Horn Replacement

Summah Sled · **Joined:** Thu May 13, 2010 3:37 pm **Posts:** 2

Need some help! I have a 268 Vista Cruiser and I need to replace the single trumpet horn. I have tried to pull (lightly) the wire throught the forward deck but does not appear to be any slack. I'm trying to find the original connect. I have removed the cabinet in the head - no horn wiring; I have removed the fuse bus and still no luck. So after may fiberglass splinters I'm not sure what to do next. I have found the orange and white wiring at the switch and fuse buss but nothing else. Anyone have any suggestions?

brijr77 · **Posted:** Wed Jun 02, 2010 12:04 pm

i have had to do this twice already, don't buy the crap one from west marine it will not last long. to gain access to mine i had to take of the back panel in cabin. it is the one that is in the cabin but against head with the co meter on it. not hard to do but you do have to unscrew the shelf and co meter, and in the head behind mirror there are a few more screws. the wires are there in front of you but still there is not much slack and a pain to work with.

Kvou812 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 06, 2010 12:09 pm

A wave washed over the front of my boat over the weekend... apparently taking out my horn since it barely makes any noise and the little element inside it looks all messed up. Where do you recommend getting one from?

230 Mike · **Posted:** Tue Jul 06, 2010 1:15 pm

I don't know if this would work, but you might consider it.

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=2304&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=horn

Kvou812 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:34 pm

It appears that not all the horns have that plastic element behind the cover.... I'm beginning to wonder if maybe water inside the horn itself isn't my problem. I'll have to pull it out in the next day or two and check it out....

Beer-garita · **Posted:** Wed Jul 07, 2010 1:11 am

On both my old 278 and my current 298 the horns crapped out. I replaced with real air horns and put an on demand compressor under the deck as close as possible to the horn. Works off the existing wiring where when the horn is depressed the compressor (from NAPA) runs and powers the horn. Works well. My next step will be to add a real 12v compressor with tank to make it really LOUD!! To heck with the electric horns!!

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Wed Jul 07, 2010 7:08 am

The horns are the biggest piece of crap FW puts on these boats. Our's died within one season on our 268. All 5 other
268 's in our old marina had dead horns, both 278's in the marina did as well. I chose not to ever replace or fix it. You do
not need a horn to be legal. A whistle will pass a CG inspection. We have always carried a whistle and small air horn we
bought from Wal-Mart for $2.98. Either the horn or the whistle is twice as loud as the junk horns that come with the boats.

Our current boat has a recessed horn (not trumpet style) in the bow, and works perfectly. Much better design than the
failure prone, poorly designed, feebily located trumpet horns FW used on several of their cruisers over the years.

Don't bother replacing yours, just leave it as an ornament, and let the next owner fix it if he wants.

Kvou812 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:42 am

Over the weekend with a bunch of people sitting up front in the bow section, I took a wave at low speed... no big deal other than it took the horn out. I pulled the horn out and after dumping all of the water out of it it works again like it should. Perhaps mounting the horn on the bow wasn't the best idea FW ever had. My old Larson had the horn mounted right in front of the windshield on the driver's side.

qweedqwag · **Joined:** Mon Aug 24, 2009 9:26 pm **Posts:** 163

My horn wasnet working either, I check voltage on both sdie of the switch and at the hoen itself, all was good, I banged on the horn and would make noise, so I sprayed some PB blaster into it thinking it had got water in it and to my surprise it started working again, guess I freed it up due to corrision.

qweedqwag · **Joined:** Mon Aug 24, 2009 9:26 pm **Posts:** 163

Here is what I did, granted I have a 200SS Horizon, I removed the horn and sprayed PB Blaster into the opening and then swirled it around and let it sit for ten minutes, then I hooked up power and blew all the Blaster out and the horn has worked like a champ ever since.

Mike

HMT · **Joined:** Sat Jul 28, 2012 3:55 pm **Posts:** 17

I am the new owner of a 1999 DE 205 Sundowner Sport does anyone know how to get the plastic cover off of the flush mount horn the horn is located on the starboard side just below the corner of the windshield.

ric · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2012 10:32 am

HMT wrote:

I am the new owner of a 1999 DE 205 Sundowner Sport does anyone know how to get the plastic cover off of the flush mount horn the horn is located on the starboard side just below the corner of the windshield.

flathead screwdriver, just put something under it like a rag or business card so you don't scratch the gelcoat.

taz42169 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2012 11:15 am

Cap'n Morgan wrote:

The horns are the biggest piece of crap FW puts on these boats. Our's died within one season on our 268. All 5 other
268 's in our old marina had dead horns, both 278's in the marina did as well. I chose not to ever replace or fix it. You do
not need a horn to be legal. A whistle will pass a CG inspection. We have always carried a whistle and small air horn we
bought from Wal-Mart for $2.98. Either the horn or the whistle is twice as loud as the junk horns that come with the boats.

Our current boat has a recessed horn (not trumpet style) in the bow, and works perfectly. Much better design than the
failure prone, poorly designed, feebily located trumpet horns FW used on several of their cruisers over the years.

Don't bother replacing yours, just leave it as an ornament, and let the next owner fix it if he wants.

+1

www.iFourWinns.com

Horn Replacement

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