CaspersCruiser
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 11, 2016
- Messages
- 900
- Fluid Motion Model
- R-27 Classic
- Hull Identification Number
- FMLT2709G112
- Vessel Name
- Cookie
- MMSI Number
- 368203460
Posts about inoperative horns come up here on Tugnuts every once in a while. Here’s another post about it, but it includes a resolution.
The dual trumpet horns on my 2012 R27 started having problems— only one trumpet would sound, or would sound very weakly or neither trumpet would sound. Then every once in a while, both trumpets would sound full throated and my wife would about jump out of her skin because she wasn’t used to how loud both trumpets were in unison. Our marina has a blind corner and it is customary to sound your horn when approaching it. Finally, the horns stopped working at all.
I tried all the various fixes found in a forum search to no avail. Deep down inside, I thought it was an electrical problem because the points were clean and there was no corrosion or evidence of water intrusion. The dual trumpet horns on my boat require 8 amps 12V DC current. To deliver that amount of current takes the right gauge wiring and good connections for the full eight amps to make it to the horns.
The main problem with checking the horn electrical service on my boat and others like it is that the horn wiring is buried in the stack tunnel. To get at it, the stack tunnel must be removed and that involves removing the mast and possibly disconnecting the wiring at the solar panel, depending on how much slack there is. It’s not a deal breaker, but those two tasks are a fairly involved process.
The existing horns were original to the boat so before going through the hassle of removing the stack tunnel, I decided to replace my Ongaro horns with updated models of the same type that have the same mounting footprint so I could use the existing wiring and mount.
During installation of the new horns, I wired in one and it worked fine. I wired in the second and no joy. Neither horn worked. I knew right then it was an electrical problem, most likely a bad ground. Enough current was making it to the horns for one to work, but not both.
I removed the stack tunnel. The ground and 12V DC wires coming up through the roof leading to the horns both had butt splices in them. The butt splice in the ground wire appeared to be in good condition, but the little man inside told me that butt splice was probably the impediment to good current flow. I cut out the butt splice and temporarily tied the cut wires together with a wire nut. I tested the horns and both were loud and clear.
The Ongaro horn documentation specifies 14 gauge wire to service the horns. Of course, 16 gauge wire was used on my boat. The wire run from the horn switch to the horns is fairly long for 16 gauge wire to supply a full 8 amps of current. In this case, undersized wiring combined with a poorly crimped butt splice caused insufficient current flow to make both horns function.
I installed new heat shrink butt splices from the wires coming out of the roof and ran new wires to the horns. They work great and hopefully I will have no more problems with them.
The dual trumpet horns on my 2012 R27 started having problems— only one trumpet would sound, or would sound very weakly or neither trumpet would sound. Then every once in a while, both trumpets would sound full throated and my wife would about jump out of her skin because she wasn’t used to how loud both trumpets were in unison. Our marina has a blind corner and it is customary to sound your horn when approaching it. Finally, the horns stopped working at all.
I tried all the various fixes found in a forum search to no avail. Deep down inside, I thought it was an electrical problem because the points were clean and there was no corrosion or evidence of water intrusion. The dual trumpet horns on my boat require 8 amps 12V DC current. To deliver that amount of current takes the right gauge wiring and good connections for the full eight amps to make it to the horns.
The main problem with checking the horn electrical service on my boat and others like it is that the horn wiring is buried in the stack tunnel. To get at it, the stack tunnel must be removed and that involves removing the mast and possibly disconnecting the wiring at the solar panel, depending on how much slack there is. It’s not a deal breaker, but those two tasks are a fairly involved process.
The existing horns were original to the boat so before going through the hassle of removing the stack tunnel, I decided to replace my Ongaro horns with updated models of the same type that have the same mounting footprint so I could use the existing wiring and mount.
During installation of the new horns, I wired in one and it worked fine. I wired in the second and no joy. Neither horn worked. I knew right then it was an electrical problem, most likely a bad ground. Enough current was making it to the horns for one to work, but not both.
I removed the stack tunnel. The ground and 12V DC wires coming up through the roof leading to the horns both had butt splices in them. The butt splice in the ground wire appeared to be in good condition, but the little man inside told me that butt splice was probably the impediment to good current flow. I cut out the butt splice and temporarily tied the cut wires together with a wire nut. I tested the horns and both were loud and clear.
The Ongaro horn documentation specifies 14 gauge wire to service the horns. Of course, 16 gauge wire was used on my boat. The wire run from the horn switch to the horns is fairly long for 16 gauge wire to supply a full 8 amps of current. In this case, undersized wiring combined with a poorly crimped butt splice caused insufficient current flow to make both horns function.
I installed new heat shrink butt splices from the wires coming out of the roof and ran new wires to the horns. They work great and hopefully I will have no more problems with them.