The importance of horn relay
The horn relay acts to enable the horn when the driver pressed the button as an indispensable key component in the vehicle electrical system. Small in size, yet its role is very critical in ensuring road safety by producing sounds that alert drivers and pedestrians of the presence of other vehicles. This horn relay could wear out and fail with increased usage over time, thereby causing the horn to fail and weakening the driver's effectiveness in communicating on the road.
Testing horn relays is actually a rather simple process, since it requires only basic tools and a good understanding of the electrical system of the vehicle. A series of short and distinct steps will allow the driver to conclude in a short period the working status of the horn relay. In so doing, problems can be dealt with in time to ensure driving safety. The regular maintenance and testing of horn relays can prevent sudden failures of the equipment and ensure that at critical moments it works.
Composition structure of horn relay
Relay includes an electromagnet, iron core, spring contact, positioning pole, horn, and so on. The horn is an important indicator to detect the relay. It consists of an iron core and a copper coil. When the relay is working normally, it will make the sound from the horn; based on the sound that it produces, one can determine the work status of the relay.
How to test horn relay
Required tools
Horn relay, multimeter, car battery, wiring
Appearance inspection
Observe whether there are signs of damage, deformation, or burning on the relay housing
Check if the pins of the relay are loose, oxidized, or corroded
Work sound detection
Direct ear listening: Connect the horn relay to the power supply according to the normal plug board. While wiring, we can hear the "click" sound emitted by the relay. During this process, we can intuitively determine the normal operation of the relay.
Relay circuit detection
Check the wiring connections of the horn relay for any signs of damage or corrosion.
Ensure that the wires are securely connected to the relay and there are no loose connections.
Remove any corrosion or dirt from the wiring connections to ensure proper electrical connections.
Test with a multimeter
Connect the red probe of the multimeter to the power cord of the relay, and ground the black probe. The reading should be close to or reach the vehicle battery voltage, usually around 12V
Detailed step instructions：
The internal circuit of the car horn relay is shown. Between 2 and 4 are the normally open contacts of the relay, while between 1 and 3 are the electromagnetic coil and equivalent resistance of the relay.
Internal circuit diagram of car horn relay
Check the malfunction of the car horn relay, as shown in the figure.
Rotate the multimeter to the ohm range and use two probes to measure the resistance between diagnostic terminals 1 and 3, and between terminals 2 and 4 of the car horn relay. Because the contact between 1 and 3 is normally open, it shows an open circuit and does not conduct. The electromagnetic coil and equivalent resistance of the relay between 2 and 4 are conductive. There is no connection between 1 and 2, 1 and 4, 3 and 2, 3 and 4, so they were not connected before.
Inspection diagram for malfunctioning car horn relay
The inspection of the working condition of the car horn relay is shown in the figure.
Connect the power supply between diagnostic terminals 1 and 3 of the car horn relay. Rotate the multimeter to the ohm range and use two probes to measure the resistance between diagnostic terminals 2 and 4 of the car horn relay. According to the working principle of electromagnetic relays, when there is current flowing through the coil of the relay, the coil generates electromagnetic force, causing the normally open contacts to close, thus conducting at this time.
Inspection diagram for working of car horn relay
Common problems and solutions
The speaker has noise or no sound
If there is noise or no sound from the horn when the relay is working, it is likely that the horn is overheated and needs to be replaced and maintained.
Horn relay tripped
Perhaps the relay capacitor is damaged and needs to be replaced; It is also possible that excessive power consumption caused tripping during operation, and the resistor needs to be replaced.
summarize
Testing the horn relay is important to ensure the actual performance of our horns, so that our test results are as accurate as possible. The process above should efficiently let you determine whether the horn relay works or not and keep you from repeated, unnecessary testing. During the process, please pay more attention to safety precautions; carefully refer to the use manual of the vehicle for specific operating instructions concerning your vehicle brand and model.
One of the effective identifications and resolutions of potential issues could be comprehensive and detailed testing on the horn relay. According to the test result, necessary repairs or replacements can be carried out. Such maintenance will not only contribute to the improvement in driving safety, but it also ensures that horns work best at a critical moment. If you have any need for horn relays, please contact us to provide you with high-quality relays.
label:how to test horn relay,horn relay,how to check horn relay