How-To: Cute classic horn not loud enough? Have BOTH!

[Audiomechanic]

Want a cute classic Beetle horn but they're just not loud enough? Want a nice loud horn but they're just not cute???

HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO with this nifty How-To!

In this how to, I explain and show you how to wire in a toggle switch and run a new wire so that you can switch between the cute horn and the loud one! OMGLOL!!!

Materials you'll need:
- Classic Beetle Horn
- Loud horn of choice (I chose a Stebel Nautilus 139dB air horn)
- ON-ON Toggle switch of choice (I chose a small round one)
- Connectors (outlined below)
- wire (16ga minimum)
- Crimp-couplers
- Zip ties

Tools you'll need:
- T20 Torx screwdriver
- Phillips screw driver
- small flat head screw driver (in case you need to pry something)
- wire strippers/crimpers
- Drill (for drilling the hole in the dash for the switch)
- Socket set
- Jack
- Hernia medication

Start by jacking up the front driver's side of the car in the air. Remove the driver's side front wheel.



Next remove the wheel well liner. It is held in place by many T20 torx screws. NOTE: there is a hidden torx screw up next to the shock tower at the top.


Horn location (the Classic Beetle horn is installed currently):



Next remove the stock horns. Use a pair of jumper wires to temporarily connect your new horns to make sure they work before spending 4 hours on this project.



If they do, then it's time to tear stuff apart! YAY!

Remove the air box under the hood. This will give you access to the grommet in the firewall that you will run the new wire through.

Next, open the driver's door, remove the fuse panel door, fuse panel trim, and using you T20 torx, remove the lower dash panel. You may need to loosen and pull out the center dash section to allow the lower dash panel to come out. There are 6 screws holding it in place. Two on the side by the fuse panel, 3 under the steering column, and one under the center dash section behind a plastic cover (above the cup holders).

Once this is removed, remove the metal panel behind the lower dash piece. Then remove the panel above the pedals. You should have a pretty good view of everything behind there now. What we're after is the relay panel behind everything. Here's what your poor poor interior should look like:


NOTE: If you're not scratching up all that plastic dash paint while removing everything, than I say you're doing it wrong...and I hate you.

Moving on, there are two nuts holding the relay panel in place. Remove them and gently pull the relay panel out. It's in 2 pieces. The lower section is where the horn relay lives. Shown here:



Coming out of the back of the lower relay panel should be a yellow/black wire. That's the horn power wire. That's what you want. Remove the connector that the yellow/black wire is coming out of from the relay panel (remember that small flat head screw driver?). Shown here:



Once that's off, cut the wire about in the middle between the connector and where it enters the wiring harness. Crimp on jumper wires to the two ends of yellow/black wire. Make sure they're long enough since you're likely to experiment with switch placement. I made mine about 2 feet long.


The other 1/2 of the yellow/black wire:



The wire from the relay will connect to the center pin of your toggle switch (feed) and the other 1/2 of the yellow/black to one of the other pins. This will allow power to flow through the original wiring harness when that position on the switch is selected and the horn is pressed.

It's time to run the new cable.

Make sure your new wire is long enough. ~10ft should get the job done with slack to spare. Run the wire behind the pedals and out of the way.

Locate the firewall grommet above the gas pedal:



Gently push that grommet outward into the engine bay and hope and pray to Osama Bin La......nevermind....just hope that you don't loose it. Mine fell under the car.

Run your new wire through there and retrieve it under the hood. Run it along the firewall and then down the driver's side of the engine bay, keeping it out of the way as best you can.




Take this opportunity to check on the dog...



Pin attach connectors to all three of the wires under the dash so they can be attached to the switch. Attached the wires to the switch.



Now is the nerve racking part. Drilling a hole into your perfectly cracking, painted, crayon smelling, chipping, scratched, cheaply made piece of German plastic that is the lower dash panel (or where ever you choose to mount it). I really don't have suggestions here on how to find the perfect spot, other than pick one that is comfortable to you, but that also has enough room behind it for the rear of the switch that will stick through. I chose the place I did on the lower dash because it had space behind it.

Drill your hole and press your switch into place.



Next, test fit your panel to make sure the switch doesn't hit anything behind it. Now would be the appropriate time to cuss if you messed this up.



Connect your horns under the car temporarily to their respective connections. I used the stock wiring harness for the Classic Beetle horn and the new wire for the Stebel air horn. Remember: the yellow/black is +12V positive. The orange (or brown) wire on the horn's connector is ground. You may use this (I did) or create a new ground. Your choice. It's also your choice if you do not want to cut the connectors for the stock horns off. I cut one off to use for the Stebel (ground) but kept the other in place and use connector pins instead.

Test your new assembly and make sure both horns work when the switch is put in the correct position.

Now, creatively mount your two new horns. I had to bend the stock horn mounting bracket to allow the Stebel's horn mouth to point toward the ground.




Once all connections are made, clean up the wiring and retest to make sure it works (and to finish pissing off the neighbors). Put everything back together and enjoy your new horns!

Here's a video I made of the horns. My camera mic doesn't do the Stebel justice in the vid but it's almost painful.

[MiG]

HAHAHAH
That S.O.B. is loud
Great work dude! Nice job!!!

[Audiomechanic]

Thanks! Hope this will help someone.

[akasha1963]

Awesome. Great DIY.

[IndyTom]

Hey, that is a great way of eating your cake and having it too. I just got rid of my stock horns on my '00 1.8T Beetle. The dealer wants over 200 bucks for the stock horns that sound like crap. So I went to Autozone and got the Wolo Bad Boy compact airhorn which basically is the same as the Stiebel horn. After fabricating a custom L-Shape bracket (Very similar to yours) I connected the horn to one of the stock wires and tapped up the second set. Now I got a horn that can be heard and in my opinion does the Beetle justice. I do like your idea of having the cute horn and the mean horn. That is very clever! I just don't think I could ever switch fast enough to make it sound louder plus when I honk my horn it usually is because some A$$wipe deserves to be honked at and that cutsie little horn won't cut it. So if I honk it will be be mean and loud all the way I was thinking of putting 2 Wolo's in there but I think that would be overkill

[Audiomechanic]

Originally Posted by akasha1963

Awesome. Great DIY.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by IndyTom

Hey, that is a great way of eating your cake and having it too. I just got rid of my stock horns on my '00 1.8T Beetle. The dealer wants over 200 bucks for the stock horns that sound like crap. So I went to Autozone and got the Wolo Bad Boy compact airhorn which basically is the same as the Stiebel horn. After fabricating a custom L-Shape bracket (Very similar to yours) I connected the horn to one of the stock wires and tapped up the second set. Now I got a horn that can be heard and in my opinion does the Beetle justice. I do like your idea of having the cute horn and the mean horn. That is very clever! I just don't think I could ever switch fast enough to make it sound louder plus when I honk my horn it usually is because some A$$wipe deserves to be honked at and that cutsie little horn won't cut it. So if I honk it will be be mean and loud all the way I was thinking of putting 2 Wolo's in there but I think that would be overkill

Thanks! My wife just leaves the switch in the loud position. I used it this morning to "toot" at a neighbor and then flipped it back to the loud position.

[IndyTom]

So your Beetle has a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Herbie Personality

[Audiomechanic]

Indeed. It's a 1.8T 5-speed so it's more Mr. Herbie, but THEY don't have to know that.

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by Audiomechanic

Indeed. It's a 1.8T 5-speed so it's more Mr. Herbie, but THEY don't have to know that.

Yup, so is mine and that little 1.8 has some hidden potential especially with an APR tune. It really wakes it up and the increases in torque and HP are amazing. It's like the real Herbie and it doesn't say "I think I can, I think I can... but instead it now says" I know I can, I know I can.. Bye, Bye Honda.. Have a good look at my tail-lights

[Audiomechanic]

Originally Posted by IndyTom

...especially with an APR tune.

Do want.

[IndyTom]

Another option is the REVO Technik Tune. I had it on my 2 previous Audi TT 225's and it made a heck of a difference. It was actually the only mod that made you feel that it was all worth it. You could feel the difference. I was going to go APR but they don't have a direct port tune for the 150hp 1.8T but REVO does. They claim and increase from 150hp to 207hp and from 163lbs of torque to 234lbs of torque. Now that is impressive. I am going for a test tune tomorrow. They just had a 100 dollar off Spring Sale that expired. I will see if I can talk the owner of the shop into giving me at least 50 bucks off on the tune. Also REVO just dropped their prices on all 1.8T engines from 499 to 399 for the Stage 1 tune. I will find out if I can feel the difference tomorrow.

[Audiomechanic]

I hate you. I hate you with the passion of a thousand 2-year-olds throwing tantrums. I hate you with the fiery blaze of a thousand suns. I hate you with a jealous rage unmatched by ten-thousand wives scorned.


































































...and I hope your Beetle is fastashell after the tune.




(I really don't hate you)

[IndyTom]

Oh Nooo, the Green Eyed Monster has struck.. There is only one remedy. Get a tune yourself

Not hoping to turn Herbie into a Ferrari just get a little more speed out of him to give my brothers ugly Passat a run for the money

[Audiomechanic]

LOL

You better post an update with your findings. If you don't, I will hunt you down, find you, and smother you with mayonase (then put it on youtube).