Air horns failed today

[jolberry]

So I am kicking myself for buying cheap airhorns...I installed the Wolo airhorns from Pepboys about two weeks ago and they worked fine until today when this POS pickup decides to make a u-turn (with a red light on his side) right in front of me. I hit the horn for about 2 seconds and then it stoped working. Not sure if I blew the relay or the compressor just went out.
I should have listened to all the reviews I read about keeping the stock one for back-up....
This is where I think I missed up. Please correct me if I am wrong.....When I installed these I used the existing wires from the OEM horn. Because the intructions said there is no need to use another relay if you aready have a 12v horn installed.
Electronics are not my strong point. I am guessing I should have run another relay and fuse?
Should I pick up another relay before hooking the stock one back-up?
I love the sound of the air horns but driving around with no horn is pretty scary.

[POS Racing]

Did you blow a fuse or did the compressor die?

[jolberry]

Not sure. It happened on the way to work. I looked in the fuse box , but can't find the fuse for the horn. I found the relay... where is the horn fuse is on a 99?

[Treibenschnell]

Damn my fading memory... but isn't there something about the brake lights and the horn being fed off of the same relay. (You'd think that I would know!)

If the air horns are on the same relay and if they're drawing more amps than the stock horns, the combo of the horns and brake lights will blow a fuse or relay every time... unfortunately, it's usually the relay and they're pricier than fuses.

[POS Racing]

Damn my fading memory... but isn't there something about the brake lights and the horn being fed off of the same relay. (You'd think that I would know!)

If the air horns are on the same relay and if they're drawing more amps than the stock horns, the combo of the horns and brake lights will blow a fuse or relay every time... unfortunately, it's usually the relay and they're pricier than fuses.

Is that just on our classic NA Miatas?

[tailchaser]

If you ain't got horn, you ain't got brake lights, sparky... Might wanna do something about that ASAP...

[Treibenschnell]

Oopp... I just saw the post about it being a '99... but perhaps it holds true for them as well? I don't know! Argh...

You could always tap straight off the battery to the new air horn relay with a nice inline fuse inbetween to be safe...

[POS Racing]

If you ain't got horn, you ain't got brake lights, sparky... Might wanna do something about that ASAP...

Hey I figured out how to check if it was the fuse or the compressor on the horns!

Try stepping on the brakes and see if the brake lights work!

[jolberry]

If you ain't got horn, you ain't got brake lights, sparky... Might wanna do something about that ASAP...

I was affraid of that....

[Majik]

Yep the fuse controls both. Run a real relay, check miata net for instructions. It really isnt that hard.

[black roadster]

When I installed my airhorns three+ years ago. (Harbour Frieght's horns which I think are Fiaam's) I just unpluged the stock horn, bolted in the two air horns and compressor. Compressor is grounded to it's mounting bracket and the factory hot wire is on the compressor + terminal. No additional relays, no blown fuses, airhorns still work and so do my brake lights.

YMMV but this setup worked on my previous Miatas as well.

This is what I would do to troubleshoot.

1. Check to see if brake lights work.
Yes: Go to step 2.
No: Check/Replace fuse or relay.

2. Honk horn. Do you hear a whirring sound?
Yes: Check air lines for loose connections or holes
No: Go to step 3.

3. Check wiring connections for solid power and ground connections.

If this doesn't fix it, return the airhorns and go to Harbour Frieght and buy theirs. If you're near Sowf Oklahoma, (McKinney) I can help you wire them up.

[Dave04]

To ask the next obvious question... if the Pep Boy's specials are the "cheap" horns, what are the "good" ones?

[channelmaniac]

Yes... you should NOT run the air horns off of the stock horn wiring. They can draw quite a few amps more than the stock horn.

Yes... they are fed by the same fuse that feeds your brake lights. You lose one you lose them both.

Check my cardomain site... I recently installed the air horns and did it in such a way that the stock horn and the air horns run at the same time - the +12v wire for the horn triggers the relay for the air horns. I also hooked up the compressor power off the main wire in the fuse box (WITH an inline fuse to protect it) to run the air horns.

This way I have air horns AND the stock horn and if the air horns fail, I still have the stock horn to fall back on. It also keeps the brake light/horn circuit from being overloaded.

If you need help rewiring it let me know. I still have plenty of wire & crimp connectors left over from installing mine.

Raymond

[black roadster]

To ask the next obvious question... if the Pep Boy's specials are the "cheap" horns, what are the "good" ones?

I've had good luck with the one's HF sells and they're the cheapest I've found. Going on 3 years with no problems. I think they're Fiaams. Hella makes some too but not sure about the quality.

[Majik]

I went with the electric horns from HF. I like the lower tone. Also I had some Vatozone air horns for a while, but they would mess up from time to time. Also the horn diaphram finally got messed up and made me buy some new ones.

[sammm]

I went with the electric horns from HF.

Those are the ones I installed too. No extra wiring, relays needed. Not as loud as the air horns, but they will get you noticed for sure! ($10 on sale when I bought them.)

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=40438

[jolberry]

Well I was freaked out...turns out the horns are fine...Just drove to Town North Mazda with no horn or brakelights (pretty scary with out them both) with flashers on. Got a new relay and the horns and brake lights work now. I disconected the Air horns for now and my stock horn is now held on by the wire only under the hood (in a safe place though).
I checked out Raymonds setup on car domain and I am going to attempt to try that tonight. I can't give up the sound of the airhorns, but I DO need a backup!

What was Mazda thinking putting the same fuse and relay on Brake lights and horn.

[Majik]

Well I was freaked out...turns out the horns are fine...Just drove to Town North Mazda with no horn or brakelights (pretty scary with out them both) with flashers on. Got a new relay and the horns and brake lights work now. I disconected the Air horns for now and my stock horn is now held on by the wire only under the hood (in a safe place though).
I checked out Raymonds setup on car domain and I am going to attempt to try that tonight. I can't give up the sound of the airhorns, but I DO need a backup!

What was Mazda thinking putting the same fuse and relay on Brake lights and horn.

Not thinking you were going to put air horns with out a relay on. You got a new fuse right? Not a relay. The relay should be fine. The fuse is what blows. You need to add a relay and a fuse for the new horns.

[Titus]

Not thinking you were going to put air horns with out a relay on. You got a new fuse right? Not a relay. The relay should be fine. The fuse is what blows. You need to add a relay and a fuse for the new horns.

Hmmm. The Crazy Red Italian kit I have just upgrades the fuse size.

[rjosey8385]

What was Mazda thinking putting the same fuse and relay on Brake lights and horn.

I KNEW you guys were related to Triumphs somewhere along the line (where is the heart icon....why don't you guys have heart icons??? I know, if I pay the $10.00 I can have a heart icon - right? OK...I'll pay the $10.00)