[Zanity]

So my horns turned into clown horn couple weeks ago, I ordered universal horns both low / high tone on amazon and put them in today. All youtube video showed the process with the wheels taken off, I'm too lazy so I did it with the wheels on. Ample room actually. First I have to apologize, the pictures are kinda crappy coz it was a pain in the ass to work on to begin with, so I forgot to take more pics in the process but I'll list the process below:

Step 1: Take your new horns, and strip some wires, crimp it to new connectors, insert it on the new horns terminals and pull for tightness test. (pic 1)

Step 2: Turn on the car, and turn your wheels fully locked to one side. I found when the wheels are facing outward, there's more room than facing inward.

Step 3: Disconnect negative terminal on battery. Because I'm not using the cheap flimsy OEM horns, the connections have to be cut and rewired, so to avoid shorting out the battery while cutting wires, I just disconnect it to be safe.

Step 4: There's about ten 8mm screws on the front flap to take off, they are in front of the wheel, can't miss em. (pic 3)

Step 5: you need to take off a 1/2" nut securing the horn on the bracket. Don't drop the socket, I did and it some how rolled to the middle inside the bumper, what a pain in the ass to get that out, then unplug the OEM connector by pressing the top locking mechanism and pull. (pic 2)

Step 6: Look at how cheap and tiny the OEM horns are, no wonder they only last 3 years (pic 4 & 5)

Step 7: Cut the wires just behind the OEM plug and strip to about 1.5 cm, use twist on electrical marrets to tie the wires from the new horn onto the stock wires, you can pick which wires to connect, it doesn't matter because there is no voltage polarity for the horn.

Step 8: Cover all exposed terminals with electrical tape on the new horn, mount the new horn, tighten the 1/2" bracket nut, my new horns were quite a bit bigger than the stock ones, so I had to bend the bracket slightly for fitment, you may need to do that too, the bracket can be bent by hand, no tools required, then tighten all 8mm screws back for the front cover. Repeat on the other front wheel. Stock low tone horn is on the left front wheel and high tone is on the right front wheel (when looking forward inside the car)

My wife says the horn is too loud now, well, it's not for her anyway.

[328iX]

I need to do this,

[Zanity]

Originally Posted by 328dX

I need to do this,

It took about 2 hours total, from prep to finish. Mainly because of my dumb mistake of dropping the socket into the bumper.

[328iX]

Originally Posted by Zanity

It took about 2 hours total, from prep to finish. Mainly because of my dumb mistake of dropping the socket into the bumper.

I'm just going to buy the BMW horn so it's just plug and play. also i'll remove the wheel because it takes 5 seconds haha

[vooonoo]

Originally Posted by Zanity

It took about 2 hours total, from prep to finish. Mainly because of my dumb mistake of dropping the socket into the bumper.

I did the same thing lol lost a 13mm

[Zanity]

Originally Posted by 328dX

I'm just going to buy the BMW horn so it's just plug and play. also i'll remove the wheel because it takes 5 seconds haha

You must teach me how to jack the car and take the wheel off in 5 seconds at home lol

[Zanity]

Originally Posted by vooonoo

I did the same thing lol lost a 13mm

I'm guessing it happens often to people lol

[328iX]

Originally Posted by Zanity

You must teach me how to jack the car and take the wheel off in 5 seconds at home lol

floor jack, place under jack point, jack it up just enough so the wheel isn't touching the ground, electric impact on the lugs, can't possibly take more than a minute.

no need for jack stands in this case because you would not be under the car

[Fliplegend]

Unless you have one of these at home, it's going to be slightly longer than 5 seconds to remove a wheel.



But seriously, doesn't matter which wire connects to the brown one? I had Hella Super Tones on my old subaru and I'm considering it for the F30.

[Zanity]

Originally Posted by Fliplegend

Unless you have one of these at home, it's going to be slightly longer than 5 seconds to remove a wheel.

But seriously, doesn't matter which wire connects to the brown one? I had Hella Super Tones on my old subaru and I'm considering it for the F30.

Wouldn't it be funny if he got a Le-mans pit crew and records a 5 second tire off video at his home.

But yes, it doesn't matter which wire connects to the brown, for my low and high tone horns, I purposely connected opposite terminals to brown just to confirm. It made no difference, both horns now super loud. If your Hella horns has a + and - label on the terminals, then I would still put the positive to the half white half blue and negative to brown, just to do what its shown, otherwise it shouldn't matter.

[IK6SPEED]

Originally Posted by Zanity

So my horns turned into clown horn couple weeks ago, I ordered universal horns both low / high tone on amazon and put them in today. All youtube video showed the process with the wheels taken off, I'm too lazy so I did it with the wheels on. Ample room actually. First I have to apologize, the pictures are kinda crappy coz it was a pain in the ass to work on to begin with, so I forgot to take more pics in the process but I'll list the process below:

Step 1: Take your new horns, and strip some wires, crimp it to new connectors, insert it on the new horns terminals and pull for tightness test. (pic 1)

Step 2: Turn on the car, and turn your wheels fully locked to one side. I found when the wheels are facing outward, there's more room than facing inward.

Step 3: Disconnect negative terminal on battery. Because I'm not using the cheap flimsy OEM horns, the connections have to be cut and rewired, so to avoid shorting out the battery while cutting wires, I just disconnect it to be safe.

Step 4: There's about ten 8mm screws on the front flap to take off, they are in front of the wheel, can't miss em. (pic 3)

Step 5: you need to take off a 1/2" nut securing the horn on the bracket. Don't drop the socket, I did and it some how rolled to the middle inside the bumper, what a pain in the ass to get that out, then unplug the OEM connector by pressing the top locking mechanism and pull. (pic 2)

Step 6: Look at how cheap and tiny the OEM horns are, no wonder they only last 3 years (pic 4 & 5)

Step 7: Cut the wires just behind the OEM plug and strip to about 1.5 cm, use twist on electrical marrets to tie the wires from the new horn onto the stock wires, you can pick which wires to connect, it doesn't matter because there is no voltage polarity for the horn.

Step 8: Cover all exposed terminals with electrical tape on the new horn, mount the new horn, tighten the 1/2" bracket nut, my new horns were quite a bit bigger than the stock ones, so I had to bend the bracket slightly for fitment, you may need to do that too, the bracket can be bent by hand, no tools required, then tighten all 8mm screws back for the front cover. Repeat on the other front wheel. Stock low tone horn is on the left front wheel and high tone is on the right front wheel (when looking forward inside the car)

My wife says the horn is too loud now, well, it's not for her anyway.

I am actually considering replacing mine with a 150db compressed air horn.

[ogichicago]

I replaced both horns on my car few days ago. It's really easy job. The only thing is that horns are really expensive. $200 for both at the dealership here in Chicago. At the dealership they wanted to charge me at least 2 hrs of labor, which comes $360. Good thing I've done it myself

[Zanity]

Originally Posted by IK6SPEED

I am actually considering replacing mine with a 150db compressed air horn.

Do a video of using the air horn if you put it in lol.

Originally Posted by ogichicago

I replaced both horns on my car few days ago. It's really easy job. The only thing is that horns are really expensive. $200 for both at the dealership here in Chicago. At the dealership they wanted to charge me at least 2 hrs of labor, which comes $360. Good thing I've done it myself

That's insane, but not surprising. Anything dealer related cost nearly 10 times more than DIY. I spent $24 total for buying low and high tone horns, and these are better quality than the OEM junk horns that won't last.

[mecheng77]

Originally Posted by Zanity

Do a video of using the air horn if you put it in lol.

That's insane, but not surprising. Anything dealer related cost nearly 10 times more than DIY. I spent $24 total for buying low and high tone horns, and these are better quality than the OEM junk horns that won't last.

Don't forget to register the horns!

[Zanity]

Originally Posted by mecheng77

Don't forget to register the horns!

what do you mean? I know battery needs to be registered with ecu after replacement, never heard of registering horns. They work perfectly right now, I used it on a sleeping right turn women yesterday, people from half a block away looked back, loud as it gets

[mecheng77]

Originally Posted by Zanity

what do you mean? I know battery needs to be registered with ecu after replacement, never heard of registering horns. They work perfectly right now, I used it on a sleeping right turn women yesterday, people from half a block away looked back, loud as it gets

It was a joke :

[mecheng77]

Originally Posted by Zanity

what do you mean? I know battery needs to be registered with ecu after replacement, never heard of registering horns. They work perfectly right now, I used it on a sleeping right turn women yesterday, people from half a block away looked back, loud as it gets

It was a joke :

[Zanity]

Originally Posted by mecheng77

It was a joke :

Would be funny if I went through my BimmerLink menus looking for the horn register lol.

[Gen13 F36]

Is it possible to buy the bmw connector on the horn and not cut and splice wires... I don't feel like cutting the wires.

[IAmATeaf]

The connector from the old horn does look like it might fit the new? But no idea how the old can be removed, it does look like it’s rivetted so if you could get it off you might be able to solder it to the new.

[sspade]

Originally Posted by IK6SPEED

I am actually considering replacing mine with a 150db compressed air horn.

Same here... or something very similar. One without a massive compressor (lower db?)

Any idea of the easiest and cleanest way to install on the F30?

https://www.amazon.com/150DB-Super-T.../dp/B07L9LPF78

[IK6SPEED]

Originally Posted by sspade

Same here... or something very similar. One without a massive compressor (lower db?)

Any idea of the easiest and cleanest way to install on the F30?

https://www.amazon.com/150DB-Super-T.../dp/B07L9LPF78

Search aliexpress for "air horns"