Quiet horns. Dual Lucas windtone.

[Ashley68]

Right...found all the connections and all seem to OK. The horns are sick now also. There I was moving the earth connection around testing them and then they went quiet when grounded to point that I know should be working. No result connected to the battery negative either. I'm thinking that if these are tired or finding it hard to work then it might be that they are also trying to draw excessive current and exceeding the capability of the grounding system. They certainly look old. They've also been painted and one in particular looks a little beaten up. I even had to clean the paint off the terminals!

So, new horns it is then, then hopefully job done.

[elansprint71]

I refer you to my previous answer.

[Ashley68]

Erm...yeah okay then.
In the nicest possible way

[ricarbo]

If you want to keep them, it might be worth having a play with them. Most mechanical horns have a screw on the outside of the body, which controls the distance between the contacts (they are a bit like the ignition points in the distributor). if I remember correctly, you increase the gap until they just fail to sound, and then reduce the gap half a turn, to achieve good reliable operation. You might want to open the unit and clean the points, too. If the horns are sounded for too long, the windings will overheat and melt. I managed to do that with an alarm system that worked them too hard!
I had a Triumph TR4 with similar wiring to the Elan. That had a poor connection across the universal joint. It worked fine until you had the brakes on hard. It seemed the twist on the suspension, due to the braking, broke the continuity. the result was I sailed into an accident, unable to sound the horn!! Not an experience to repeat. Very nasty.
Richard

[skelteanema]

High,
My Elan had the Clear Hooters wind tone horns. They were not working when I got the car (the previous owner had fitted air horns and had disconnected the wind tone horns). I could hear a buzz when I connected a battery, I repaired them a while back, can't remember exactly what I did, but i know I drilled out all the rivets on the circumference. There are a set of points like on the distributer, and these had become corroded/gunked up. I cleaned these up with emery paper, and then reassembled and bolted or rivetted back together. I think I made new paper gaskets, but can't remember for sure. All I know is that they worked perfectly after that, and with a coat of black paint they look like new. They are in may "spares" box just in case I ever need them.

The only issue I see is if the diaphram is badly damaged or corroded then this will make repair difficult. If it is just the points then this is simple once you dismantle the units. If they are not working, what have you got to lose

[billwill]

I reckon you've got your night and day horns mixed up- apparently it is still illegal in England to sound your horn after 7pm. Lucas made some silent horns to use at night.

I think that's 11pm in the law & it's probably still on the statutes, but sod all people take notice of that here in North London.

Beep, Beep late at night is very common.

[ardee_selby]

I reckon you've got your night and day horns mixed up- apparently it is still illegal in England to sound your horn after 7pm. Lucas made some silent horns to use at night.

I think that's 11pm in the law & it's probably still on the statutes, but sod all people take notice of that here in North London.

Beep, Beep late at night is very common.

Isn't it a) while stationary on the road at any time and b) between the hours of 11.30 pm and 7.00 am when driving in a built up area...unless in an emergency situation? (or you are Mr.Toad)

Richard