How do I fix my Horn?
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=33056
Printed Date: January-28-2025 at 3:03pm
Topic: How do I fix my Horn?
Posted By: rockdog
Subject: How do I fix my Horn?
Date Posted: March-18-2014 at 10:43am
| Sounds easy, but I cannot fix the horn in my '97 SN!! Can it even be done? |
Replies:
Posted By: ny_nautique
Date Posted: March-18-2014 at 11:21am
|
Well, what is the problem? A little more information would be helpful. Have you traced the wires to look for obvious corrosion or a break? Do you have a multimeter and knowledge of how to use it? Have you tried to hook it up directly to 12V? Have you looked at the switch? ------------- - Jeff 1999 Ski Nautique |
Posted By: Florida Inboards
Date Posted: March-18-2014 at 5:04pm
I know his problem! Accessibility! pain in the Arse it is. it has to be replaced totally blind and in a convoluted contorted position. It can be done! the Horn was installed before the deck went on the boat! Whistles are cheap!!  ------------- Money Talks! BS Walks! and loose change rides the bus!!! |
Posted By: Morfoot
Date Posted: March-18-2014 at 8:05pm
Jody, I bet that was a pretty comical scene to watch you climb up in the bow of a 97. You ain't exactly a tiny feller!  ------------- "Morfoot; He can ski. He can wakeboard.He can cook chicken.He can create his own self-named beverage, & can also apparently fly. A man of many talents."72 Mustang "Kermit",88 SN Miss Scarlett, 99 SN "Sherman" |
Posted By: 74Wind
Date Posted: March-18-2014 at 8:47pm
Or..skip the contortionism altogether and get a Southwind.....  ------------- 1974 Southwind 18 1975 Century Mark II |
Posted By: rockdog
Date Posted: March-19-2014 at 11:07am
|
Wiring appears to be good as is switch, I think it's the connections on the unit itself. Maybe just put a new one under the deck? ------------- |
Posted By: ny_nautique
Date Posted: March-19-2014 at 2:01pm
|
Rockdog, since your time is 12 hours different than most of the members here, you might want to include more information in your posts so you get the most bang for your buck. Tell us what the problem is, what you've tried to do, etc. ------------- - Jeff 1999 Ski Nautique |
Posted By: Dreaming
Date Posted: March-19-2014 at 2:36pm
how long has it been since you used it? check the connections, and clean for sure, then hold the button and tap the horn with a screw driver handle a few times... they can get stuck from just sitting. from Jody's description, having a spare to just put in there might not be a bad Idea 
|
Posted By: Smithfamily
Date Posted: March-19-2014 at 8:11pm
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Or....get the bumper sticker that say's "HORN BROKE, WATCH FOR FINGER". ------------- Js |
Posted By: rockdog
Date Posted: March-19-2014 at 9:35pm
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Thanks everybody, I might try and get a new one in there. ------------- |
Posted By: Bri892001
Date Posted: March-20-2014 at 12:09am
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Pete would tell you to get the multimeter in there first. Or, at least a test light :) |
Posted By: MechGaT
Date Posted: June-24-2015 at 11:24am
|
I am having issues with my horn as well. It took some investigating to figure out it was inside the driver's side dash. Then I had to contort myself in there to remove the screws from the panel. Anyway, I checked resistance across each horn and one was higher than the other. I thought I had the problem so I bought a new horn, no way to get into the old ones unless I broke them. I got it mostly wired up, with just one final crimp and heat shrink on the positive wire. I decided to test the horn while holding the wires together. I got a weak breathy noise, but no sound. I then checked voltage on the circuit by touching the connections while pressing the button & got 6.5 volts. I measured the circuit without the horn in the circuit & got 12.5 volts. After this I kept playing around testing different things. The resistance in the ground wire from the ground bus I just installed at the same time to the horn matched the reading when I touched the leads together. The positive wire was the same. After playing around a bit more, it seemed that the farther I was from the horn on the circuit, the higher the voltage, up to about 8. I jammed my positive probe into the connection I hadn't crimped & got a good sound, not much more voltage though. I got excited, thinking the issue was the incomplete connection & quickly crimped it. Before applying heat to the heat shrink I hit the button & got 3 good blasts. I grabbed the heat gun until it formed around the connection, then hit the button & got a weak breathy noise again. At this point it was getting dark & I was frustrated so I quit for the night. I should also mention that prior to installing the ground bus the gauges would all jump when I hit the button. After adding the new ground the voltage gauge didn't jump, but temperature & oil pressure did. Next day I went out & cut the ground loop from the gauges & connected them separately to the bus. I hit the button and got a weak noise with no movement of the gauges on the dash. I think I am on the right track. I still can't figure out the voltage thing though. It is acting more like a parallel circuit than a series so I think I must have a short or bad connection. My plan is to work on the positive side the next chance I get. I am also going to test my old horn on a separate 12V source. Maybe it still works. ------------- '92 Sport Nautique |
Posted By: Air206
Date Posted: November-14-2021 at 10:06pm
|
Updating this thread - Just changed the horn on 97 Ski 176. The original horn was bad, verified by taking horn wires straight to 12V battery. Above Jody mentioned that it was a contortion to do. This is how it's done: 1- using LONG needle-nose pliers down the driver side air intake vent, I held the stop nut on the horn and sent my wife under the dash to unscrew the associated bolt in the airbox 2- attached new wires to the old horn wires 3- removed the air box vent tube at the tube base where it joins the floor (clipped cable ties) 4- reached up vent tube, grabbed the old horn and pulled it out, feeding the wires to follow. 5- soldered and heat-shrunk new wires to new horn 6- JB welded stop nut to new horn 7- next day, placed new horn in air box through vent tube, pulling new wires as we go and reattached vent tube ties 8- hold horn assembly up to hole with bolt through it with LONG needle nose pliers through driver side air vent and sent wife back under dash 9- wife tightens bolt and pulls new wires out to under dash 10- wire horn to horn relay using horn rocker switch as the trigger wire and pos / neg direct from battery 11- enjoy adult beverage with wife (CRITICAL STEP)
------------- https://tinyurl.com/y6t5e3bu" rel="nofollow - 04 Air206 http://tinyurl.com/9urzgls" rel="nofollow - 91 Barefoot 78 SkiTiq |
Posted By: tarpon32
Date Posted: August-22-2023 at 2:17pm
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Just replaced mine, it was a dual horn which would not come out the vent tube. Remove the box. easier to install the new horn. single horn is loud enough 1/2 the price. ------------- Randy |