Louder Horn for FREE

[importfighter01]

While doing some prelimary scans to mount tow hooks on my XL, I spied the factory dual horns setup residing under the drivers side headlight in the bumper cavity (just like the Rangers of yore). Bracket and plug assembly are very similar too (one 10mm nut and single plug). Horns are bigger than on previous Rangers though. But I noticed that the horn outlets are covered by a unique plastic grill of some kind. So of course I removed the assembly from the truck to investigate.

Although the horn outlets face down towards the ground to allow gravity to keep water or dirt from filling up the horns as well as permit sound to echo in the bumper cavity and deflect off the ground, these covers seem to be designed as an additional protection from the more extreme conditions found in off-roading. Since my ‘99 Ranger’s horns lasted 20yrs in the same orientation without these horn covers and I don’t off-road my truck, I decided to remove them as these covers are blocking the “blast” of sound from exiting the horn unimpeded. If I could get louder for free I was down to experiment. I was not disappointed.

The covers are easily removed as they are both snapped onto the horn outlet rim and secured from vibrating off by a strip of thin glue. And the good news is they are robust enough to be reinstalled in the future without issue too. The detail to engineer these covers was impressive, from the offset grate design to the attachment mechanism. These same horns are found on the F-150 but without these extreme condition covers meaning Ford took an existing part and engineered a solution which I think is a good design (just not needed for my trucks intended application).

The results after reinstall were great IMO. The sound is much sharper and definitely louder. Even when locking the doors the locking indicator honk has “authority” now. It reminds me of the type of sound blast you get from a Wolo Bad Boy air horn, but now for free.

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[t4thfavor]

I present to you the shorted out horn from my 2013 focus ST that looks to be identical.

 

[importfighter01]

I present to you the shorted out horn from my 2013 focus ST that looks to be identical.

Yes indeed, look to be the same. Looks like continuous exposure to water corroded those connections?

 

[t4thfavor]

Yes indeed, look to be the same. Looks like continuous exposure to water corroded those connections?

And by "Continuous exposure to water" you mean, some toolbag at Fords supplier forgot to add the dielectric to it. Got one off ebay, loaded it with dielectric and ran it for 80K more miles until the car got totaled in a wreck.

About 2 weeks after I fixed it, there was a safety recall where they were just replacing it with the same defective part... I only paid 10$ for the horn, so I didn't even bother going in.

 

[Joeiconic]

What am I missing? Why do you need, or want, a louder horn?

 

[t4thfavor]

What am I missing? Why do you need, or want, a louder horn?

It’s like how you’d get a larger middle finger if you could.

 

[importfighter01]

What am I missing? Why do you need, or want, a louder horn?

Depends on your horn “philosophy of use” I suppose. For me a horn is a signaling device; signal for assistance needed, signal potential danger, signal that bad guys are messing with my truck while I’m sleeping; etc. A louder horn can serve a a more powerful signal to command attention when called upon. If someone cuts me off I don’t lay on the horn so that was not the intent of the mod, as not worth instigating a road rage incident and inducing the potential life changing outcomes something like that can bring.

Hope that helps answer the question!

 

[importfighter01]

if you have mud wasps, and they find your horn they'll fill it up in a hurry
i hate those things and they build their nests everywhere

Correct, thankfully not a big concern in my area.

 

[WLFPIR8]

I present to you the shorted out horn from my 2013 focus ST that looks to be identical.

That happened to my 2019 ranger! lol... ended up just buying a replacement and put some DeOxIt on the terminals to help prevent that.

 

[WLFPIR8]

And by "Continuous exposure to water" you mean, some toolbag at Fords supplier forgot to add the dielectric to it. Got one off ebay, loaded it with dielectric and ran it for 80K more miles until the car got totaled in a wreck.

About 2 weeks after I fixed it, there was a safety recall where they were just replacing it with the same defective part... I only paid 10$ for the horn, so I didn't even bother going in.

I think they recently changed the "metals" used in the connector to make it less prone to corrosion... maybe? The replacement I got looked like it might have been different. Still used some anti corrosion coating anyway.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

if you have mud wasps, and they find your horn they'll fill it up in a hurry
i hate those things and they build their nests everywhere

Agreed. Could pop these covers out then using a dremel or some other tool and cut out the majority of the center area of the cover plate and glue window screen or some other sort of mesh to it and reinstall the covers.

End result louder horns and no dirt daubers making nests in your horns. ?

 

[Fawnbuster]

if you have mud wasps, and they find your horn they'll fill it up in a hurry
i hate those things and they build their nests everywhere

I have an unused roll of screenwire (for home windows) I think a piece zip tied around the funnel after modification should keep critters out.

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