Date:         Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:43:12 -0400
Reply-To:     greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Greg Potts <greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA>
Subject:      Meep Meep!!
Comments: To: The_Bug_Pack@yahoogroups.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; DelSp="Yes"; format="flowed"

Hi Volks,

The horn on my Vanagon has been blowing fuses lately, so I had a look  
at it over the weekend. I wound up surprised that it ever worked at  
all!!

First off, I was never really thrilled with the sound, as it's a  
generic GM/Ford/Chrysler style horn that goes "HONK" rather than  
"Meep". And as such, it has one terminal to supply voltage, going to  
chassis ground.

When I got the vanagon back in April, the horn was working. Then I  
tried it again in May, and it didn't work, which I soon traced to a  
blown fuse. Once I replaced the fuse, the horn worked fine, at least  
for a while. And then it blew the fuse again.  And again, and again.  
(Apparently I am a slow learner!)

This past weekend I set aside some time to check it out. First I  
pulled the positive wire to the horn, and it was still blowing the  
fuse. So I checked the other wire, and was surprised to find it ended  
at a ring terminal on the bolt that holds the horn to the chassis  
bracket. No wonder it was blowing fuses!!! I am REALLY surprised that  
it ever worked in the first place.

Once I removed the ring terminal from the chassis, it stopped blowing  
fuses. But then I couldn't use the horn. Which I needed to have  
working, as I wanted to take Matthew out for a driving lesson that  
afternoon. (He now has a learners permit and needs to learn to use a  
clutch) So I fabricated a short bracket from a hunk of 5/16" thick  
plexiglass to isolate the horn from the chassis. Once I had the horn  
bolted to that and the ring terminal isolated from chassis ground the  
horn worked fine and it still isn't blowing fuses.

But after all that work, I still don't like the sound. I'd much rather  
have it go "Meep Meep" like a proper VW should. Does anyone have a  
spare VW horn available for local pickup in the GTA or delivery to  
Peterborough this weekend
or Warsaw next weekend?

Happy Trails,

Greg Potts
Toronto Ontario Canada
1973/74/79 Westfakia "Bob the Tomato"
1987 Wolfsburg Weekender Hardtop
www.busesofthecorn.com
www.pottsfamily.ca