New compact air horn install...

[darthandy]

I'm getting ready to install my new compact air horn in the fairing, but I've run into a problem wiring it up to the existing horn button. I'm not too good at reading wiring diagrams so maybe I'm misunderstanding what I'm looking at, but here goes. In the "Relays 101" document from the Tech Library (That I used to do my emergency ignition bypass) it shows a recommended method that involves tapping into the wire coming from the horns and going to the switch. So far, so good. The wire then goes to terminal 86 of the relay but then shows power from the battery going to relay 85. This is where I get confused. There is power travelling along the wire from the battery to the horns and then towards the switch so when I tap into it, wouldn't that give me a flow to terminal 85? Since it's ahead of the switch, wouldn't that activate my relay as soon as the ignition gets turned on? And if I put power to terminal 85, won't that cause a short circuit condition? I'm probably misunderstanding something here so I could use some help. According to the wiring diagram in the manual, there is a pink wire going to (Or is that, coming from) the horn switch, so do I tap into that one? Any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Andy

[Yammer Dan]

I'm getting ready to install my new compact air horn in the fairing, but I've run into a problem wiring it up to the existing horn button. I'm not too good at reading wiring diagrams so maybe I'm misunderstanding what I'm looking at, but here goes. In the "Relays 101" document from the Tech Library (That I used to do my emergency ignition bypass) it shows a recommended method that involves tapping into the wire coming from the horns and going to the switch. So far, so good. The wire then goes to terminal 86 of the relay but then shows power from the battery going to relay 85. This is where I get confused. There is power travelling along the wire from the battery to the horns and then towards the switch so when I tap into it, wouldn't that give me a flow to terminal 85? Since it's ahead of the switch, wouldn't that activate my relay as soon as the ignition gets turned on? And if I put power to terminal 85, won't that cause a short circuit condition? I'm probably misunderstanding something here so I could use some help. According to the wiring diagram in the manual, there is a pink wire going to (Or is that, coming from) the horn switch, so do I tap into that one? Any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Andy

 

 

:sign yeah that::sign yeah that:

 

Thats why I don't have any relays......

[Prairiehammer]

The pink wire (it is to ground) is switched by the horn button. There is no "power" to the horn button; the horn button when depressed completes the ground circuit.

[darthandy]

The pink wire (it is to ground) is switched by the horn button. There is no "power" to the horn button; the horn button when depressed completes the ground circuit.

 

Thanks, Kevin. So I should attach a wire from the 86 terminal to that pink wire and then run a "hot" wire to the 85 terminal? I can get power for the 85 terminal from a wire that I already have running from my new accessory fuse box to the 30 terminal on the relay for my headlight. Tapping into that wire would allow me to power the 85 terminal on the new relay. I already have a wire from the new fuse box to power te new 30 terminal. Does this sound right, or am I still getting it wrong.

 

Andy

[Prairiehammer]

Andy,

Here is a diagram that Dingy included in his Relay 101 document. Note that the wire gauge to/from terminal 85 and 86 can be fairly small (diameter); that is a low wattage signaling circuit. The wire from your 12 volt positive for the air compressor, terminals 87 and 30 should be a bit heavier gauge since those wires are carrying the load current for the horn. I wouldn't grab power for the horn from terminal 30 on your headlight relay; find a blank fuse holder for the horn, and use the output from that fuse to energize both the horn relay signal (terminal 85) and the horn load (terminal 87).

[darthandy]

Thanks, Kevin. I think I've got it now. That's the diagram I've been working from, but I guess it may have led me down the wrong path because I took it too, shall we say, literally. Now off to work.

 

Andy

[djh3]

Horn circuit operates backwards of most things. Horn has power to it all the time and the ground is switched. I dunno why just the way they make it to keep us on our toes I guess.

[Carbon_One]

Hate to say it but my horn harness would of made this job a 15 minute and done job.

Larry

[Snaggletooth]

Don't feel bad, That "horn button is the ground" thing had me going in circles when I installed my Fiams until Bongobob got me straightend out years back.

[darthandy]

Hate to say it but my horn harness would of made this job a 15 minute and done job.

Larry

 

No way ... it would take me more than 20 minutes just to get my tail out of the chair and go out to the garage. Then there's all the fun of getting the light bar back on because I wasn't bright enough to buy the extender! So there! Now quit laughing at me!!

 

Andy

[Carbon_One]

Well all's well that ends well.

Larry

[djh3]

But you know what Larry. I bet he remembers next time.