 or 40 amp variants and they are very inexpensive.  Here is a link I found by Googling "driving light relay pigtail" that shows one...

 http://www.autotoys.com/x/catalog/RELAY_HARNESS_5_WIRE_HEAVY_GAUGE_RELAY_HARNESS_SPDT_p_320.html

On a related note I was in one of their (B to B) stores the other day and they had nice little add on ATO style fuse panels in 4, 6 or 8 circuit variations hanging on their display - inexpensive and local supply.  I believe that they were Grote (brand) packaging  - common truck parts hanging with the aftermarket taillights, marker lights etc.  Truck parts are usually cheap as there are so many of them that use generic parts and so they are a good source in my book.

You may want to consider adding a keyed auxillary panel supplied through a relay if you don't have one.  Easy to do - Kingbee I believe has some great pictures of an install that he did for this.  Advantage is that you can run several accessory circuits (running lights, horn, cell charger, clothing etc.) and they are all fuse fed from the panel and the power supply to the fuse panel is shut off with the ignition key.  May save an "ahhhsh*t" moment somewhere down the line.  Plus convenience of having fused supplies for accessories is nice.