Horn Connundrum

Pilotdave

Pilotdave

Well-known member
I have noticed that the horn volume and quality of the "AHOOGHA" is much better when the engine is not running than when it is. Hitting the horn button while motoring along is very dissatisfying; not so when our Tudor is at rest with the engine off.

Does anyone have suggestions as to why this is happening? Clearly more amps with the engine off, but should I expect the drop to be enough to make my horn sound like a strangled mouse? And then, of course, what to do about it???

Thanks for any ideas!
 
Its highly unusual to get a better sound with the engine/generator off, rather thatn on. There is generally higher voltage with generator running.

Try, while running the engine, turning the adjustment screw clockwise one or two clicks so it is adjusted to the situation with the engine running.
 
What does the amp guage show at fast idle? If your lights are on at night and you turn off the engine with the lights still on, do they dim as the engine dies?
 
Tom, the car has a 6v alternator. The amp gauge is a little off - it reads a couple of amps even when the engine is off - but the amps behave as you'd expect with an alternator (15+ after starting, then dropping down to ~ 0 after a few minutes). I haven't tried the light test that you suggest but can do so. But suppose that the lights behave as you describe...what does that mean?
 
Pilotdave said:
Tom, the car has a 6v alternator. The amp gauge is a little off - it reads a couple of amps even when the engine is off - but the amps behave as you'd expect with an alternator (15+ after starting, then dropping down to ~ 0 after a few minutes). I haven't tried the light test that you suggest but can do so. But suppose that the lights behave as you describe...what does that mean?
Click to expand...

The test is just a simple check to make sure the system is charging. I haven't seen a Model A horn sound worse when the battery is being charged by the generator.:confused: Do the adjusting as Bruce mentioned, then see if it helps.
 
amp gauge for me...

Ignition on/engine off/Idle 0 to -2, Lights on -8 to -10
Cruising +5, Motoring +10

Idle - I just get the AHOO, no GHA unless I let the horn go for a little while.
Cruising - AHOOGHA!!!!

Will be adjusting as well.
 
I haven't been home after dark since starting this thread, BUT - yesterday before I left on a business trip I tried the horn with engine off and running - sounded really good in both cases. The only thing that has happened that would affect things is that we had the car out for a 2 hour drive (didn't use the horn during that trip) since the last time we tried the horn while driving. Is it possible that 2 hours of battery charging "on the road" would make a difference?
 
I too think something is moving and hurting the circuit. Unpluggit...make up jumpers, bullet connectors for horn end...hook up one direct to battery negative (do this at starter...you will stll be testing everything but battery clamp), run other into car and remove battery lid to ground directly to bat positive or against transmission top...again, the latter leaves battery terminal untested. If this gives you a proper blast when moving, hook up stock wiring one piece at a time to see if ground, hot, or both are causing the trouble.
Hot feed id pretty simple and can be cleaned and tightened up easily...ground side has a lot of possible (and likely multiple) places to drop a few volts.
 
Paul, I totally agree with you! Both Frank and Bruce are suggesting a grounding problem, and I bet that's it. Couple of things: first, the weak sister performance occurred tonight when out for a ride. But when we were back in the garage, with the car standing still and engine running, we got a good "ahooga". Then turned engine off. Lights dimmed just a bit when engine died, then held steady. (Which suggests to me that the alternator is providing some juice to the lights on a fairly constant basis.) And we still had a solid "ahooga". I can try your test, Bruce, but I need to put a switch in the ground side - else the horn will blow all the time! I'm wondering if either the horn rod connection is intermittent or the horn button isn't always making a good connection. Kinda where I started with this project a couple of months back. Will report back!
 
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