There can be several reasons for a car horn to stop working, and some people don’t seem to be bothered by it. There are a couple of people who rarely use car horns, so it’s not much of a difference for them. On certain occasions, however, you would notice that your hand goes to the horn immediately, but it doesn’t work. These rare times are when a car horn is necessary, and yelling won’t do you any favors.
Car horns are for safety, and even if you don’t get to use them much, it doesn’t mean it’s useless. On the contrary, car horns make a significant difference on the road on several occasions. However, when you have to use your horn car, and it stops making a sound, it can be very risky for you and any other driver on the road.
The good news is that you don’t necessarily have to go to the mechanic as there are many reasons why a car horn would stop working. These reasons can be easy enough to figure out yourself and do on your own. Some could be complicated, but we’ll explain all the possible reasons why your car horn isn’t working and how you can fix a car horn.
A bad fuse
Like every other part that depends on electricity, a car horn needs a fuse to work. Suppose the fuse is bad or blown out. The connection with the circuit will be cut off, and the horn will stop working. For the car horn to work again perfectly, you’ll need a replacement for the fuse. Newer fuses look like forks in a way. You can take a lookout at the fuse box cover or your car’s manual to look for the fuse and know where it is.
There is a visible wire between the fuse. If you see that it’s broken, then you’ve located your problem. This indicates that the fuse has blown out. Next, take a fuse puller, pull the fuse out of the box, and put it on a light source to check more carefully. You’ll see the metal strip, and if it’s broken, it confirms that the fuse has blown.
Solution
To solve this fuse-related issue, replacing the fuse with a new one will fix it, and you can start honking again. The new fuse that you put in replacing the old one should have the same amp and color. The direction where you put the fuse doesn’t matter.
A bad relay
A relay is an electromagnetic switch. Relays are used to switch on and off an electromagnetic load. If the fuse wasn’t the problem, there is a high possibility that it’s the relay that’s messing up with your car horn. A relay can also be very cheap for the car, just like the cheaper fuses, though relays are a little slightly more expensive than a fuse. You can’t visually figure out what’s wrong with the relay. Fortunately, almost all the relays are pretty much the same.
Solution
If the problem is the relay, you’ll have to find where the relay is to fix the horn issue. The info regarding where the relay is located can be found in your car’s manual. Each car model would have either slightly similar places or different ones for the relay to be. They’re usually in the engine compartment, which is under the steering wheel from the left. If there’s a chance that a wiring diagram could be present on the facing, then you’ll be in luck. Disconnect the car’s battery before you replace the relay.
When you’ve figured out about the relay, you can check the box to see if there’s a relay that looks the same. An AC relay is easily usable for testing a horn relay. With the help of this test, you’ll figure out if the electromagnetic switch is the one thing that’s messing up with your horn. Usually, relays are plugged in still they’re sometimes tight. Always remember not to give too much force in taking it out and avoid accidentally damaging anything when you’re taking out the relays. Remember that you can reconnect the battery after replacing the relay, or no current wouldn’t flow.
Always be cautious if all the electrical components of your car are working fine. Check components like the alternator and see if it has any problems. If all these components are in tip-top condition, your driving will always feel excellent.
A bad horn
If the fuse and relay are OK and there was nothing wrong with both of them. It could be a possibility that the horn is the culprit itself. A bad horn is actually rare as horns rarely go bad and sometimes live longer than the vehicle, which is quite impressive. However, sometimes horns can break, and it sometimes depends on how you use them. If a horn works, but there’s no sound coming from it. There’s a chance the horn has worn out.
Solution
For testing a horn, you’ll have to give it an electric current. Then, attach a probe to the horn wire and use a jumper wire for connecting any one of its ends to the positive terminal battery and attach the other one to the horn.
A bad horn switch
The horn button is inside the steering wheel area you press when you want to honk. A horn button can break after frequently pressing the horn from time to time, depending on the quality of the horn button. You’ll probably have to go to the mechanic to fix this, but if you know what you’re doing, you can fix it on your own. Horn switches sometimes connect with the airbag, so proceed with caution or just go to a mechanic.
Conclusion
Keeping your car in the best condition is not only necessary for a good drive but also suitable for the vehicle itself. Frequent checkups on the brake pipes, the exhausts, the windows, and the horn keeps both your car and yourself happy.
Going on a trip? Don’t forget to take a look at our Thule vs. Yakima cargo boxes review.
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