Stebel nautilus horn

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Gingerposer
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Stebel nautilus horn

Post by Gingerposer »

Hi all, I am looking for any hints and tips you may be able to give me for the installation of the aforementioned horns in my w reg (2000) Xantia Forte. I intend to fit the kit with proper wiring - kit comes with relay and I have a crimp tool and plenty connectors and wires - where I will struggle is with connecting all the wiring up, understanding the number on the pins in the relay for example.
Is it possible to retain the original horns and mount the airhorn somewhere else in the engine bay, or is space too tight?
I have used the search function but my mojo eludes me at the moment and I could not find anything relevant.

Looking forward to your feedback folks,


Ainslie
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Post by Xaccers »

I've got the seperate horns and compressor version on Cassy.

Remove the front bumper to get to the old horns and remove them, and mount the new horn in their place.
The relay should have 4 posts. Two go to the electromagnet inside and should be connected to the old horn wires. On the instructions they'll be the ones with a rectangle with a spring inside, assuming the instructions are any good.
The other two will go to the main feed. The instructions should give them a _/_ symbol between them.
Connect a wire from the positive terminal of the battery to one of the main feed posts on the relay, then from the other post to the positive contact on the horn.
Then run an earth lead from the negative contact on the horn to the car body.
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Post by Gingerposer »

Cheers for the guide Xac, now I have two questions - the nautilus horn I have bought is a compact one piece unit. Would it be possible to access the wiring for the existing horn and tap into it for the control circuit, then extend the wiring to a more convenient location for the new horn (in other words one which doesn't require me to remove the bumper). Is it possible to access the existing horn by removing the wheel arch liner?

I was hoping to get some time today to attempt this but it proved more politically expedient to clean out her car for her. Then the weather became a tad moist. It'll be a job for next weekend hopefully, at least I will be better prepared for it by then.

Cheers,

Ainslie
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Post by Xaccers »

Yes, unbolt and unclip the inner wing lining on the near side, you should be able to reach the horn connectors which are push clip just like most of the other ones.
You'll need a meter to work out which of the wires in the contact are the positive and earth.
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Post by Gingerposer »

Meep Meep!


Finally got the weather and the time and the round tuits all together and did this job. Just as well I did as the old horn was extremely rusty, so bad I had to remove it on the bracket and chisel/tin snip it into bits to get it off the bracket.
The wiring puzzled me for a bit but after some headscratching I got it right first time.

For reference, the white-ish wire is the power feed and the other (yellow I think) was the earth. I made a wire up to run from the relay to the earth point adjacent to the battery in the engine bay.
With the wheel removed and the car securely jacked up I removed the wheel arch liner - I think there is a bit of trim missing on the nearside cos the liner should obviously bolt into something which is present on the other side but not on the nearside. This probably contributed to the condition of the horn so I will be visiting the scrappies to see if I can get hold of a replacement bit.
Verdict on the new horn - nice and loud but not Chavvy. I hope.

Cheers for the advice folks, again it has proved a great confidence boost to the inexperience clot attempting a few jobs.

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Post by f00lzz »

Xac wrote:I've got the seperate horns and compressor version on Cassy.

Remove the front bumper to get to the old horns and remove them, and mount the new horn in their place.
Really!! On my current Xantia's the horns are easily accesible via the nearside inner wheel lining (remove road wheel for better access) and have in fact fitted air horns to the 1.9td. I found that soldered joints give a better connection especially when you consider their relatively unprotected location
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Post by falling-out-with-my-car »

I'd be very careful about ripping out the old horn/horns to replace them completely unless you know wether or not your new horns are completely road legal, in most cases it is better to keep the old horn in situ and fit a switch to switch between the two different horns.

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Post by myglaren »

What are the criteria for road legal Nigel?
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Post by Gingerposer »

I did check with the ebay seller (trading as a business) and am assured that they are road legal. I believe the legislation forbids horns which play more than one note in sequence (i.e. musical horns) or exceed the noise limit. As to how the noise limit is measured, I don't know.
My previous car had three tone (simultaneous sounding, not musical) airhorns and merely received an advisory as the trumpets were not securely mounted (cable tied in place :oops:)
I will find out for sure by the end of the month as the mot is due then!

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Post by CitroJim »

myglaren wrote:What are the criteria for road legal Nigel?
It's a can of worms that one Steve :twisted:

It depends on horn type and date of build.

Air horns that play tunes (Colonel Bogey!) I believe are forbidden on anything registered after 01/01/1973. I further believe there is nothing in law to criminilise the fitting and use of twin-tone compressor-driven air horns as these were factory-fit on some contemporary models. They may be illegal on later cars now but were certainly legal for fitment pre-2000.

Klaxons, sadly, I believe are not permitted on anything modern :cry:

Edit: Sorry Ainslie, we were typing there at the same time but at least we broadly agree!!!
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Post by Xaccers »

There's no limit on volume. If you have multiple horns they must sound simultaneously, not in sequence (like Col. Bogey). You can have seperate horns used to play a tune, however these must not be used as road horns (ie at shows/on private land)

They must not be used between 23.30 and 07.00.

They must not be used when stationary unless it's to warn another MOVING vehicle of your presence.
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Post by myglaren »

I've seen lots of CXs fitted with air horns. Are these standard and are they proper French ones (Town & Country ones)?
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Post by Gingerposer »

Didn't expect to get a chance so soon to field test the horns, however a suicidal pedestrian was probably wishing he has chosen the brown pair of trousers this morning before walking out in front of me while listening to his walkmanpodthing. :lol:
Next question - of the four horn buttons in the corners of the steering wheel centre, one is not working very well - can the centre section be pulled off to expose the switches or is it more complex than that?

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Post by Xaccers »

If memory serves from when I swapped Juliet's, it's not 4 buttons, the whole airbag can be depressed to sound the horn.
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Post by Gingerposer »

I just realised I explained that quite poorly. The whole central section moves on springs, and there are horn symbols in the four corners of the centre. The horn can be activated by pressing almost anywhere, but it's most easily done (to me anyway) using the thumbs on the horn symbols. Except of course the one on the top right, which is exactly where my hand always rests when driving. The other hand being used to change gear etc. So, it's a bit annoying that the one place where I always have my thumb is also where the horn won't sound when I press.
So I am wondering if it is possible to lift off the centre section containing the airbag enough that I can have a look at the horn switches/contacts underneath, or is it more involved than that?

Cheers again

Ainslie
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