DIY Horn Upgrade Mod - Updated Jan 12

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I just installed 2 Hella Supertone horns. They are Hella Loud. They will produce a ringing in your ears. I'm not a fan of the actual tones though but I don't use the horn much anyway; but when I do it means EMERGENCY! so I wanted loudness. Anyway, I thougt I'd share a couple things I found out (I will add pictures later). I installed from below and found two bolts about 5 inces horizontally apart from each other above the stock horn bracket. I found a 'T' bracket from Home Depot that has holes in the same spot so I thought I'd use that. The 'T' bracket also has a hole near the bottom of the 'T' that the two Hella Supertone horns can be attached to.
Also, I noticed there are two bolts below the stock bracket down the center of the radiator bracket. Home Depot has a 5/16 coupler bolt (looks like a very tall bolt) that will screw onto the exposed threads so that you can then screw a bracket on to that bolt and again be dead center of the car instead of off to the side (I'm anal about wanting things to be balanced like that).
Anyway, I thought someone might be able to use that info for their install as I did mine.
 
Hi, I just upgraded my 2013 model S to the El Grande horns. Basic info you need:

1) you must use the bottom approach, quick and easy after you have the front wheels up on ramps.
2) I used the horn relay that comes with the horns, not sure if I had to, but didn't want to risk blowing fuses, etc. The stock horn uses 2 wires, neither are ground.

Wiring:

Brown connector from stock horn (is +12v when horn button pressed) goes to #30 on relay. #30 and #86 are connected together.
Black from stock horn goes to #85 on relay.
#87 goes to the lugs on the new horns.

I didn't find a great place to put the relay, so used nylon cable ties to attach to the horn bracket.

Should take about an hour once you get the front wheels up. Works great.

Holland
 
The relay is not necessary, and is less safe than just wiring the horns into the existing circuit.

And yes, on the 2013, it is easiest to go from the bottom.
 
Well, you may be right but:

This is a 2013 Leaf
The resistance between the horn body and either of the 2 lugs on the stock horn is over 10 megohms.
The resistance between either of the two wires going to the stock horn and vehicle ground is over 10 megohms.
Wiring the relay as I did works perfectly.

Blessings,
Holland
 
TomT said:
I wonder if the 2013 has the same cheap, crappy horn?


Yes and nobody can hear it or hear my Leaf, So many times I've to swerve out of the way of cars that are about to hit me.

I'm ordering that PIAA 85110 115db 400HZ + 500HZ Sports Horn right now!
 
Installed my New PIAA 85110's today in my 2013 SL.

Could not do it from up top. After taking the top plastic cover off under the hood there are other pieces of plastic on top of the radiator and you can't get under these plastic pieces without major disassemble.

So I drove the car up some ramps at the end of my driveway and got on my back and proceeded to take off the bottom ferring. Very easy to do and was able to use the one bolt to mount the two new horns.

I used shrink tubing and electrical tape to cover up all the exposed wiring and connectors.

The horns are better. I was hoping they be more obnoxious.

Might have to research that. Need horns that make people jump! LOL.
 
I just upgraded my 2013 SL. It must be done from the bottom but I did not need to use ramps.

The horn wiring has changed. It is now wired like most American cars. The horn works at all times. It has 12v and the horn ring supplies a ground. I do not think there is a relay anymore.

I did not want to wait for mail order so I used a kit from O'Rileys Auto Parts. It cost $19.95 and it worked out well.
 
GlennD said:
I just upgraded my 2013 SL. It must be done from the bottom but I did not need to use ramps.
That's interesting. I'd like to update the wiki: can you please elaborate on why it must be done from the bottom? Are there pieces that are difficult/impossible to remove to get to the horn from above?

GlennD said:
The horn wiring has changed. It is now wired like most American cars. The horn works at all times.
Ummm.... the horn works all the time on my 2011 SV too! It has Fiamm horns but the wiring is the stock wiring.

GlennD said:
It has 12v and the horn ring supplies a ground.
"Horn ring"? Is that a ring around its mounting bolt? So the ring/mounting bolt/mounting bracket is grounded? (My 2011 LEAF gets its ground from a wired negative connection, not from its mounting.)

GlennD said:
I do not think there is a relay anymore.
I don't know, but I would think it still has a relay. AFAIK, the stock horn on my LEAF draws 10 amps, which I think is quite a lot and needs to be switched via a relay.
 
aqn said:
GlennD said:
I just upgraded my 2013 SL. It must be done from the bottom but I did not need to use ramps.
That's interesting. I'd like to update the wiki: can you please elaborate on why it must be done from the bottom? Are there pieces that are difficult/impossible to remove to get to the horn from above?

GlennD said:
The horn wiring has changed. It is now wired like most American cars. The horn works at all times.
Ummm.... the horn works all the time on my 2011 SV too! It has Fiamm horns but the wiring is the stock wiring.

GlennD said:
It has 12v and the horn ring supplies a ground.
"Horn ring"? Is that a ring around its mounting bolt? So the ring/mounting bolt/mounting bracket is grounded? (My 2011 LEAF gets its ground from a wired negative connection, not from its mounting.)

GlennD said:
I do not think there is a relay anymore.
I don't know, but I would think it still has a relay. AFAIK, the stock horn on my LEAF draws 10 amps, which I think is quite a lot and needs to be switched via a relay.

My 2012 Leaf had one lead grounded and the horn was supplied with 12V when the horn is pressed. There is no ground on my 2013 Leaf.

There is a foam block and lots of stuff in the way of top access on my 2013. Also the panel does not easily come off anymore.

Horn ring is siren speak from the units I repair. I guess at one time there really was a horn ring.

I suppose I could have listened for a click from a relay but I did not think about it.
 
Not sure if you can make it out from this picture, but after I took the top plastic cover off there are additional plastic covers that block your access from getting to the horn from above. I too had to do it from below.

2013_Leaf_top_access_blocked_to_horn.jpg
 
I believe that is the snow and ice shield that was also retrofitted to some earlier cars as part of last year's recall/update...

Lasareath said:
Not sure if you can make it out from this picture, but after I took the top plastic cover off there are additional plastic covers that block your access from getting to the horn from above. I too had to do it from below.
 
Could someone clarify the new wiring necessary for the 2013 Leaf. I understood the pigtail connectors but I'm not certain about what is needed to install the Faimm horns on the 2013.

Thanks.
 
It's almost as simple as plug and plug.

There are two quick connectors on the stock horn.

You un bolt the old horn.
Pull off the quick connectors.
create two wires shaped as Y's, the top legs of the Y need 1/4" female quick connectors and the bottom needs inline quick connectors.

Snip off the stock 1/4" quick connectors and crimp the bottom inline quick connectors to the snipped off stock wires.

Now you will have (4) 1/4" Quick Connectors to connect to 2 horns, two connectors will be positive and two will be negative. Don't mixed them up.

Cover all exposed wires and quick connectors with electrical tape and you're set.

See these pictures: http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B00067BWBI/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_0?ie=UTF8&index=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;





MGS9500 said:
Could someone clarify the new wiring necessary for the 2013 Leaf. I understood the pigtail connectors but I'm not certain about what is needed to install the Faimm horns on the 2013.

Thanks.
 
These pics are from some guy on Amazon:

What he did is add 1/4" male quick connectors on the bottom leg of the Y's so that he can connect the Y's to the stock female quick connectors and not have to snip the existing wires. this way he can go back to original later on easily.

wires_to_hook_up_leaf_horns.jpg


wires_to_hook_up_leaf_horns1.jpg


You see that other thing he has outlined?, the red crimp connector, you really don't need that. you can insert the two wires from the top legs into the 1/4" male quick connector and crimp two wires in one connector.
 
I've never done my own car install / modifications before. This made it easy. Thank you very much, the new horn sounds normal...no more puny toot.

Thanks!
 
You're Welcome! - Are you happy with the Stereo? ;)


nathanpizazz said:
I've never done my own car install / modifications before. This made it easy. Thank you very much, the new horn sounds normal...no more puny toot.

Thanks!
 
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