Bench Testing '64 Impala SS horns

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classicfan1

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Hi guys, I'm trying to test a set of horns from a 1964 Impala SS Convertible and I'm having some luck I guess. I'm bench testing these the way I do every other electrical thing I get. My dad has a 12V motorcycle battery in his flight box (for model airplanes) and that serves as the power source and it usually does the trick. Car stereos, blower motors, windshield washer pumps, wiper motors, etc. have all been tested. Now these horns are a challenge. I'm getting some response out of them but it is limited.

I hook the negative wire to the negative terminal on the battery and hook the other end to the mounting bracket on the horn. Then I hook the other wire to the positive terminal on the battery and the other end to the electrical contact on the horn itself. Doing this, I got the "HI" horn to go off by touching the positive wire to the horn just right but for the most part it almost sounds like a machine gun. The "LO" horn does the same thing. They both make these quick, horn-like pulsating noises in a "machine gun" fashion and they only do this when I make contact very quick or pull the wire over the contact. There is also sparks at times.

Are these horns any good and am I testing these correctly? Thanks!
 
If I understand what you are saying? both horns do essentially the same thing? And that is they do not properly sound, but make more of a stacatto sound.

Might be your jumper wire is not large enough

Might be the bike battery does not have enough suds

Might be you are not holding them tight enough, and the vibration the horn makes is causing a sort of self oscillation.

I recommend you do something like clamp (vise grip) a ground wire to them, or use one or both jumper cables, and use a larger automotive battery.
 
Okay, I'll try that! I turn the tuning screw on the "LO" horn and it works now but it isn't loud. I think you are right about the wires. I'll try that in the morning, thanks!
 
It's always possible LOL that's there's something wrong with the horns. These are basically a buzzer. The contacts in there is what you are adjusting with the screw, and they can get corroded. Also, sometimes, just sounding them some will clean them up
 
as 67dart273 said, get a normal car battery and a larger wire, as horns need a lot of juice to make them work properly. As far as the corrosion inside, I have had to tap some to get them going again... BUT, think about it, if they aren't working properly, and you have to mess with them, replace them! Horns are something that when you need them, you want them to work. Kind of like a smoke detector, you don''t use it a lot but, when you need it, you want it to work!
 
Put a repop ROADRUNNER horn on my Prowler and it didn't sound right. Don't think the aluminum frame gave it a good enough ground.

Mounted it to my Dart and worked fine

Those are some OLD horns so could be they are not going to work properly if they have not been kept dry and bug free
 
Try not only clamping the ground to the bracket, but also clamping the bracket in a vise! Maybe Del has something in that the vibration or occilation is being caused by the horn not being stationary and secure!! Just thinkin out loud here!! Geof
 
Got them going! I used a Western Auto Wizard battery charger in the garage and they worked pretty good!

Thanks for the help again, everybody!
 
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