Thanks for the tips, Mark. �I have ordered one of those Hella horns from the eBay vendor.

Do you have a part # or source for the relay? I couldn't find it in the archives.

Thanks,
Marco in Seattle

1986 Westy Weekender
Bostig 2013

>________________________________
>Date:� � Tue, 20 Aug 2013 17:35:25 -0700
>From:� � mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
>Subject: Horns, improvements
>
>The stock Vanagon horn is not that great but can be improved. Simply
>adding a relay down by the horn can make a big difference even with the
>stock horn. Doing that increases the voltage at the horn as well as
>triggers full volume from the horn even when the steering wheel contact
>ring or button have only a weak connection. By using the steering wheel
>button to simply trigger the relay the button can work with only a small
>fraction of the power going through it that the horn itself would need.
>Thus the relay can trigger and remain on with a much weaker connection
>than the horn itself requires for sounding. With the relay providing the
>ground the horn is louder, faster, and more consistent.
>
>Here is a photo of a horn with the added relay and wiring to increase
>horn performance. The 2 existing horn wires plug into this setup. No
>additional wires need to be run. The yellow end is a male spade. The 2
>existing horn wires have female ends. The stock black/yellow wire plugs
>into the wire with a yellow end. The stock brownish wire plugs into the
>remaining relay male spade pin #86. The wire with the ring terminal gets
>grounded at the mounting bolt for the horn spring plates.
>
>http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1101215.jpg
>
>
>The horn in that first photo is actually a larger version of the stock
>horn but mounts and wires up the same as a stock horn and in the stock
>location. Here are both horns for a comparison.
>
>http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1101214.jpg
>
>I purchased that larger Hella horn from this place. I installed it in my
>89 with the added relay. It is now much louder but still has the
>familiar sounding beep known to old VWs.
>
>http://www.ebay.com/itm/HORN-DISC-12V-335HZ-MERCEDES-/280423157106?
>
>
>Of course there are many still louder horns and I like some of the dual
>horn setups from various Volvo, Mercedes, BMW, etc I get at the
>junkyard. These have a totally different sound of authority but are more
>complicated to mount in the stock location. I might get into that at
>another time.
>
>Mark
>
>
>