Train Horns and Upfitter Switch

[iLoveSoccrMoms15]

Hey Powerstrokers,

Just got train horns installed today and they sound sweet! I should enjoy a good laugh when someone cuts me off again

My question is: Can these be rigged up to work with the upfitter switches that are factory installed into my truck? The place that put them in said it couldn't be done and has it running to a toggle switch to change from my factory horn to the train system. I don't understand why, but they are pros at this stuff not me. Maybe someone can chime in as to whether this can/or cannot work. My system is the Hadley Bully Series system...model H00961EA

Sergio

[DKR]

Give me a couple of minutes to get to my laptop and off my phone...and I'll explain my wiring to my upfitters that I have done on my horns.

It'll take to long to type on my phone.

[BigRed]

I have a 3-way switch on my train horns. When in the up position when I push the horn on the steering wheel and my factory horn honks, middle is off, and the bottom position is my train horns... I had to splice into the wire coming off my steering wheel which goes to the center pole of the switch, and one other pole of the switch goes back to the rest of the factory wire, the last pole goes to the ground on my train horn solenoid... Let me know if you need more info, I know it is kinda jumbled english...

[Safir]

what you speak of is easy, if you have a basic understanding of relays.. I will try to outline it here, hoepfully someone will come along and write up a diagram.

what you need is a SPDT 12V 30A relay. this relay has the following five tabs on teh bottom, with the appropriate functions:

30 : Input
85 :signal
86 :ground
87 : Normally closed load
87a : Normally Open load



in order to have an upfitter switch select your normal horns when off and your train horns when on, vut the line leading to the stock horn and wire as follows:

30 : truck side of stock horn wire
85 : upfitter switch
86 : ground
87 : relay or power for train horns
87a : horn side of stock horn wire

your train horns likely pull more current than the stock horn wiring and switch can handle - i woudl HIGHLY suggest connecting pin 87 to pin 85 of a second relay to power the train horns, such a relay likely came with the kit already.

if you have a shop do this, make sure to let them know about the four wires ford left going through the firewall - one end is under the dash near the signal wires from teh upfitter switches (behind fuse panel) and the other ends are under the hood above the brake booster - they are blunt-cut and wrapped and are MADE for passing signals from the upfitter switches to things under the hood.

[BigRed]

The only problem I see with your diagram is where I cut my horn wire it is a ground not a 12V+ so you would have to put that wire on a relay then send the output to your relay setup correct? I am pretty handy with 12V but I often over think myself and wire something 100x harder than it should have ever been so please correct me if I am wrong!

[Safir]

i may have to think about this a little - i haven't messed with the horn circuit on this truck, so bear with me a little bit...

IME, most of the time the horn circuit has one wire to the horn, which is then grounded to teh chassis through it's bracket, in which case the wiring above should work.

The reason we have this relay between the truck and the stock horn is to stop the stock horn from honking when you have the upfitter switch "on." a SPST relay on the horn wire, firing this or another SPST relay, when you had the switch "on" you would get BOTH horns.

assuming what you say is true, and without additional information, i see two possiliities, you'll have to help me determine which is correct:

1) the horn circuit is ground side switched, like so:
+12 -> horn -> switch (horn button) -> ground
in which case you would modify the wiring as such:

30 : truck side of stock horn wire
85 : upfitter switch
86 : ground
87 : pin 86 on train horn relay
87a : horn side of stock horn wire

the train horn relay would be as such:

30 : fused +12V
85 : fused +12V
86 : pin 87 on SPDT relay
87 : Load (Train horn compressor/control box/whatever

2) the stock horn is hot side switched, has two wires and you are on the ground side - it would be WAY easier to wire on the hot side of the relay.

someone please double check my logic, as i'm trying to picture this in my mind.. i should probably draw it out, or go find some relays and wire it up...

I've actually thought of a way to simplify the first schematic, in the case of #2 here...

[NIT2WN]

Subscribing, just to learn and I'm hunting train or boat horns for giggles.

[JJKpowerstroke]

Hello, how are trying to run your compressor off of the upfitter switch? Have to remember that the comp runs off a pressure control. The horn switch will activate the solenoid. Very simple to do. Or you could use a momentary switch to activate the solenoid. I tapped my horn wire. I can hit the horn lightly and get the factory horn or press harder and get the train horn. But you could still use the realy if you choose I didn't bother using mine. But on other installs I have.