Installed train horn but fuse blows - Infamous Nissan

Systurnslead · 05-02-2022, 03:37 AM

I can hit the horn for about a second and it’s fine but if I lay on the horn for a couple seconds the fuse will blow. Since I live in Houston, I’ll need it going for a few seconds lol.
I came off the single horn wire and other is grounded.

Is it a matter of using a bigger gauge ground wire or adding an inline fuse even though I’m not going straight to battery?

The kit only came with horns, compressor, and relay (Which wasn’t needed).
So I had to buy wire (18 gauge). Maybe I bought too small gauge?

It turned out pretty good though.

alabama_lowlife · 05-02-2022, 10:12 AM

Which fuse is this connected to? The factory horn fuse? I think you’re discovering why the relay was included, because it IS needed. Use the factory wire for the horn to operate the relay. The relay will carry the large current flow for the train horn. The factory wiring and fuse are not capable of supplying enough current for this train horn.

Systurnslead · 05-02-2022, 01:17 PM

Thanks for your response. I’m just going off what the instructions said. It said if I’m not going straight to battery with a new horn switch, I don’t need the relay because it already has a relay for the horn.
And it’s connected to the stock horn fuse.
But your answer sounds right. I’ll give it a try.
Appreciate it!

ahardb0dy · 05-02-2022, 02:21 PM

The wire going to the stock horn is not large enough to run that small compressor. Use the stock horn wire, as was said, as the trigger wire for the relay.

Run 10 gauge with fuse from the battery to the relay (terminal 30 on the relay),

Most aftermarket relays use the same numbers:

30 - power in
87 - power out
86 - control current in (activates the relay)

85 - Ground

I usually just loop a short piece of wire from the ground terminal (85) back up to the screw to mount the relay

terminal 87 to the compressor power wire (10 gauge)

terminal 86 from the stock horn wire.

from the crocodile Dundee movie scene where he says "that's not a knife, this is a knife"

I say that's not a horn, this is a horn, LOL (my 2 Hadley air horns behind the grille in my 17 Frontier):

Systurnslead · 05-02-2022, 11:50 PM

Thanks for the info! Seems easy enough.
Crocodile Dundee was the s… growing up

ahardb0dy · 05-03-2022, 01:31 AM

Because the compressor you are using is a tank less design, you can use the horn wire to trigger the relay.

If it was like my setup with a tank and compressor the relay would be activated by a switch that opens a solenoid.

Systurnslead · 05-03-2022, 05:04 AM

Rewired with 12 gauge (advance didn’t have 10), hooked up inline fuse and relay. Works like a champ now. Thanks!

05-02-2022, 10:12 AM	#2
alabama_lowlife Owner and Administrator Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: jack, alabama Age: 42 Posts: 10,819 Vehicle: 2012 370Z, 1970 Datsun 521, 1995 Nissan Hardbody x2 Thanks: 1,109 Thanked 2,244 Times in 1,841 Posts	Which fuse is this connected to? The factory horn fuse? I think you’re discovering why the relay was included, because it IS needed. Use the factory wire for the horn to operate the relay. The relay will carry the large current flow for the train horn. The factory wiring and fuse are not capable of supplying enough current for this train horn. __________________

05-02-2022, 02:21 PM	#4
ahardb0dy The Post Count Whore Join Date: May 2014 Location: Sorrento, Florida Age: 56 Posts: 8,004 Vehicle: 2017 Nissan Frontier Desert Runner Thanks: 71 Thanked 1,033 Times in 938 Posts	The wire going to the stock horn is not large enough to run that small compressor. Use the stock horn wire, as was said, as the trigger wire for the relay. Run 10 gauge with fuse from the battery to the relay (terminal 30 on the relay), Most aftermarket relays use the same numbers: 30 - power in 87 - power out 86 - control current in (activates the relay) 85 - Ground I usually just loop a short piece of wire from the ground terminal (85) back up to the screw to mount the relay terminal 87 to the compressor power wire (10 gauge) terminal 86 from the stock horn wire. from the crocodile Dundee movie scene where he says "that's not a knife, this is a knife" I say that's not a horn, this is a horn, LOL (my 2 Hadley air horns behind the grille in my 17 Frontier): __________________ My name is Tony and I'm a Infamousaholic Current truck - 2017 Nissan Frontier Desert Runner , (formerly owned: 1993 Nissan Hardbody king cab 2wd, 90 Nissan Sentra, 94 Nissan Pathfinder SE 4x4, 05 Nissan Titan, 87 Nissan SE-V6 4x4 king cab, 94 Infiniti Q45t & 80 Datsun 310GX )

05-03-2022, 01:31 AM	#6
ahardb0dy The Post Count Whore Join Date: May 2014 Location: Sorrento, Florida Age: 56 Posts: 8,004 Vehicle: 2017 Nissan Frontier Desert Runner Thanks: 71 Thanked 1,033 Times in 938 Posts	Because the compressor you are using is a tank less design, you can use the horn wire to trigger the relay. If it was like my setup with a tank and compressor the relay would be activated by a switch that opens a solenoid. __________________ My name is Tony and I'm a Infamousaholic Current truck - 2017 Nissan Frontier Desert Runner , (formerly owned: 1993 Nissan Hardbody king cab 2wd, 90 Nissan Sentra, 94 Nissan Pathfinder SE 4x4, 05 Nissan Titan, 87 Nissan SE-V6 4x4 king cab, 94 Infiniti Q45t & 80 Datsun 310GX )

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05-02-2022, 01:17 PM	#3
Systurnslead Join Date: Feb 2022 Location: Spring, TX Posts: 25 Vehicle: 1997 Nissan Hardbody Thanks: 12 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks for your response. I’m just going off what the instructions said. It said if I’m not going straight to battery with a new horn switch, I don’t need the relay because it already has a relay for the horn. And it’s connected to the stock horn fuse. But your answer sounds right. I’ll give it a try. Appreciate it!

05-02-2022, 11:50 PM	#5
Systurnslead Join Date: Feb 2022 Location: Spring, TX Posts: 25 Vehicle: 1997 Nissan Hardbody Thanks: 12 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks for the info! Seems easy enough. Crocodile Dundee was the s… growing up

05-03-2022, 05:04 AM	#7
Systurnslead Join Date: Feb 2022 Location: Spring, TX Posts: 25 Vehicle: 1997 Nissan Hardbody Thanks: 12 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Rewired with 12 gauge (advance didn’t have 10), hooked up inline fuse and relay. Works like a champ now. Thanks!