Any DIY guides on replacing the horn?

sniper

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Being in Canada, my windshield fluid reservoir is on the other side (no CAI :() but that means I used a left over screw from the cargo hooks to mount my horn where the US reservoir mounts!

Honda Civic 10th gen Any DIY guides on replacing the horn? RRamAp7
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grevic16

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Remember, decibels double when you add 10. 120dB is twice as loud as 110dB. 118dB is 80% louder than 110dB.
Supposedly. That depends on the manufacturer, and how they rate "decibels". I've had 105 horns that were a hell of alot louder than a 115. Tone makes a massive difference in how it carries too.
 

maduste

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Supposedly. That depends on the manufacturer, and how they rate "decibels". I've had 105 horns that were a hell of alot louder than a 115. Tone makes a massive difference in how it carries too.
You are not wrong; tone makes a difference.

Unless manufacturers are measuring from different distances, the decibel level is not subjective. You may perceive the sound differently, but vibration is vibration. Human hearing does not work on a straight line, but the difference in pitch between car horns (a few hundred Hz) is not wide enough to alter your perception much. They all land squarely in the range of human voice.

If a car horn's two pitches are tuned well, that can have an additive effect on volume. The stock horn is only one pitch. The aftermarket horns I have heard, mostly Hella and PIAA, add a second pitch a major second, minor third, or major third away.

Remember, the listener's distance from the source makes a drastic difference in perceived volume.

Source: I am a professional tenured orchestral trombonist. I earn a living creating sound with a horn, but I am not an accoustician.
 


grevic16

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Okay, thanks for the speech. Doesn't change a thing about what I said. I've had horns that were suppose to be louder, but were actually quieter. I know that for a fact, because I tried several different ones on my motorcycle. Distance didn't even enter the equation, because you are standing right next to it when you hit the button.
 

maduste

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That says more about the quality control of the aftermarket horns than anything else. I have a pair of PIAA horns that claim 115dB ready to install. I'll make a post about it. I hope they are loud!
 

Whitechoco

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If was me, I would just cut the factory connector off. You could always splice it back on if needed (but I don't know why you would want to :) ).

The HRV might have the same horn.


BTW, the posted, College Hills Honda, commented:
"This project has been put on hold for the time being for Civic applications. We may explore with some manufacturers again in the fall."
I wonder if maybe paint was getting scratched in the process.
Totally agree. I understand the OP wanting to keep the harness but that added to the difficulty level. A little snip and some heat shrink butt splices would do the job as well.
 

Donuyen18

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Anyone that has installed a new horn, what gauge wire are you using? I'm attempting to put something together
 


My2016Civic

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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.
IMG_1242.JPG


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.
Hard to believe it has been over 3 years since I did this horn replacement, but I still have had no problems with the fact that I did not use a relay, used the original fuse and did not splice into the wiring. The new, loud, commanding horns have worked perfectly since day one, no burnt fuses, wires shorting out or overheating, etc.

As an added note and to make things even easier, College Hills Honda now has replacement horn kits, and if you prefer to purchase your horn of choice, they also sell just the Horn Adapter Harness that plugs directly into the original horn plug/harness, so no need to make your own adapter like I did 3 years ago, though it looks like you'll still have to run split wires for the second horn if you choose to have two like I did.

https://www.collegehillshonda.com/product/3852.html
https://www.collegehillshonda.com/product/0S18.html

There is also this as another option: https://hardtopguy.com/store/2016-2017-civic-horn-upgrade.html

Well folks, hope this helps. :)
 
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herox

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Hard to believe it has been over 3 years since I did this horn replacement, but I still have had no problems with the fact that I did not use a relay, used the original fuse and did not splice into the wiring. The new, loud, commanding horns have worked perfectly since day one, no burnt fuses, wires shorting out or overheating, etc.

As an added note and to make things even easier, College Hills Honda now has replacement horn kits, and if you prefer to purchase your horn of choice, they also sell just the Horn Adapter Harness that plugs directly into the original horn plug/harness, so no need to make your own adapter like I did 3 years ago, though it looks like you'll still have to run split wires for the second horn if you choose to have two like I did.

https://www.collegehillshonda.com/product/3852.html
https://www.collegehillshonda.com/product/0S18.html

Well folks, hope this helps. :)
That does, thanks!
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