BOAT HORN NOT WORKING - Can We Fix it?

In this Tea Break Repair, me and Brian look at the horn on his BAYLINER 2855 boat. It hasn't worked since he purchased the boat, will it be fixable? Or will he forever have to use his Air Horn Can to warn others of his presence as he navigates the choppy waters of the River Thames.
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Remember that this is just for entertainment and I am not an expert in these repairs. The processes in the video may not be the best way, the correct way or the safest way to fix these things. I do love fault finding and trying to fix broken things, so I hope that comes across in this 'Trying to FIX' series. Many thanks, Vince.

[@Pistol_Knight]

Love the Wine Glass holder next to the drivers seat!!

[@1MajorTom]

very good temporary fix😊 when you have to make it 100% finished, use some joint sleeves with solder in them and they shrink over the joint so they are 100% waterproof😊 I would draw a brand new ground wire for the whole thing, so you are sure that you have a 100% good ground wire (this is very important) it is always a bad ground wire which is to blame for many hot wires and possible melting cables, regardless of whether they are boats or cars😊 or trailer / trailer connector (the damn ground wires / ground connections)😅😅. and the best thing would be to buy a relay housing, they cost almost nothing and have new wires on them. then it will also be easier when you have to change the relay when it has worn out.I think the aforementioned owner had a double horn (a large horn) with mega sound installed😅😅 so the last wire has been to number 2 horn😊 I love to sit and watch your different fixes of different things, I myself have learned a lot about something that I myself have not now separated into such small parts😅🥰

[@wernervanniekerk7579]

looks like original horn was upgraded with a higher current one, which would make the original switch insufficiently able to handle the higher amps...so you fit a relay. Same idea as when fitting extra lights to a car. The wiring diagram shows a simple switch joining one wire..an in and an out. Connect. So the switch takes all the current. I gather someone fitted a bigger/replacement horn, and then bodged a relay in, badly. It'll be a type 86 relay, used all over the show in cars. Common. Worth reading up about how to wire them. Good job figuring it out Vince.

[@chris_hertford]

That nest of wring was in a state, needs the front panel off and a proper tidy up. Looks like something else will come loose at any moment!

[@PaulRansonArt]

Great fix as always Vince. I'm all for simplicity so would probably have done away with the relay as well. The horn has a low current draw and on a momentary switch its not going to need a relay. I suspect this was for the other after market item as you suggested. 😃😃

[@peterlarkin762]

Maybe some older air horns must use a lot of current.

[@lkeil84]

I commented about the wiring in your trim tab video and then seeing this one, it is about the connectors not being heat shrink type. The manufacturers did not take the time and expense of using heat shrink connectors. Corosion OS the biggest enemy of a boat and those junk connectors fail always after some time. I suggest that every connector be changed to heat shrink as all of them will eventually fail and you will constantly be chasing these broken wires. I have changed hundreds on my boat and have hundreds to go. Almost every failure is due to the open type crimp splices with corroded wires falling out. I have found dozens of broken butt splices and terminal ends. My boat is 23 years old and 46 feet with literally hundreds of splices and connectors. I buy heat shrink connectors and butt splices buy the hundreds and always seem to be running out as I just proactively replace them when I am in any area. Only very high end boats take the time and expense to use the heat shrink type connectors and but splices. I had a 20 foot boat that was 40 years old and something seemed to always be failing. I went through every connection on the boat and replaced every connector and terminal end. That was the end of electrical problems for that one. It did take me about 40 hours to just complete that one boat. I also spray corrosion inhibitor on everything when I done working on it also. And on any old boat it seems, people have mucked around the wiring over the years making an absolute mess. My current 46 foot boat had hundreds of feet of old wiring that I meticulously went through and removed it all. This makes things so much easier to work on in the future. Funny how when people work on a boat that they just leave all the old wiring when putting in new stuff. This particular boat was bought from the original owner that always had hired people working on it and they made an absolute mess of things. It has taken me literally hundreds of hours to go through everything and fix all the mistakes made by the "professionals". A properly taken care of boat should be very reliable and shoddy repairs just lead to headache after headache. After 2 years, I think I finally have every system working 100%. Not an easy task in a 23 year old 46 foot boat. It really pays off in peace of mind when out cruising for 6 months at a time.

[@MichaelBritt23]

HAH! I love the spare wine glass next to the fire extinguisher. Maybe that is normal, but it's the first time I have ever seen that.

[@onceagian]

At 13:35 when he "but check this out" and goes to move the camera and his feet are in the air, it looks like he is trying to show us his new killer break dancing moves. Amazing video as always, thank you for the video and the sick moves.

[@123mikeyd321]

So, The only reason the switch needs a 0V (Also can be called ground or negative, I'm OK with any of that) is to make the indicator light when it's on. The bulb will draw milliamps. In other words, the switch is just a momentary switch connecting 2 terminals together for the horn to work with another connection for a ground to light that little lamp in the switch. You probably don't need the relay at all, but if you think you do because the horn current rating exceeds that of the switch then the relay needs 0V on one side of the coil, and a 12V feed from the switch on the other coil side of the relay. Then the relay contacts act as a switch, just passing 12V when the relay is energised (Like the switch could do on it's own..) Measuring a switch with a neon or bulb or even an LED indicator with a basic multimeter can cause confusion to anyone. In an ideal world 2 of the terminals will show Inf and 0 when turned off and on, the other terminal should show a few ohms (the bulb in the switch) either all the time, or when the switch is on depending which of the main switch contacts you are measuring through. I wish I could post a diagram :-)

[@GadgetUK164]

Yay, back with the boat!!!

[@Mymatevince]

Cheers Chris👌

[@simonwilson8769]

Love the wine glass holder

[@stuartbrooks5734]

it is quite common that devices on boats exceed the current limit of the switches so they add relays but then people come in and decide to add things on to circuits and think it is ok to just increase the rating on the fuse on that circuit to allow for the extra drain but sadly those that add on usually tap into the wrong place and reading other comments some horns do have quite a high drain and yes usually would not need a relay but you dont know what has been added and without knowing the drain from the horn and the current rating on the switch you cant simply remove the relay I really enjoy seeing the things you do and your thought processes and logical decisions and that works great until you start work on a circuit that people who dont understand electrics have put taps on it. I am an auto electrician but I am very impressed with how you work through repairs but personally when working on electrics it is always important to identify what changes have been done and also identify any effects it has had the only advice I can give on boats and cars is power and grounds it always work for me I hope it helps mate

[@digihorse6730]

Vince I think this is a bit bigger than a Tea Time fix. That loose Grey/Blue wire hanging is part of the All Round Lights according to your first wiring diagram. This needs the dash taken out and each circuit rewired one by one. I’m pretty sure the original circuit ( as shown in wiring diagram) was switching +ve 12 v to the horn with -ve being connected to a fixed battery -ve point. Probably a bigger horn was added (might be the one that’s there now or maybe not), however that horn had a bigger current draw. Hence the larger fitted fuse, however I doubt the switch was rated for the higher current (or they were worried it would fail). So they used the switch (low current ) to turn on a relay coil then used a +ve feed too the horn and switched the -ve side of the horn through the relay contact to battery -ve. I think doing what you are now doing may still be switching the negative side. If you are, that would not be good in my opinion, I would suggest as it is it leaves +ve permanently present on the horn, which could short or (leak) current either blowing the fuse, or possibly flattening the battery. I could be wrong. But I would measure the horn current and then either rewire to route direct through the dash switch, to the horn. Or rewire to switch +ve to the relay coil with the horn then fed through the relay contacts. The -ve of the horn and coil going to a battery -ve point. Hope this makes sense, it sounds great in my head. :). If not shout.

[@pmyhill]

Wow, that existing wiring loom looks horrendous !! Guessing there's plenty more videos to come 😂👍

[@sargentmaxis]

i love you video's i wish i had you as my dad

[@coolissimo69]

Nice another video about the boat.

[@colinsmith6280]

the wiring to the horn , you put one direct negative earth to the horn and the negitive side of the switch , next the live wire from the fuse block to the positive side of the switch then the postive switched terminal on the switch you put a wire to the other terminal or postive side of the horn making a curcuit . dump the relay The live wire or postive is the only wire which is controlled by the switch . The red light in the switch is on the same curcuit as the switched live connection meaning it will only light up when the switch is turned on .

[@craigtw1984]

well done Vince! 😃

[@MrJDNJ]

I didn't know boats came with Wine Glass Holders.

[@andyo1872]

What a great job !

[@bobbybailey9204]

very good boat great channel great fix

[@markmurphy3578]

I think I’d change the chock block for either Wago’s or another lever wire connector. They do some good options in both screwfix or toolstation.

[@frozerinosrepairs]

A few years later : SATELLITE IS NOT WORKING - Can We Fix it ?

[@LITTLEEXPERIMENTCHANNEL1]

🤣👌

[@Halo786]

Can Vince fix it? Yes he can!

[@M4CHINE69]

No, few years later: can we fix the intercom on a plane

[@mclaren16v]

Cars, boats and next an airplane. Vince can do it all!!

[@mrflibble5311]

I'm an electrician by trade but like yourself I've done nearly everything . I reckon the only reason for the relay there is if they were driving something else besides the horn off that switch , ie the lights flashed when you blew the horn ( which might be too many amps for the switch , hence the relay) . Whenever I work on boats or mobile homes I always solder the joints and use heat shrink. I've seen some horrible connections with scotch lock things and spade connectors . Well done Vince , keep up the good work

[@sargentmaxis]

i love the boat vieds when new car vied

[@Dg-zj6jo]

brilliant as always sir cant wait for more rolls royce fixes im try to get an old bentley r 1952

[@fosterb247]

Thanks

[@Mymatevince]

Thank you so much 👍👍👍👍

[@DEmma1972]

Looks a bit neater. LOL at the wineglass holder

[@Hogwarts.Failure]

Those automotive relays are very simple and are used for high amp loads like horns, Heaters etc. so you won't fry the switch. The relay has 2 terminals for activating the coil, ground and power from the switch. (the switch activates the relay) Ground goes straight to the horn Battery power to 1 of the switching terminals on the relay, and the other switching terminal to the positive of the horn.

[@marcellipovsky8222]

There are so many definitions for Honk in the urban dictionary 😀

[@jean-pierrescherer8250]

Hello from Seattle, Great Job Troubleshooting!!!!! I would have advised the owner to get a real horn, this one sounds like the blinkers in my Landy LOL

[@regallee]

There's no need for the relay it's been used in the past to power some accessories. The switch only needs to switch the live the natural in the switch is just to light the bulb/led.

[@TheModelator]

The horn has a low current draw. ie a 10a fuse and does not need a relay. Possibility is that air horns were fitted ie 30-40a which needs a relay. For unknown reasons the airhorn pump has been cut out of the harness. great that you found connections to bring iy alive once more.

[@zierlyn]

It looks to me that either: - The horn switch may have been used to turn something off whenever the horn was used (whatever the leftover brown wire was feeding) - There was a horn override that locked out the horn switch that has been removed. - There was a backup power for the horn so that it could still be used if the main batteries were dead It all depends on what kind of relay that is and how it's wired.

[@hervegabet]

vince the multi purpose fixer

[@thorhammer6040]

2:10 - Current has to flow through the switch through the output to ground before the light will come on. only two wires on switch so no independent ground for the light.

[@wisher21uk]

It all looks a bit Heath Robinson under the dash Vince, lucky nothing has burnt out yet Good fix though 😊

[@Jeff121456]

Using screw type connectors in a marine environment is asking for trouble. Inevitable corrosion will reduce the diameter of the wires in the connectors thus loosening them. You should use a spring type connector that can conform to a reducing wire diameter or spade connectors ( but only if properly crimped).

[@pikricky]

The dreaded Scotchlock connector,as a retired Motor Mechanic I came across those regularly in the 70's,car owners fitting their own electrical accessories radios,spotlights,guages etc,a nightmare at times as they had no clue about fuse sizes and it always caused problems,they just looked for a 12 volt supply and pressed one of these on with pliers

[@Timothycan]

Good fix of someone else's bodging! I suppose the thing to do now is either to wire everything as per the diagram, or amend the diagram to show your modifications.

[@richardkhedges]

I kept hearing a horn throughout the day today ... I guess now I know where it was coming from! ;)

[@solveit1304]

That connections look way better now! To be honest - I quite enjoy boat repair videos. Hope you guys find something broken so more nice content will pop up. Cheers!

[@realjax]

what's with the strategically placed wine glass?

[@lloydpenfold486]

The switch needed a -ve wire for the light in it, no other reason. The diagram shows no relay, so perhaps a previous owner (the one responsible for the dog's breakfast of wrong coloured wires under the dash) had a larger horn (or a pair of wind-tones) which drew more current. I don't think the relay is required - its just something else to go wrong. Feeding something else from the horn feed, needing a larger fuse is a no-no, the wires are not rated for the heavier load and are a fire risk.

[@paulstaf]

The previous owner probably had a louder more powerful horn and they installed the relay for the increased power so as not to burn out the switch.

[@beavis6363]

(and note, 30 amp fuse)

[@Random_4400]

epic!

[@BuyitFixit]

Great job Vince. The wiring looks a bit of a mess. Good detective work. No Milwaukee light???

[@Mymatevince]

No Mick, it was left in the Rolls😂 I was ill prepared for this fix👍👍

[@BuyitFixit]

@@Mymatevince For a moment I thought you had defected to the Dewalt crowd 😂😂😂😂

[@Mymatevince]

@@BuyitFixit Haha, NEVER😂👍

[@Scotty_in_Ohio]

The only "mistake" was not having wine in that glass next to the fire extinguisher ;-) other than that perfect!

[@Lucasbird47]

BOAT BRRRRRRRRRR

[@CTCTraining1]

I’d probably recommend getting a plastic strip printing dymo machine or similar. Not sure how long paper labels will survive ... then again boats can be a here-today gone-tomorrow type of thing. 😀👍

[@Bill-Phuk]

Horns don't pull much current, that relay is from an aftermarket installation. The schematic shows no relay. I'd personally ditch it, as it could lead to a whole combination of future failures.

[@RickyRisnandar]

vince, i think a test light is a better tool for job like this

[@photoshopman1972]

Maybe if you could get an test light for things like this, it could help out some. You can do quite a bit of checks with that one simple tool. Just a suggestion. Good job!

[@godmonkeyjr]

As a mechanic I've spent far too much money on a Power Probe and the countless accessories and still use my $2 test light far more often! Lol

[@RickyRisnandar]

couldn't agree more

[@photoshopman1972]

@@godmonkeyjr I do use the power probe more and more recently however the simple “scope on a rope” can do quite a lot on it’s own. In the video here where Mr Vince was struggling to prove out the circuit because how boat electrical is done, the power probe may have been more of a benefit because it needs to be connected to a power and ground ans can deliver either to the end to check for certain things. But first things first though, if he would get a circuit tester and get the basics of it down, when he goes to check other vehicular circuits, it could help him save some frustration.

[@TechGorilla1987]

@3:36 - Brian mate. You must at least have batteries in your meter. There is nothing worse than owning a helpful tool that's broken or faulty. You own a boat now, mate. Time for a meter.

[@ralphj4012]

Well sorted. Not standard, you're not kidding, the wiring diagram shows different wire colours, appears not to show the relay (something from a previous add-in bodge) and not the toggle switch light either (diagram possibly for a different boat). I expect / hope you tidied up the dangerous-looking mess at 2:46. You may not need the relay, but that is a big may not.

[@dodgydruid]

On my boat, I had two horns, one high tone one low town and it had a standard Lucas 3 way toggle and you did your horns like a BR train driver, dunno if a modern boat would have had that.

[@abdulhkeem.alhadhrami]

Boat fixing has been added to Vince's resume!

[@MrSausageT]

Do you need the relay? I was thinking that the previous owner had some air horns that we’re removed quickly before the sale

[@mrjsv4935]

Nice repair, that's probably the biggest difference between cars and boats that the boat is fiberglass instead of metal, and therefore the body cannot be used as a ground :D Well, besides the obvious major difference between boars and cars :D

[@aquatics117]

Hi Vince not watched the video yet so you might of already said this, but I will forget to ask if I don't ask now! Do boats have to pass a test similar to an MOT?

[@Shinare73]

I'm with everyone else here. It seems to me the relay was added to power a more powerful horn that Drew more amps in order to not blow the switch. I don't think you need the relay at all and should remove it.

[@bryanobrien2726]

Since it's a momentary switch the switch light isn't much use other than uniformity .

[@bryanobrien2726]

I guess if a person was deaf the switch light would be somewhat useful .

[@Mrfort]

A boat and a rolls royce eh!

[@georgetrynamakeajug]

IS DEWALT A HOUSEHOLD BRAND IN UK.. VERY CURIOUS ..LOVE THE VIDS CHEERS FROM U.S.A

[@sprint955st]

I’m certain you can get rid of the relay

[@guitchess]

I've always found it funny that folks will attempt electronics work on boats and RVs(caravans), but wouldn't consider it on their cars. I've seen very few that didn't have similar hacked wiring.

[@carlosmartos9241]

Hey Vince, ive seen that type of wiring and relay before….looks like they had some air horns wired in and then just stripped them out. You can remove the relay and just wire back to factory! Great vids buddy

[@brendonelton]

👍

[@cheapasstech]

Relays are used when the switch rating is too low - arcing will weld the switch shut … this is definitely strange for a horn … Get yourself some snap in wago connector blocks which are better than the screw in blocks - you need wiring ends to be crimped anyway

[@pikeplace187]

Where can I get a My Mate Vince car horn?

[@DamdamF]

I believe the reason you've got two browns on your switch is one for the horn itself and one for the light , just like a switch for a cellar light at home with a small light to remind you if it's on or off

[@ErrorMessageNotFound]

They probably added a second, louder horn and later removed it.

[@VikasGupta-bx5qv]

Was the relay necessary or only there due to the fact that something else was wired in previously?

[@mickeyripper6976]

Eg. The switch has a lower amp rating (3amp) than the horn requires to operate (10amp), the switch powers the relay coil (

[@highpath4776]

Looke like a use of domestic house wiring. And I thought Lucas looms were bad

[@michaelthomas3646]

thinking the holes in the dashboard of the boat, looks like a smoking lighter socket, but then trying to figure out why you would want 4 screw holes type size holes. thinking about it, it could possibly be a clock that is missing as the holes would be right for that. or a tacho, or speedo. but my main guess would be a clock, as be the most obvious. but even that would be a 5 - 10 amp fues. a smoking lighter wouldn't be a 30 amp, and the other two guages wouldn't be that high either, so there must be something high current needed for a 30 amp like something in the living compartment like a microwave or kettle or something to need a 30 amp fuse, otherwise there shouldn't ever need to be more than 15-20 amp.

[@michaelthomas3646]

but full beam on a car is around 30 amp, but can't imagine wanting to do full beam of a light while sounding the horn, you would kind of want and need them on a different circuit if a highbeam light was fitted to the boat. and if that was the case, then you would take a feed from a circuit that has the nearest amp fuse, as even though increasing a fuse isn't majorly important in the short term, a long term impact is it sends too much current and wears things like a horn out sooner, not to mention heats up the wiring to dangerous levels if the wiring isn't meant for high current.

[@michaelthomas3646]

like you would want to get wiring that is capable of 5 amps more than the fuse it is fitted to as a general rule of thumb. so the the wiring doesn't overheat. and if replacing a fuse it should not be more than 5 amps than the circuit says it should be, until you can replace it with the proper sized fuse, like when you get to shore in the boats case, never leaving a fuse in that will allow too much current to flow.

[@LogiForce86]

I think I would just make a completely new loom for that boat looking at that mess of messed up wires and damaged wires. 😅

[@-CLASSIFIED-]

that relay is completely un-needed. you can just use the switch to ground out to activate the horn

[@Popeyes66]

What is the name of that boat. ' Inferno ' ?

[@Chr.U.Cas2216]

👍👌👏 Uuuuh, this looks like a no good cable rats nest or, as we say in Germany, cable salad. Before using the boat and maybe having a failure while being on the water, your friend should better let clear you up this electric mess. Thanks a lot for making teaching explaining recording editing uploading and sharing. Best regards luck and health to all of you.

[@steves-gaming-uk8977]

That's looks like a fire waiting to happen what a mess of cables not sure how it's passed its boat ticket

[@haactgaming9687]

I had to pause the video because I didn’t know if the geese were here or there! You did a fantastic job with what you had!

[@sinbrad]

By the looks of the damage around the horn switch someone else has had a go at something. Would maybe have been better to strip everything out and put it back to stock? Oh, and nautical term is bulkhead not wall 🙄

[@steverhenius6734]

Leave a diagram to show new wiring. Don’t forget to finalise colour coding and tidy up!

[@custommadeknives]

at this point i think the rolls royce would make a decent boat haha class video again vince

[@mickeyripper6976]

Or anchor.

[@TheSkaldenmettrunk]

He's doing it again! Fixing boats.. or at least a horn.

[@AttilaTheHun333333]

What a mess the wiring is under there…would trigger my OCD very badly. 😅

[@GertrudeFilthbasket]

was the relay necessary, or remains from the aftermarket equipment? the wiring diagram had just the switch. 1:19 couldn't see the whole path though. couldn't you just run the voltage through the switch, and remove the relay?

[@Tokaisho1]

Switches wont last as long as it's better for higher current to go through the relay instead

[@GertrudeFilthbasket]

@@Tokaisho1 it's a horn

[@zierlyn]

Both Tokaisho and Gertrude are correct. The highest amperage draw I can find for a 12V horn online is 8A, and that's for a much larger horn than what they've got. So while the logic of reducing current through a switch isn't a bad idea, it's not that high of a draw.

[@NatureOkie]

Careful! Two blasts means, "I'm backing up!"

[@adelestevens]

Rewired a little canal cruiser I had a few year back...it must've been done by the same electrician as your mates! Best thing to do...take a few days and rewire the lot , you'll feel better and safer having sorted the "rats nest" out. Lol

[@DG-mi2mc]

Such a shame people start to work on electrics while they have no idea 1 what they are doing and 2 how dangerous it can be. Just cutting wires and letting them hang loose is something that makes my toes curl 😆 None the less, neat job Vince. As it should be👌

[@jimmythecricket25]

Anyone have a bit of sauce for this spaghetti? 😆

[@MikeJones-xi8bg]

It was probably an air horn I know I had to do that on my car

[@FredFraggadelic]

thats a hot mess. what did they do to the poor boat? Honestly i think you should restore the wiring the way it was supposed to be and then find out what the hell is going one with whatever is left.

[@wolfymaceastern6072]

vince that relay isnt connected thats been put on to run something else the horn is connected straight to switch delete the relay reaplace wires straight to switch

[@andymouse]

Great work ! if you find the specs on the horn and switch (current rating) you might find you don't need the relay....cheers.

[@XENON2028]

whats a boat horn

[@jesuslovesyou5819]

You just need to re-wire the whole boat

[@daz41262010]

great repair :) I think when said boat is complete and rolls is complete it would be fun to see the boat getting towed by the rolls lol :)

[@ditch21]

Hey Vince! That relay is not necessary to sound the factory horn. It was probably added to power a after-market pneumatic horn motor that has since been removed. That being said it can stay in place the way you have it wired now. In the future if it causes problems just remove the relay all together. Cheers!