Wolo horns question

[baylensman]

So I have a set of WOLO horns, when I first mounted them. I had hooked them up direct to the original leads for the R/H horn. They were extremely loud! I then followed all the directions on this site ( didn't buy the harness or relay here) as to wiring up a relay, this allowed me to move the horns down and use the offset stainless bracket that was bought on this web site.

 

Well to make a short story longer, the horns now are muted, if i pull the horn and the side cover and go direct again the horns are loud enough to make me jump when I'm the one pushing the button. I've tried three relays now and have gone over the wiring diagram on this site multiple times and even changed wires around and still can't get the horns loud using the relay.

 

i'm thinking of only using the trigger wire from the original harness to the 86 pin on the relay and using a separate ground on the 85 pin and taping off the other wire. Will this put to much "strain" on the remain horn wire on the left side?

[MiCarl]

If your horn is working at all the problem isn't with triggering the relay. Its with power from the relay to the horn or to ground.

 

I found with Wolo horns a minimum of 14 gauge wire is beneficial.

[Flyinfool]

A couple of things to check

 

1. Is the polarity of the wires going to the horn correct?

 

2. What size wire did you use from the battery to the relay and the relay to the horn? What size ground wire?

[baylensman]

a couple of things to check

 

1. Is the polarity of the wires going to the horn correct?

 

2. What size wire did you use from the battery to the relay and the relay to the horn? What size ground wire?

 

 

tried both ways the wire is all 14 guage both hot and ground. Its weird as if the relay take voltage away instead of increasing. When i put the two stock wires direct to the horn and bypass the relay its louder!

[Flyinfool]

Are you testing loudness with the horn in the same location? if you double the distance you reduce the sound level by half. so if when it is connected to the stock wires it is 2 feet from your ear then you mountit lower with the relay at 4 feet from your ear then it should sound half as loud. Location can also have a big impact on sound. It could be the location that is making it sound less loud.

[XV1100SE]

Must have something to do with the power. Put a meter across the leads at the OEM location and at the relay. Bet you aren't getting enough "juice".

Reconfirm which posts you are going to on the relay, confirm ground is solid (again, use a meter)

I know what you are saying Jeff but if the distance from the "ears" to the OEM location is 3', and the horns are mounted 6" further.... it wouldn't be noticable in volume. Think it is more 20' vs 40' kind of distance change.

[Flyinfool]

3 feet to 6 feet is a big difference, I see it everyday using a Db meter. does not matter if it is 4" to 8 inch or 40 feet to 80 feet, the sound level still halves.

 

Yup, time to break out the multi meter and find out what is really happening.

[djh3]

If I remember right, to me the horn work sort of azz backwards. It has power all the time and the switch connects the ground. So relay has to be wired so ground is making thru relay. Are you grounding the horn body itself?

[baylensman]

If I remember right, to me the horn work sort of azz backwards. It has power all the time and the switch connects the ground. So relay has to be wired so ground is making thru relay. Are you grounding the horn body itself?

 

I'm thinking that might be it. If i remember correctly i had voltage to ground from both horn leads and one dropped to zero when i pushed the button. I'm wondering if the drivers side horn is in series with the other horn not in parallel like most cars.

 

I yank it apart again this weekend (doing front brakes also) and try goin direct to the battery with the POS lead and hooking the ground to the relay and seeing if that makes a difference.

[Heartbeat]

I am thinking of the same as djh3 said. You could still have the relay controlling the positive side power to the horn as long as you use the grounding from the horn switch to control the relay coil itself.

[MiCarl]

Here is an old diagram I made on wiring Wolo horns. On my bike each horn has its own relay.