Date:         Mon, 14 Jan 2002 17:07:05 -0500
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: My horn doesn't always work.......
Comments: To: Chad G <groch@WORLDCHAT.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <00b701c19d44$fafff560$1aa39a8e@chadg>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 04:46 PM 1/14/2002, Chad G wrote:
>My horn stops working when its really cold outside.  Also, when it isn't
>working and I press it, my dash lights get dim......

Sounds like a bad horn to me...a regular horn is in essence a DC buzzer --
a heavy current flows through a coil which pulls the diaphragm away from
rest position, opening the connection.  Diaphragm snaps back and re-makes
the connection; lather, rinse, repeat.  If the connection isn't breaking
you'll get no sound and a heavy current draw.

Some horns have an external screw to adjust the contact position, might be
worth fooling with if present.  If "really cold" is defined as somewhere
below freezing, might be water in the horn.

david


--
David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"