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08-10-2020, 09:48 AM | #1 |
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Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Alberta
Posts: 930
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Not enough power??
Been having issues with my horn. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes it "sorta" works with the "sick cow" syndrome. Through a little testing yesterday I discovered that, it works best with the car not running. With the car running and the cowl lights on, the Ammeter draws 7 amps and dos to 16 amps when the horn button is pushed but the horn won't function. If I rev up the engine, the horn will start to function in the slow sick cow range. With the car idling and the cowl light s of it will sometimes moan. Seems like it just isn't getting enough juice when the car is running unless the engine is reved up and even then not always enough for full function. Does this mean that I need to adjust my generator??. The horn is an aftermarket 6V horn with no adjustment screw. If I run wires directly to the battery it works great. PS. I removed the horn button and checked it out and all looks good in there.
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08-10-2020, 11:29 AM | #2 |
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Location: Largo Florida
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Re: Not enough power??
Have to you tried adjusting the horn?
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08-10-2020, 12:26 PM | #3 | |
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Location: Alabama
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Re: Not enough power??
Quote:
Last edited by Purdy Swoft; 08-10-2020 at 12:45 PM. |
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08-10-2020, 12:36 PM | #4 |
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Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Virginia
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Re: Not enough power??
My horn was intermittent. I removed the light switch at the base of the steering column and wiped oil off of the round contact area between the switch and horn rod. It work fine now.
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08-10-2020, 04:15 PM | #5 |
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Location: New Zealand
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Re: Not enough power??
I had the sick cow syndrome until I oiled the horn properly
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08-10-2020, 09:54 PM | #6 |
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Yelm Washington.
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Re: Not enough power??
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08-11-2020, 08:37 AM | #7 |
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Eagle Bend, MN
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Re: Not enough power??
Its very simple to add a horn relay.
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08-11-2020, 05:33 PM | #8 |
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Location: Alberta
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Re: Not enough power??
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08-12-2020, 06:12 AM | #9 |
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Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Kountze,TX
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Re: Not enough power??
I have some 6v relays. Anyone have a wiring diagram to use on 6v pos ground horn?
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08-12-2020, 07:38 AM | #10 |
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Re: Not enough power??
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08-12-2020, 08:58 AM | #11 |
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Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Kountze,TX
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Re: Not enough power??
Thanks. Since my relays have 5 terminals, all I need to do is figure out which ones to use.
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08-12-2020, 10:00 AM | #12 |
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Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Alberta
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Re: Not enough power??
Here's another one I had found. https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/7070652...c_v2=1a5PxJ8EC
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08-12-2020, 10:14 PM | #13 |
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Location: Between Seattle & Tacoma
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Re: Not enough power??
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08-13-2020, 09:20 AM | #14 |
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
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Re: Not enough power??
The horns were series wound motors much like a starter motor only much smaller since the torque requirements aren't near as much. These type of motors draw a lot of current. When the horn is only powered off the battery, it can draw more current that when the generator is carrying the load.
Proper maintenance of the horn and all related electrical connections will definitely help with reliable function but sometimes the motors develop armature, brush, bearing, or field problems that require repairs. I have no doubt that they functioned well when they came off the assembly line but that was 90+ years ago. |
08-13-2020, 11:47 PM | #15 |
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Join Date: May 2010
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Re: Not enough power??
So that diagram wants the horn to be grounded separately from the grd that comes from the horn switch and energizes the relay. That’s hard to do without a separate wire, unless your headlight bar has a good grd. Most don’t. Then, in order to bypass the original “hot” wire that goes through the amp meter and light switch ect, a new hot wire must come from the starter or battery. It seems simpler to just repair the weak connections that are causing the problem.
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08-14-2020, 02:41 AM | #16 | |
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Location: Alberta
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Re: Not enough power??
Quote:
It works great when wired directly to the battery. 30 minutes to wire in a $20 relay is time and money well spent. Perhaps not for other cars but for this car it's a no brainer. |
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08-14-2020, 05:16 AM | #17 |
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Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Kountze,TX
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Re: Not enough power??
I have never seen a wiring diagram for 6v pos ground 5 terminal relay anyway.
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08-14-2020, 08:08 AM | #18 |
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Re: Not enough power??
Relays dont care about polarity or voltage,what a relay does is allow you to control a high amperage circuit with a milliamp control,basically you don't run the horns load through the button.Modern electrical systems use relays to reduce switch loads and provide full load to the component .Its no where near period correct,but its a better way to skin the cat.I used relays and modern fuses to protect all my circuits..It makes troubleshooting easier and my harness wont burn if something goes wrong..
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08-14-2020, 03:46 PM | #19 |
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
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Re: Not enough power??
Just run a heavier gauge wire straight from the battery to the horn. You may need an in line fuse on the wire to protect it. Ford connected it direct to the generator cut out but it would likely get less resistance in the line if it was connected direct to the battery. It should run OK with a 16 gauge wire but it wouldn't hurt to use a larger gauge. You can try it with a heavy gauge jumper set up and see if it turns better.
I wonder about the quality of some of these model A wiring harnesses some times. When the car is running, there may be a loose wire in the terminal box or under the instrument panel causing more of a resistance load than just the ignition system. High resistance with the ground path is just as bad. It doesn't take much for the system to get overloaded with only a 12 to 15-amp generator pulling the load. Last edited by rotorwrench; 08-14-2020 at 03:54 PM. |
08-14-2020, 03:58 PM | #20 |
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Location: Alabama
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Re: Not enough power??
The ones that I've used had the wire ends crimped only . I soldered the wire end connections and have had no problem .
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08-14-2020, 09:43 PM | #21 | |
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Re: Not enough power??
Quote:
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08-14-2020, 11:57 PM | #22 |
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Re: Not enough power??
The wire to your cutout should be direct battery voltage,just like hooking it to the starter wire..you probably don't have a cut out issue,the wire or connections are bad.
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08-15-2020, 09:42 AM | #23 |
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Location: Alberta
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Re: Not enough power??
That is true. Not exactly "direct" from the battery as it goes through the meter and the junction box on it's way to the cutout though. It is entirely possible (probable) that in one of those jumps (cutout to junction box, junction box to meter, meter to battery) there is a weak connection or too small of wire
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