Hi all, Questions:

1) My horn push is on the indicator stalk (indicator stalk, push it in and my little car deeps!). All works well, although dull sounding. Is this correct and stock on 68 deluxes? it's not supposed to be a steering wheel centre horn push is it???

2) So the other day I hosed down the engine bay and wiped it all down, trying to avoid wetting the electricals and wouldn't you know, the horn now refuses to work! I have looked all over, the fuse is intact, the cables look good all way to the column. I have yet to remove the steering cowl to inspect under there, will do that tonight.

The indicators and every other electrical device works, just the horn refuses to honk... Is there anything that regularly fails on the mini in this respect? I've even tried to plug in the new air horns to see if it was the horn itself... no luck..

3) I baught italian air horns which on the packaging says "Super loud" it is just a straight forward install? anything I need to be aware of?

4) I have a clubman 1100 engine with an alternator and stereo, is my car negative or positive earth?

Cheers!
Chong

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

A relay for the air horn is a must!! You can run it without one, but not advisable. There should have been one included with your air horns. Most good quality kits include them and a wiring diagram.

Yeah came with a relay... i meant any other install issues other than plug and play?

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

spose it goes without saying, but don't face them forward or up....they collect water really well that way.....

Good point...

Hey I wonder if the horns can be "shorttenned" to give a higher pitched sound? I just think they will make her sound like a truck!

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

well makka will like them then....

68del when my mokes on the road (few days)
im goin over to strathfield to pick up my friends indian bladder horn
a bloody loud little duck squawk with a rubber ball you squeeze
thatll be just great
the horn on it now is a grumbly groan... hhoorrrrrnnnnngggg

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Inconspicuously Conspicuous
Appreciation without Depreciation
forever chasing clearer skies...

the horn switch in the stalk is the first thing to go, BMC didn't think it needed a relay on the horn, so the amps going thru the switch are rediculas for what it is. Pull the stalk of and hit it with some electical cleaner/lubricant, you can buy it from dick smiths. clean and the dry it. i mean really dry it. it you have a hairdryer use that. not on high of course. If that fixxes it great, but i doubt it. as i said the switch just burns out. thats why you see so many mini's with little red buttons on the dash as that is what peple use for the horn.
See if you can pick up another one and stick it on. Also before all of that, just make sure the connector on the horn is solid and that the horn is firmly attched to the car, as it earths thru the body of it. Could be as easy as that...
Putting on air horns, you should also put on at least a 35 amp alternator. you have already added a stereo and the ole 25amp one is probably already struggling. i know that your not gonna use the hown that much, but when you use you horns at night with the lights, stereo, heater and demister on.......... i am sure you get my point.


Cheers

Aaron

I see, you use a separate horn button...hmmm

Thanks for the tips, will check out the button underneath the cowl. PS i am about this close to pulling out my stereo as it does work but I NEVER use it (prefer to listen to my engine than radio )

Actually Aaron, the button is just on the end of the indicator stalk. It's a little spring driven plastic cone thingy with copper on the end, when pushed in, it connects the 2 spring copper fork thingies and completes the circuit. This all happens at the end of the indicator stalk, nothing to do with inside the cowl. Is that what you are referring to when you say clean it out?

68Matic: dude I am talking 130 decibells of raw sound dude, something that can be heard WAY above loud 8 speaker stereos in landcruisers... not the bodgey eep eep that I got now... can't be seen? then be heard!

cheers!

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

thats the one, just give it a good clean. also cheack the circuit too. multimeter across the switch. power to the switch. current to the horn. just check it all one by one and you'll find the problem. if it has only just started to have issues after you washed it. it cold be something very simple.

hrmm spent about 1 hour pulling out the cowl and checking the connection, it's not that... least I dun think it is... all looks ok

I think on the weekend when it's brighter I'll rewire the horn, I'll have to do that anyway cause i have to relocate the airhorns above the right wheel. Hopefully that will do the trick...

Where do other people put their horns?? I have a heater on the left of the engine so there is very little...nay no room under there...

It's a complicated mess in there and I don't fancy my chances of recovering from an auto electrical DIY job... I'm just not confident with wires

We'll see this weekend...

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

I've got a pair of Fiamm air horns off my late great Fiat 124 coupe. Metal trumpets. They live in the LH wheel arch, along with a Toyota washer bottle and pump.

Great horns- they really do say `get the f**k outta my way, peasants!'

I pointed them down at the front so they don't get water in. No problems in 5 years.

<edit> if buying air horns, the metal trumpets sound better than the cheapo plastic ones.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Got a 5 horn musical number. Its the "Dixie" tune like the dude has in his car on the Dukes of Hazzard.
Yet to install them... waiting to make up a proper bracket to fix them just above the clutch down there on the left.

More pics as i finish it off.

Again... I'll talk to you this weekend about that Doc

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

All alternator equiped cars are negative earth.

The MK2 stalk horn switch runs ground to the horn not positive as far as I know. I think the wire for the horn on the stalk is purple/black. Disconnect it at the big multi snap connector and check that it shows ground when you press the switch. Do your indicators work? coz it might be just a case of no ground to the switch?