Date: 28-03-24  Time: 18:48 pm

Author Topic: horn faulty  (Read 2002 times)

MikeBike

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horn faulty
« on: 14 October 2018, 10:45:29 pm »
Hello Guys.I have a FZS 600 1998-99.My bikes horn is a bit faulty. The horn itself works, but i need to try different ways of pressing the switch for it to actually works. I mean, if I need to give it a slight , rapid  touch for example to alert other drivers, it doesn´t work. Only after I try different pressing points and different amount of "force" on the switch  I manage to make it work.Do you experience this? What´s the issue?
ThanksMike

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Re: horn faulty
« Reply #1 on: 14 October 2018, 11:35:27 pm »
You may get away with spraying "contact cleaner" around the edges of the switch to try to spray behind it - worth a go. Failing that you need to disassemble the left switch assembly and clean the contacts properly, either with fine grade paper or ideally with a glass fibre pen.
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His Dudeness

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Re: horn faulty
« Reply #2 on: 15 October 2018, 06:20:28 pm »
Like Frosties said a spray of contact cleaner or Wd40 into the switch will probably fix the problem. Or if you want to confirm the problem is definitely the switch and not the horn you could connect a ground wire to the pink wire coming from the horn. If the horn comes on every time you ground the pink wire, the horn is working and it's the switch that's faulty. If the horn still doesn't work properly when you ground the pink wire the horn is faulty

Oldgit

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Re: horn faulty
« Reply #3 on: 18 October 2018, 06:13:58 pm »

my horn is a bit faulty as well, but I've put that down to age.


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Re: horn faulty
« Reply #4 on: 05 November 2018, 03:56:52 pm »

my horn is a bit faulty as well, but I've put that down to age.




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Re: horn faulty
« Reply #5 on: 05 November 2018, 05:36:36 pm »
Mine works intermittently, sometimes strong sometimes weak. Never know what's going to happen when I try to use it.
My 'mechanic' says it's down to stress.
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Re: horn faulty
« Reply #6 on: 05 November 2018, 07:02:06 pm »
Nice one Steve  :rollin
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Re: horn faulty
« Reply #7 on: 05 November 2018, 10:59:15 pm »
Mine works intermittently, sometimes strong sometimes weak. Never know what's going to happen when I try to use it.
My 'mechanic' says it's down to stress.


 :lol :lol  Have you tried Ralgex....gets a reaction for sure.

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Re: horn faulty
« Reply #8 on: 08 November 2018, 05:55:39 pm »
On a serious note (E#, A sharp, perhaps.... :lol ... Geddit? Horn? Note? No?) - my horn DOES work but only just. Put a different horn on (I have a snail type I was intending to replace the original with)  and nowt happens. A multimeter reveals about 6v across the terminals, which would explain the lack of noise. I understand very little of elecktrickery, is this likely to be an earth fault somewhere causing a drop in voltage?  If so, where to start looking?

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Re: horn faulty
« Reply #9 on: 08 November 2018, 07:23:54 pm »
On a serious note (E#, A sharp, perhaps.... :lol ... Geddit? Horn? Note? No?) - my horn DOES work but only just. Put a different horn on (I have a snail type I was intending to replace the original with)  and nowt happens. A multimeter reveals about 6v across the terminals, which would explain the lack of noise. I understand very little of elecktrickery, is this likely to be an earth fault somewhere causing a drop in voltage?  If so, where to start looking?
Seems like there's a lot of folks on here with faulty horns :lol

Yeah that’s a voltage drop caused by unwanted resistance somewhere in the circuit. Ideally the only resistance in the circuit should be the load that you’re powering which in this case is the horn so when you press the horn switch all of the 12V should be dropped across the horn but if there’s an unwanted resistance somewhere in the circuit part of the 12V is dropped across the unwanted resistance and what’s left is dropped across the horn. In your case you’re measuring 6V across the horn when the switch is pressed so that means 6V is getting dropped across the unwanted resistance. You’ve already replaced the horn so you can rule the horn out as the problem.

Most likely there’s a bad connection somewhere. It could be on the ground side or the 12V side. To figure out which side the problem is on you test each side separately. You can test the ground side by connecting one probe of your multimeter to the ground side of the battery and the other probe to the ground side of the horn (I think it’s a pink wire on your bike) then press the horn switch. On a good circuit you will see around 0V on your meter because the ground side of the horn and the ground side of the battery are electrically common points so there should be almost no voltage drop between them. If you see voltage on the meter it shows the unwanted resistance is on the ground side. If you see 0V on the meter the ground side is good. Next do the same test but on the 12V side so this time one probe on battery positive and the other probe on the positive side of the horn and then press the horn switch. Again it should show 0V. If you see voltage the problem is on the positive 12V side. Once you know what side the problem is on you can keep probing back until the voltage on the meter goes to 0

Or you can cheat and instead of using the meter use a piece of wire. Connect a piece of wire to the negative terminal of the battery and touch it to the negative side of the horn. If the horn comes on full sound it shows the problem is on the ground side. If the horn comes on but it’s still quiet it shows the problem is on the positive side. You have to be careful doing that test though because if you connect the wire to the wrong side of the horn you could cause a short circuit and blow a fuse 

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Re: horn faulty
« Reply #10 on: 08 November 2018, 07:49:40 pm »
Cheers HDness, I can get me 'ead around that so will have a go. It will narrow down the possible location of the earth fault considerably. Ta!

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Re: horn faulty
« Reply #11 on: 09 November 2018, 12:04:35 am »
Mine works intermittently, sometimes strong sometimes weak. Never know what's going to happen when I try to use it.
My 'mechanic' says it's down to stress.


Why would you talk to a mechanic about personal issue like that surely that is your doctors feild of expertise.
Sounds like some on here have 6 volt ones  :eek  Thought we were all meant to have 12 volt ones.
3 volts has always stood me in good stead  :lol :lol :lol  not sure what I am laughing at.
« Last Edit: 09 November 2018, 12:05:24 am by tommyardin »

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Re: horn faulty
« Reply #12 on: 09 November 2018, 06:32:33 am »
Mine works intermittently, sometimes strong sometimes weak. Never know what's going to happen when I try to use it.
My 'mechanic' says it's down to stress.


Why would you talk to a mechanic about personal issue like that surely that is your doctors feild of expertise.
Sounds like some on here have 6 volt ones  :eek  Thought we were all meant to have 12 volt ones.
3 volts has always stood me in good stead  :lol :lol :lol  not sure what I am laughing at.




 9 volts works for me Tommy - same as when you put a 9v battery on your tongue.......but somewhere else :rolleyes . That tingle jump starts me every time  :lol

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celticbiker

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Re: horn faulty
« Reply #13 on: 09 November 2018, 05:45:51 pm »
9v is all good and well but if the charge only lasts for 2 minutes before you blow your fuse then the ride won't be very satisfying for you or your pillion.
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Re: horn faulty
« Reply #14 on: 09 November 2018, 06:04:36 pm »
9v is all good and well but if the charge only lasts for 2 minutes before you blow your fuse then the ride won't be very satisfying for you or your pillion.


Never blown a fuse. Current record 1min 26secs which I'm rather proud of  :D
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Re: horn faulty
« Reply #15 on: 09 November 2018, 11:39:40 pm »
Pop a few of these and you'll be full blast on the horn for hours with no voltage drop :lol
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/nov/28/viagra-will-be-available-over-the-counter-in-uk-says-medicines-regulator

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Re: horn faulty
« Reply #16 on: 09 November 2018, 11:57:21 pm »
A few  :woot :woot :woot

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Re: horn faulty
« Reply #17 on: 10 November 2018, 12:34:36 am »
Plug your 'nads into the mains......instant Donald Trump barnet!
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