Replacing the horn

[Bluenose1940]

Just wondering if anyone has replaced the extremely feeble horn on their Yaris and, if so, what with and is it easy to do?

Many thanks.

[bathtub tom]

I've looked into this and while it would be easy to pick up the feed wire under the bonnet and fit an additional horn, I can't find a simple way to gain access to the existing horn behind the radiator grille. I wouldn't advise modifying the existing set-up in case Toyota claimed it would invalidate the warranty.

I'm waiting until mine's beyond warranty to fit something decent.

[Bluenose1940]

Thank you for your input Bob, good thinking re the warranty situation.  I hadn't thought of that.  This is my wife's car so I might just check with Toyota to see what they say. I can't remember how long the warranty runs for, it might just be 5 years.

The horn really is a joke and needs sorting at the manufacturing stage I think.  Thanks again for your thoughts.

[Mick F]

This may sound a little obtuse, but I rarely ever use a horn.  In fact, I can't remember any occasion that I have used one in recent years.

Recently, we sold our Clio that we'd had sine 2001 and that had two buttons on the steering wheel front, plus you could press the LH stalk end.  Also, we recently sold our Fiat500 and that had the horn by pressing hard on the steering wheel centre.  To be absolutely honest, I don't know where the horn button(?) is on our 2014 Yaris.  We've had it since the end of August and done nearly 2,000miles with it, but I haven't even thought about the horn.

Consequently, if it works and passes an MOT, that'll do me.

Mick.

Edited November 16, 2017 by Mick F

[craggle]

I did this on my iQ

I removed the bumper and found the original horn, removed it and added a pair of twin tone horns under the same bolt. I then made up a short wiring loom to split from the original single connector to both the horns and return the earth from each horn to the connector. 

I was a bit worried about blowing the fuse running two horns on the existing wiring but it's been fine so far. Off course I haven't used the horn for longer than a few seconds so maybe haven't given the fuse time to heat up enough to blow. 

I got the horns from eBay. Search for "Twin tone horn" and you will see a few snail like ones for around £6.00

Craig.

 

[Bluenose1940]

Yes Mick, me too also aswell very rarely use the horn but, there is always the odd occasion when it is needed. The matter came to a head last weekend when I was driving my wife's car and some chappie on my offside was drifting in towards me and so I blasted the horn and it obviously woke him up because he suddenly realised what he was doing and got himself sorted. At that point I realised just how feeble the horn is and decided to do something about it.

Thank you too Craig for your valued input.

[Mick F]

We'll be in the car later this afternoon, so I'll make a point of finding how to operate it, and listening to the way it sounds.  Like you say, you never know when you might need it.

Mick.

[Mick F]

7 hours ago, Mick F said:

We'll be in the car later this afternoon, so I'll make a point of finding how to operate it, and listening to the way it sounds.  Like you say, you never know when you might need it.

Mick.

Found it on the steering wheel, and yes, it's feeble.

I don't care about it enough to do anything about it.  It is feeble though, and the pitiful tone is as feeble as the volume.

Mick

[YarisHybrid2016]

I'd like to fit an air horn, but they're illegal. 

[jonquirk]

Air horns are not illegal unless you mean the sequential type that play a tune. Single or multiple tones are legal as long as they sound simultaneously. There is no limit on how loud they are but they must not be discordant.

I have a twin air horn set on my car. I bought a unit that consists of two compact horns mounted directly on the compressor. I used a blade terminal to plug into the existing spade terminal on the feed to the original horn and used a ring terminal to a nearby bolt to earth the compressor. The original horn remains in situ and could be reinstated simply by plugging the spade terminal back onto it.

 

[bathtub tom]

1 hour ago, jonquirk said:

Air horns are not illegal unless you mean the sequential type that play a tune. Single or multiple tones are legal as long as they sound simultaneously. There is no limit on how loud they are but they must not be discordant.

 

I understood sequential or horns that played a tune were legal on cars registered before a certain date (1967?). Where do you get the information that discordant horns are illegal? I thought the whole point of 'lo-hi' horns were discordancy.

[YarisHybrid2016]

Hmm... this got me looking, and apparently fitting a train horn would be legal. 

Two-tone is illegal (think Police siren), but if both tones play simultaneously, is that legal or illegal? It's not clear.

[jonquirk]

From: The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986

(2) Subject to paragraph (6), the sound emitted by any horn, other than a reversing alarm or a two-tone horn, fitted to a wheeled vehicle first used on or after 1st August 1973 shall be continuous and uniform and not strident. 

Strident, not discordant. Poor memory at fault. 

[jonquirk]

On 17/11/2017 at 1:41 AM, YarisHybrid2016 said:

Hmm... this got me looking, and apparently fitting a train horn would be legal. 

Two-tone is illegal (think Police siren), but if both tones play simultaneously, is that legal or illegal? It's not clear.

Two (or more) tones sounding simultaneously is fine. Many vehicles have dual tone electric horns. Some models have single tone on the basic models with dual tone appearing on the spec as you go up the trim levels.

in an update to my earlier post about the compact twin set: it has been replaced by a big single horn, 17” long bolted transversely to the undershield between the engine and the radiator. That should wake a few dozy plonkers up.

Years ago I acquired a 24v Klaxon. Even on 12v it made one hell of a noise. I wanted to put it on our van but my dad said I would probably give some poor fool a heart attack so it ended up on a burglar alarm instead. You can buy them but my abiding memory, apart from the racket, is that they are quite heavy.