Any DIY guides on replacing the horn?

carlson03

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I miss the horn from my 06 Accord...it was loud...
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MaximusBKK

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NICE!! Love the sound of your 4 tone setup!! It almost sounds like a freight train!

I'm SO glad I got rid of the 'Meep Beep".. Well worth the effort!
Yeah, the 4 tones mixed together sound really close to a train, I love it. Anything sounds better than the original horn, though! Haha

Wow, listening to MaximusBKK's video, the original horn sounds like a moped.
It really does. I have a street bike (should have taken a comparison video now that I think about it) and the horn on that sounds almost the same as the original CivicX horn. Also, I took the video from that angle and distance because it's fairly close to what someone would actually hear if you're honking at them.
 

fanta

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So I finally got around to doing the DIY projects on my '16 EX w/Sensing. The Fog Light Kit, the Auto Day/Night Rear View Mirror and yes FINALLY and most importantly, the Horn Upgrade.

I started out with the horn.. That dinky, wimpy, single little meep beep horn that sounded like it belonged on a moped and also brought memories of the Road Runner cartoon just HAD to go.. And so it did. Of course, it meant taking off the front bumper which in itself it’s quite the challenge, which is why I did it at the same time as the Fog Light install which required removing the bumper as well. I must prepare you and say that it is a lot of work and more difficult than it really should have been, but still, for me, it was a good bonding experience with my Civic.
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So, a little tidbit about the horn I chose. This particular set may not be for everyone, it's really a matter of preference, but after researching, listening to sound clips and weighing my options, I went with the Wolo Maxi Sound Model 320-2T. Primarily, I wanted to get away from the meep meep type sound of the diaphragm horn. I didn't want to have a louder version of the original horn. I wanted a louder, more mainstream horn fit for a larger car which only a horn in an acoustic housing can provide without being an air horn. I considered an air horn as well, but wanted one that could be installed without additional relays or fuses, so an electric acoustic horn was it for me. I also got it pretty cheap on eBay, $10 cheaper than retail and even cheaper than what Wolo charges on their website.

So, on to the installation! First, for step by step instructions and illustrations on how to remove the front bumper, go to the link below (Fog light install instructions) and skip to page 5, Step #13. http://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/AI/AH/AII02278-08/enu/AII02278-08.pdf

I definitely recommend carefully reading through it, preparing your work area and gathering the required tools (the instructions also provide a list of required tools). Make sure you have ample time to do the work as well and take your time with it.
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If you are wondering "What's with the blue masking tape?", it is to protect the paint and headlights from scratches during dis-assembly and re-assembly. It was a step in the 24 page fog light installation instructions. At first I questioned the need for the masking tape, but I am glad I went with it for several reasons. First, during bumper removal, there are clips underneath the headlights that can easily be released with a plastic pry tool or if one is not available, a flat head screw driver. Without the masking tape, this will scratch the paint. The instructions (link provided above), show the location of the clips. Be very careful as these clips break easily if you simply try to pull the bumper off without releasing them.
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Below is the original OEM single horn. Notice the special connector, specific to the '16 Civics (the horn upgrade kits, splitter and adapter kits sold by College Hills Honda will not fit this connector).
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The size difference between the original OEM horn and the replacements. BIG difference!
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Despite the size difference, the replacement horns did fit quite well in the original horn location.
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Like a glove!
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I preferred not to cut off the original connector, so I improvised a bit, found terminals that would fit (they were a perfect fit) and created my own harness with these.
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I just love that heat shrink stuff for electrical wiring! :)
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After all was connected, I used heat shrink wrapping around the original connector and my tap/terminal connection to hold it all together and keep it protected from the elements.
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And finally, the new horn. Here are the before and after sound/vid clips.



I hope some of the information and pictures above help. Good luck everyone!

Disclaimer: If you are not good with DIY projects, working with tools, etc this may not be the project for you. It is very time consuming and you have to be really patient, careful and meticulous or there is a chance that you may damage clips, scratch your bumper cover, etc.
Nope directly to the system just like in my2016civic's guide. And I have the Wolo Maxi Sound 320-2T as my horns.
So was there an issue with not using a relay or was it a wiring connection? Kind of curious as to if I should follow my2016civic's guide or modify it to include a relay step (Which I would rather not unless it is required).

Thanks
 

davidgostbo

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So was there an issue with not using a relay or was it a wiring connection? Kind of curious as to if I should follow my2016civic's guide or modify it to include a relay step (Which I would rather not unless it is required).

Thanks
Haven't figured it out yet, pretty sure its just my wiring connection though, i used electrical tape to alot of stuff in place lol. It only happens on rare occasions though, might open up bumper again one of these days to see whats wrong. If i had to guess though this would be my point of failure http://www.civicx.com/attachments/img_1326-jpg.9355/ my spades kinda jiggled abit when i installed it all together which is not good.
I recommend his guide its easy and very good, just watch out for those spades find ones that don't move at all!
 

My2016Civic

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So was there an issue with not using a relay or was it a wiring connection? Kind of curious as to if I should follow my2016civic's guide or modify it to include a relay step (Which I would rather not unless it is required).

Thanks
I've had no issues with mine yet after several months of good use..
 


My2016Civic

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Haven't figured it out yet, pretty sure its just my wiring connection though, i used electrical tape to alot of stuff in place lol. It only happens on rare occasions though, might open up bumper again one of these days to see whats wrong. If i had to guess though this would be my point of failure http://www.civicx.com/attachments/img_1326-jpg.9355/ my spades kinda jiggled abit when i installed it all together which is not good.
I recommend his guide its easy and very good, just watch out for those spades find ones that don't move at all!
Yeah, I suspected that may be your issue as well. Mine fit quite snug and don't move. I also secured all the connection points with electrical heat shrink wrapping.
 

fanta

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Yeah, I suspected that may be your issue as well. Mine fit quite snug and don't move. I also secured all the connection points with electrical heat shrink wrapping.
I just installed my horn, I spliced the wires and have been using my horn very sparingly. When I held the horn down originally, it blew the 10A fuse. I upgraded the fuse to 20A but rarely ever hold the horn down due to the risk of the wires getting heated fast. Thoughts?
 

davidgostbo

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I just installed my horn, I spliced the wires and have been using my horn very sparingly. When I held the horn down originally, it blew the 10A fuse. I upgraded the fuse to 20A but rarely ever hold the horn down due to the risk of the wires getting heated fast. Thoughts?
Ehhh I wouldn't do that too risky imo. I would just install a separate relay down there.
 

My2016Civic

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I upgraded the fuse to 20A but rarely ever hold the horn down due to the risk of the wires getting heated fast. Thoughts?
Changing to a larger fuse, you may be risking damaging the wiring itself. Beware of doing so unless you can confirm the wiring can handle the higher amperage.
 

MaximusBKK

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I just installed my horn, I spliced the wires and have been using my horn very sparingly. When I held the horn down originally, it blew the 10A fuse. I upgraded the fuse to 20A but rarely ever hold the horn down due to the risk of the wires getting heated fast. Thoughts?
I blew my 10A fuse after my install, so I put a 15A fuse in its place. I haven't had any problems (and I've, uh, tested it quite a bit) since. Remember that I'm running the 4 Cadillac horns, so if I haven't had a problem, I'm sure you won't. Try a 15A, I'd bet it'll work for you.
 


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Hope nobody mindslr if I join this thread instead of starting a new one...

Instead of replacing the OEM horn, I'm thinking I can just add a louder horn system to what's already there by taping the OEM horn wiring. I don't care too much if it sounds a little strange as long as it is louder. The main benefit would be that I wouldn't have to remove the bumper.

Any flaws in this thinking?
 

fanta

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Hope nobody mindslr if I join this thread instead of starting a new one...

Instead of replacing the OEM horn, I'm thinking I can just add a louder horn system to what's already there by taping the OEM horn wiring. I don't care too much if it sounds a little strange as long as it is louder. The main benefit would be that I wouldn't have to remove the bumper.

Any flaws in this thinking?
Taking off the bumper isn't a huge problem, if you look through my posts I've done it more than five times due to different things (accident, horn, lasers, etc) I feel as though having a horn in addition would sound weird and the placement would be hard. Where were you thinking of placing it?
 

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Taking off the bumper isn't a huge problem, if you look through my posts I've done it more than five times due to different things (accident, horn, lasers, etc) I feel as though having a horn in addition would sound weird and the placement would be hard. Where were you thinking of placing it?
I feel the same way about taking off the bumper on my new '17 Civic LX. I upgraded successfully to Wolo MaxiSounds on my 2014 Corolla and everything was pretty accessible from the engine compartment. I'd love to just add a horn to the OEM wiring and stock horn somewhere under the hood if I knew where the wiring is. If the resulting horns sound weird together and get attention, that could be a good thing.
 

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Taking off the bumper isn't a huge problem, if you look through my posts I've done it more than five times due to different things (accident, horn, lasers, etc) I feel as though having a horn in addition would sound weird and the placement would be hard. Where were you thinking of placing it?
What's the best way to remove the clips?
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