EZ Fiamm Q

[26667]

Needed to replace my high tone Fiamm horn. Yes I know you can take the old one all apart and yadda. I've seen the online "how to." I just don't wanna. Besides, I already got the new horn. $15

Here's my Q: the OEM horn has only one terminal. The new one has two. The ground wire supplied doesn't reach much of any place that seems useable, unless I attach it to the bolt that mounts the horn itself. Should I mount the horn elsewhere? Use a longer ground wire? Add an inline fuse?

Is it eye of newt and wing of bat, or eye of wing and bat the newt? Electrical is like black magic to me. :dunno

[reimerdavid]

As long as your going directly to ground you should be fine. Just try not to make the ground wire to long.

[sumran]

As long as you are bolting to the frame, grounding to the mounting bolt works well. That is how mine are installed. Just make sure the is good metal to metal contact betwwen the bolt and the frame.

[26667]

Sum' your post showed up just after my second. lemme read it again. I'd tried that earlier and snuffed a fuse...a real PITA to get to on the RS. Guru tested the horn itself and said it drew too much current. I forget the reading ...4 ohms maybe? and should've been 8? I'd gotten it at an auto parts. The horn I have now is from Aerostitch, but apperas to be exactly the same except the two posts are in a different location than the auoto parts horn. That is on the other side of the bell.

but that's how little I understand. Am I right thinking I can't use the bolt on the back of the horn that attaches the horn to the frame as a place to ground? But rather i should attach to another spot on the frame or maybe a fairing bracket?

Mr Johnson tried to explain all this in the seventh grade about 40 years ago and I didn't get it then either. Can I blame Mr. Johnson?

He did, however let us listen to the radio during Allan Sheperd's ride into space.

[tghsmith]

take a meter and check the two contacts against the mounting bolt, you should find that one of them is a ground used when the horn is mounted to a non-grounded location(plastic car bumper)

[sumran]

Sum' your post showed up just after my second. lemme read it again. I'd tried that earlier and snuffed a fuse...a real PITA to get to on the RS. Guru tested the horn itself and said it drew too much current. I forget the reading ...4 ohms maybe? and should've been 8? I'd gotten it at an auto parts. The horn I have now is from Aerostitch, but apperas to be exactly the same except the two posts are in a different location than the auoto parts horn. That is on the other side of the bell.

but that's how little I understand. Am I right thinking I can't use the bolt on the back of the horn that attaches the horn to the frame as a place to ground? But rather i should attach to another spot on the frame or maybe a fairing bracket?

Mr Johnson tried to explain all this in the seventh grade about 40 years ago and I didn't get it then either. Can I blame Mr. Johnson?

He did, however let us listen to the radio during Allan Sheperd's ride into space.

The grounding point does not affect the current flow. The fact that you blew a fuse does tell you that you have a good ground; if you were not grounded it would be an open circuit (just like Mr. Johnson told you). Fuses are protecting against excess current (amps).

The best basic example on electrical theory is a water hose. Voltage relates to water pressure. If things are functioning normally this should be relatively constant at 12 volts on our machines. Ohms refers to resistance. Reducing the size of the hose increases resistance and decreases the water flow if the pressure stays the same. Wire sizes work the same way. Smaller wire more resistance. Electrical circuits tend to convert excess resistance to heat. This works well in a light bulb or a toaster, not so well in your wiring harness. Amperage (current) relates to the water flow coming out of the hose.

A light bulb is a controlled short circuit. It is controlled by the resistance of the filiment, which is designed for the intended voltage. Your horn works the same way. If there is not enough resistance (ohms) then too much current will flow and you will blow a fuse.

Be sure you are not providing a direct path to ground in the way the horn is wired. You must force the electricity to go through the horn to get to your ground wire. Electricy is lazy and will always take the easiest path to ground. If it is wired incorrectly, you will have a short circuit as soon as you close the switch. If you are immediately blowing a fuse, I would suspect this as the problem.

Hope this helps. Sorry it was so long.

[26667]

The grounding point does not affect the current flow. The.....
Hope this helps. Sorry it was so long.

are you kidding!!!! TOO LONG??? I need a book. Thanx again for the great help and clear explanation.

[535is]

Mr Johnson tried to explain all this in the seventh grade about 40 years ago and I didn't get it then either. Can I blame Mr. Johnson?

He did, however let us listen to the radio during Allan Sheperd's ride into space.

Well, my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Patterson (who was, even to us 10-year-olds, HAWT! :heart ), took us to her house to see Al's ride on TV (which goes to show you how backward our schools were in 'olden days' - we did not have a TV), so maybe I have a better perspective. :brow

While your horn may have two connectors, it may also have one of them connected (internally) to the mounting bolt as a ground. So if you popped a fuse with your first setup, try reversing the wires on those connectors. For insurance (although fuses are cheap), I would check both contacts for continuity to that mounting bolt. If one is near zero ohms, it is connected, and plugging your hot wire onto it will be a direct and immediate short. *POP!* :banghead Connect to the other one and see if your horn works without another wire connected to it.

[sumran]

Great point on the internal connection! My Fiamm is not set up that way, but it is common on automotive and motorcycle components. His may be and it would explain the blown fuses.