At 08:28 PM 27/09/03 -0400, you wrote:
>I'm trying to get my GT6 ready for inspection but no horns. Just the relay
>clicking. I get a light when i hooked my continuity tester up to the horn
>wires.
>Horn button is ok, relay is ok, Tested the horns out of the car and they
>work, The battery is a little low but charged enough to start the car no
>problem.
>The ground seems to be ok. Maybe a combination of a bad ground, crappy horns
>and a low battery? Any ideas?
The usual small test lights do not draw much current and will not tell you
of grounding problems as they usually come with a clamp to hook onto a
local good ground..(exposed screw or bolt.
Horns need a considerable amount of current as well as the full 13.5 volts
to work properly. This also includes a really good ground. Some horns use
the frame of the horn as ground Others are grounded almost as close to the
horn as possible. Because of the current requirements they are usually
operated by a relay so there is 0only a little amount of current needed in
the small switch in the steering column. Dont forget that it is the current
that does the work required in an electrical circuit. The volt is only
required to get it there. Check that all wires are large enough to carry
the current, and that all connectors are tight and free from
corrosion. Corrosion and loose connectors are the biggest problem for the
Prince of Darkness.
How bout this for a story..... Yesterday I go with my step daughter as she
wants to get a new car. As we walk in to lot number 3... there is a pearl
purple 96 Hundai Accent. I thought ohhh boy I bet she wants this one. Her
grampa and I check it over... Nice and clean... Normal and not recently
changed oil... Rad ok ... all seems fine. but ---- high mileage.
We get it home to find that all 3 brakelights are nit for gerverken. both
sides and the led unit in the spoiler. Ok this should be easy for the
electronics tech with 35 years of experience. I brak out all the test
gear. Volt/ohm meter and tester lamps. Fuse.... Nope its ok switch...
nope its ok.... yep we got power to the brake light on the right... yep we
got it to the one on the left... I can't really get at the spoiler light
without dismantling the whole rear end of the car.... ok must be
ground. Check the other lights .. tail lights ok turns ok hazzards
ok...and backups ok... check the ground with an ohm meter and the sockets
are grounded... in fact all the lights in the cluster at the back in 4
different sockets all use one common wire to ground..... Ok how come...
the other lights all work and the brake lights dont... they look fine...
but lets check them with the ohm meter... well hell they are all burnt
out. Replace the two brake 1157s and both brake lights work...was I
embarrased or what. Tomorrow I will strip out the led strip and check
there. Must be a broken wire or a ground connection cuz led's dont burn
out. hmmmmm unless they get too much voltage...
cheers
Marv
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