TracerAcer2.2L

Yes, another horn thread. I've done my research on this horn and have only found one helpful thread: Need Help ... Sparco racer 2 install
It tells me that the two blue wires coming from the dual horn buttons are ground, so I got that.

What I don't understand is the hot side. In the below picture, you can see the two power wires which come from the steering wheel. I assume that one goes to the horn, and one goes to the power (fuse box?). If so, does the horn also need to be grounded since it has a two wire connector? If this isn't correct please set me straight!

This is the only thing keeping me from getting my car inspected, any help is greatly appreciated. Wiring is one thing I am just not good at, thanks







Edit: I cannot simply use power wires that are from the oem dash harness. This car had a security system spliced in and the wiring is a mess as you can see. So that's why I have to wire the horn separately

TracerAcer2.2L

Bump, I know there's guys that frequent this forum that know this stuff

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

So the red and black wires come out of the horn into the hub, and the only two wires coming out of the hub are those blue/red wires? It looks like both of those red wires are spliced into the same connector there.

TracerAcer2.2L

Hey notaracist, I was hoping you would see this. Yes that is correct. There is one red wire and one blue wire from each horn button. The two blue wires connect to form the ground, which bolts between the steering wheel and hub. The two red wires are together from the sparco factory and plug into the supplied connector you see.

When I got the car, it was just like this, with the two blue wires coming from that connector. I just don't know where they go exactly

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

You really should try to use the OEM wiring if at all possible. Do you know how to read wiring diagrams? If you do, I'll find the related page for you.

TracerAcer2.2L

I really wish I could use the oem wiring. But you see what a jumbled mess it is. I guess basically what I'm asking for, is if someone can tell me how to wire a horn from scratch. I know it's not hard, I just don't know how

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

If you know how to read a wiring diagram, that'll tell you exactly how I was just trying to avoid digging through the pile of wiring schematics I have if you wouldn't know what to do with it, thus the question.

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

Make sense, or need it explained?

TracerAcer2.2L

Ah yes, Ron posted this in another thread. I understand this diagram, mostly. The steering section (dotted line box) has the exact same setup as the steering wheel I'm using. However, once outside the steering wheel, my setup uses the two wires, where oem uses one. Another difference is that the oem relay seems to "do a lot of the work for you", if you are able to use oem wiring, which I am not.

But, since taking a second look at this diagram, I think my general knowledge of this electrical system has just increased. I was trying to figure out how exactly pressing the horn button makes the horn sound. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's because it allows power from the fuse box to activate the horn by creating a ground, right? If that's the case, I think my assumptions of where the two wires go my be correct. I will try it in the morning.

If it works, I'll just need to find out how to be able to turn the wheel without the wires wrapping around :/

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

Do this for me. Take a voltmeter, set it to resistance, and test between the two wires. Now repeat with the horn button held down. What are your results for those two tests?

The OEM has two "wires" according to the diagram - one is the ground at the bottom of the diagram, bottom left of the dotted box for the steering wheel. If the horn is wired how I think it's wired (and the resistance test will confirm that), it'll be easy to wire in.

If you get infinite resistance between the wires without pressing the horn button, and get near zero resistance between the wires with the horn pressed, then just ground one of those wires (doesn't matter which), and run the other wire to pin 86 on a standard 4 pin relay. Run power (constant) to pin 85. Run power (constant) to pin 30. Run a wire from pin 87 out to your horn, and ground the horn. When you press the horn button, that should energize the relay, feeding power to the horn, if I'm remembering relay wiring correctly.

TracerAcer2.2L

Did an Ohms test with my voltmeter. With the red pointer in one wire and the black in the other, the results are as follows:
Ohms stayed at .8- .9 for a while and slowly fell to .4- .5
Ohms did not change at all when either or both buttons were pressed.
The voltmeter was set to the "Ohms 200" setting.

Sorry for the late reply, had some other things come up today.
What is your diagnosis?

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

Uh...it didn't move at all when you pressed the button? My diagnosis is that something's fucked up, then.

Repeat the tests across the red and black wires directly on the horn buttons. Black to black, red to red.

TracerAcer2.2L

Well I could have told you that, this whole thing is messed up since I can't use oem wiring lol! Which is why I need to know how to completely rewire a horn

The first test I did was on the two blue wires in the first picture.

This second test, I took the steering wheel off. Disconnected the two red wires from the connector (that the two skinny blue wires come out of). Then I put the red on the red coming directly from the wheel buttons (hot), and the black on the blue coming directly from the wheel buttons (ground).

I had absolutely no ohms. Press buttons, no ohms. Nothing at all. Except, when I'd touch the hot side with my finger, I'd have around 3.5 ohms, then if I pressed the buttons I'd have "infinite" ohms (number would climb until it wouldn't read anymore). This also worked if I just touched the ground instead of the hot

TracerAcer2.2L

It may be worth mentioning again, this is the way the sparco wheel is designed to setup, as evidenced how it was installed in my car when I got it as well as the thread I linked in the OP. The two red wires from each button link together into that connector, and out comes the two skinny blue wires on the other side. The two blue wires coming from each button link together to form the ground, which is bolted between the wheel and hub.

I just don't know where the two skinny blue wires go to

TracerAcer2.2L

I've decided to take a different route with my horn wiring. I've done everything the right way on this build so far, and I'm not going to stop at the horn wiring. I've already got a clickspring coming off eBay, now I'm going to sort through all that wiring mess under the dash.

Thanks for your help notaracist. I may be messaging you in the future if further research turns nothing up (although I doubt that will be the case, ek civic is well documented)

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

Man, that's just weird. The resistance test results don't make any sense, either. And yeah, if you need more help, you know where to find me

TracerAcer2.2L

Thanks! I have devised an easy test to see how much of my horn wiring is hacked up. If my hunch is correct, it should be as easy as running a wire from the rely to the horn power wire (or clock spring, which I'm not sure I needed after all, after further research)

TracerAcer2.2L

The test was a

S U C C E S S S S ! ! ! !


Looking at the relay in the diagram, there is the gray wire that goes to the horn button. That is the only wire I could not account for in my car (no idea why they took it out). Well, my test was simply to see if all the other horn wiring was correct.

To check, I simply wrapped a wire around a paper clip, stuck the paper clip in the relay where the gray wires come out, and attached the other end to one of the skinny blue wires coming from the horn. And the horn works!!!

So now the only thing is, to find out how to make the wheel turn without the wires getting all messed up.....

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

That's what a clock spring is for.

TracerAcer2.2L

That's what I figured. And I have already ordered one. Only two possible problems:
One is that I've read that some hubs won't allow for a clock spring.

The other is that, since I don't have an oem steering wheel, I don't have the male connector that goes into the clock spring i.e. not sure how I'd wire that up without a connector.

Could be as simple as seeing it in person, but maybe not

TracerAcer2.2L

Disregard problem #2, the clock spring I ordered does have all connectors and harness! Thank G-d

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

there ya go, then.