I think you may have experienced what the horn relay was introduced to
alleviate. The full current (amps-the thing that wire is sized to handle)
required for the horn is too great for the little contacts in the horn
switch on the steering wheel. If you look at a wiring diagram for a horn
with a relay, the relay has two sides (electrically), one handles a low
current (exerted by the horn button) & the other handles the high current to
the horn straight from the battery (or maybe through a fuse, but not through
the horn switch). The smoke you saw was probably your horn switch (in the
steering wheel) frying. I know, I did the same thing. Still don't use a
horn relay (don't think they were introduced into production until 52/53
anyway), but mine was the result of true short to ground at the horn. The
switches are available aftermarket.
"Purple smoke is what makes them work; I know, because when the purple smoke
comes out, they don't work no more."
Regards,
Doug Pewterbaugh
dpewter@msn.com
Denton, TX
49 3104 216 5-window
----- Original Message -----
From: John Rockefeller <dbr@powerweb.net>
To: <oletrucks@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 1995 11:03 PM
Subject: [oletrucks] Oops!
> Well now I went and did it! Last weekend I tried to hook up a horn to my
> '49 3100 (Eeyore)
> Well I did something drasticly wrong! I hooked up the horn like I thought
> it should go and
> when I turned the key and hit the horn button it started to smoke. Filled
> the cab actually!
> The only thing I can think is that I ran the wire wrong and shorted out
the
> horn. Then I put
> the old horn back in, the one that was in it the last few years, and that
> one started to smoke
> also. My question is....Does anyone have a wiring schematic for a horn
> system? I need to
> know how the horn should be hooked up in order to do it right the next
> time. Also I want to
> know if anyone has ever rewound an electro magnet for one of these old
> horns? Both horns
> I have are 6 volt, but my truck is 12volt. The horn that used to be in it
> worked before I got
> ahold of it. The one I want to put in, a junk yard find, is also 6 volt,
> but only has one wire.
> The horn I want to put on is about 2' long and kind of shaped like a
> trumpet. Any help would
> be apreciated as I am driving around without a horn right now and it kind
> of makes me
> nervous knowing how my fellow Wisconsinettes drive! (Use of blinkers is
> optional in Wiscosnin!)
>
> Thanks
> John "Rock" Rockefeller & Eeyore 1949 3100
>
> oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
|