horn problems - Achilles Heel

I have a 1993 460 GL 2.0. The horn occasionally works, giving out a very
weak "bleep", which causes people to laugh and flip me off rather than
getting the hell outta the way. Because I do not have a garage, I regard
this as a spring project as I think the horn is located just above the
engine splash guard and I don't feel like dealing with it in shitty weather.
I suspect the wiring is screwed.

My question is:

Have any of you had horn problems with your Volvo? What was the cause? Is
this... Volvo's Achilles Heel?

Thanks,
Jon

 

440, 2 horns just put the car on ramps and disconnected one and the other is
better. prob rust & earth problem. Putting my proper sorting out job too.
maybe get a cheap horn from local car shop.

 

I don't know about "Achilles heel" but it certainly is an obvious
design error, like they only realized at the last minute that they
didn't make room for the horn... my 240 horn is nicely tucked away but
the horn in my new 760 is under the front bumper on the driver's side
and COMPLETELY unprotected from the elements. Of course it's corroded
all to crap and doesn't work at all. I'm just waiting until I hit a
slightly deeper snowbank and rip the thing clean off!

blurp
ps. I'd say the true Achilles heel is trying to make everything
powered. Every button in my 240 works but in the 760 the power windows
are dodgy, the power sunroof is dead, the power seats are
hit-and-miss, power antenna is stuck, etc.. Give me manual seats and
sunroof any day!

 

Could be the achilles heal - our horns and bracket are the only rusting
parts on our 960... Tho they still work well enough to scare the hell out of
a Jaguar driver who almost was going to clip me.

 

Yeah I hear you. I was wondering about the stupid placement of the horn on
certain models. It may be a small thing, but it's a thing that's gotta work
if I am going to get it thru the inspections.

YEAH I second that! Pardon my French: **** all new shit that just fucks up
anyway.

Thanks for your input,
Jon

 

rob...what year is yur 960 again? is a wagon,
or sedan?...wagon is aka a saloon, right?
no probelms w/my horn or any electrics on
my 93 940t / 240k miles

 

93 wagon... no problems, just this is the only part of the car with actual
rust on it that looks kind of bad... the axels, suspension, underbody -
negligable surface corrosion! (and driven in salt-laden Souther Ontario
winter roads too!).... Who needs dealer undercoating when you have a
Volvo?.... Oiling every year - nope.

 

BTW
Saloon = Sedan (3 box design w/4 doors, typically)
Estate Car = Station Wagon (2 box design w/5 or 3 doors)

 

Well the 760 is an '88 so you fellas will have to wait 5 years for it
all to go down the crapper

blurp

 

yea...you have a few years on our mdls...but, just
do a junkyard swap, or dbl check the wiring...get a
good, solid ground , the hot wire is probabally not
a issue.....do some parts corrode at different rates...like
on some boats?...dosen't corrosion have to do w/electrical
trickles, or charges?...lucku for me, here in co we are
mostly dry, no salt, just the new "mag cholerene" (sp?)
they put down on real slick days...

 

I think i'll wire in an air horn when our horn goes

 

Yeah When you honk your horn, you usually do it because SOMEBODY ELSE is
doing something terribly wrong, and you want them to know that they are in
fault. An air horn would do the job nicely.

 

Well I figure Volvo already has a horn that seems to do a GREAT job of
waking people up - dual tone, loud, aggressive sounding... I'm just further
refining the noise of it... Our old 91' VW had a nice horn too... except it
would dim the exterior and interior lights whenever you pressed it, so the
wiring must have been a little flakey - who can say ground fault?

 

In a motorcycle safety class I took years ago they strongly suggested that
you not make such a modification, at least to a motorcycle. People hear that
and start looking for the big truck instead of you.

 

I'll rig it to flash the highbeams at the same time then.... Ohh would I
love a setup like that - not quite the most expected thing to see on a
lumbering old Volvo wagon, and many would label me as an asshole (which is
why I don't think i'd ever bother doing it, stick to imagining for now) but
it'd be pretty awesome.

I'm honestly surprised no one has ever hooked up a loudspeaker/megaphone to
project thru their grille yet (i'm sure there's weatherproof versions that
could be adapted) so they could yell into traffic what they are yelling at
in their cars... I bet there is someone who has this, just not where I live
and commute.

 

That's illegal here, I got pulled over in high school for just such a setup.
No ticket though because the cop had to run off to another call.

I like your flashing lights and horn idea.

 

Thanks, I got it in part from a drivers handbook that states something along
the lines of "alert other motorists to your intentions by either signalling
using a horn or flashing your headlamps to get their attention" and from one
'Simpsons' episode where they are driving to I believe a demolition derby
event and Homer (the main character, if you are unfamiliar with the show...
tho I think pretty much everyone has caught at least one episode, as it
is/was incredibly popular) is weaving in and out of traffic whistling a
classical song that every time there would be the drums or cymbals he honks
the horn twice, and his highbeams flash with it... Thought that was a great
idea when I saw it.