Horn Not Working

Discussion in 'Mechanics Garage' started by Nessie, May 9, 2020.

  1. Nessie

    Nessie New Member

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    7190191F-BCD0-4D0F-8C54-4130C305831E.jpeg As the title says the horn isn’t working. It’s maybe not quite as simple as that. I had heated grips on the bike which were there when I got it. They haven’t worked for a while and got a new pair of Oxford heated grips as part of a subscription to Motorcycle News. Thought I would take off the old ones andfit the new ones. The old ones were spliced into a green wire coming from the horn. I took the wires apart and have now ended up with the green wire from the horn and two wires with connector ends which are only about an inch long coming out of where the throttle cable goes. I’ve included a picture. I’ve tried every combination I can think of but the horn won’t work now. Everything else appears too. I’ve included a picture of what I’ve got. Thanks confused :Help:
     
  2. Nessie

    Nessie New Member

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    The green cable hanging down goes nowhere but also has a female spade connector on it
     
  3. RllwJoe

    RllwJoe Insider

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    What year? By the location of the R/R I would guess '02 or later.
    The wire with the green stripe appears to have been pinched (and I don't mean lifted). Is this the wire that goes nowhere? Shouldn't it go somewhere? My first thought is that a green stripe indicates a ground wire. I'm sure that someone will chime in if that is incorrect.
     
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  4. Nessie

    Nessie New Member

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    Thanks for replying it’s an 05 I’ve taken another couple of pictures. I thought earth as well. But what I don’t understand is previous to me taking the old grips out the two green wires coming down were joined together. And connected to the red on the old grips. 206895CD-677D-4326-A059-67EB20EC3901.jpeg A85B9381-2F22-4178-BA2F-F2492981A7D6.jpeg
     
  5. Nessie

    Nessie New Member

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    The two green cables coming out of the horn appear to be linked together I would have assumed one as live and one as an earth unless there are other cables I don’t see
     
  6. RllwJoe

    RllwJoe Insider

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    Is the white wire connected to the horn in the back ground? If so it is probably the positive (live) coming from the horn button. The PO spliced into the ground wire, as indicated by the poor electrical tape job.

    We need someone with access to the wireing diagaram to chime in.

    As for the heated grips, I would think that the flow of electrons could go in either direction and still produce heat in the grip. So if the red wire of the grip was sopposed to be the positive (live), and whatever other color was to be the ground (earth), it would still have worked if reversed.

    Do the new grips produce heat now?
     
    Last edited: May 9, 2020
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  7. Nessie

    Nessie New Member

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    That’s actually what I was thinking about. I disconnected the link cable joined between the white and green then earthed the green cable the horn still didn’t work I haven’t fitted the new grips yet. They will wire straight back to battery. That’s how they are designed
     
  8. dbuzz77

    dbuzz77 New Member

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    Do you have voltage on the horn wires when you push the button? if you do it's like other bikes i have had the horn gets rusty from no use and stops. you can spray it or bang on it to see if it will start. happened to me before on other bikes.
     
  9. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    12V Path: Black/Brown from turn signal relay 12V hot -> horn button -> Light Green from horn button - > horn
    Ground Circuit Path: Green from horn -> Green main ground -> pinnned connector

    Someone has definitely done a little extra "improvement" to the wiring in that area.
     
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  10. fink

    fink Member

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    The top pic from the bars. The connectors are to the front brake light switch. The add on to that is the feed Honda use for their heated grips.
     
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  11. Nessie

    Nessie New Member

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    Thanks M. That explains a lot If that’s the case where does the green from the horn go to. Is there a dedicated earth point
     
  12. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    Here is a picture of the Honda grip wiring harness that connected the Honda grips. I installed this setup and the connections are an abortion. Took the kit off and sold it. You should be able to unplug the grip harness and return it to stock pretty easily, it will make sense when you do that.

    [​IMG]
     
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  13. fink

    fink Member

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    No probs there was an eyelet on some models ,others it was linked in with female bullet type connector.

    I gather the top connector on the horn ( looking at the pic and the female green long connector go back into the main wiring harness. If so they are more than likely your horn connectors.

    The bottom horn connector and the bare male connector where does that part go to? I think they are add ins possibly the earth for the grips.

    Hope that makes sense.
    I’m at work just now so can’t do much at present.

    Try and trace back the bottom horn connector wires and see where they go.
     
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  14. fink

    fink Member

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    Great pic that is exactly what I was trying to describe.
     
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  15. Nessie

    Nessie New Member

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    That picture look is exactly how it had been wired. Now that I took all that apart I’ve been left with the cables at the horn end. Just a long earth cable not connected to anything. I’ll have a look to see if there is an earth connector I can’t see anything I’ll have a look tomorrow thanks for your help. Actually thinking about it I assume on the brake light switch there are two spade connectors could the long earth cable I’ve been left with join onto one of them.
     
  16. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    [​IMG]
     
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  17. Nessie

    Nessie New Member

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    Thanks for the diagram. The green is a common earth and can be joined to another earth cable. I still don’t understand why the light green and the earth were joined together at the horn. Anyway I’ll mick about later. Need to get a couple of 10a fuses first. Thanks everyone for all your help. I will report back when I’ve had another look.
     
  18. fink

    fink Member

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    From your picture the light green is connected to the top connector on the horn the other wire is connected via the harness to the horn. The little bit of tape will be covering the soldered joint.

    So all you need to do is to take out the flat connector and put the covered end onto the horns connector.
     
  19. Nessie

    Nessie New Member

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    Thanks for all the help. I did what Fink said and removed one connector and fitted what would have been the original connectors back onto the brake light switch. I was left then with the green cable from the horn. I soldered an eyelet onto it and connected to a bolt on metal. Everything is working no fuses blowing. I will cover the eyelet with Vaseline to keep it from getting wet though I’ve fitted it in a place where that would be highly unlikely. Thanks again for everybody’s help. :Cheer2:
     
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  20. RllwJoe

    RllwJoe Insider

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    Glad that you have it sorted out, now go sneak up behind someone and push the button. :)
     
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