City/Highway Horn

[Madrona]

2003 Itasca Horizon DP. I've got the horn switch set to Highway. When I use the horn I get just a slight "city horn" beep before the air horns kick in. Doesn't seem right. Do others have the same response to the horn button?

It bothers me but it's also somewhat helpful. If I just want to give someone a little "toot" I can tap the horn button quickly and the air horns don't sound, just the city horn. Kinda handy but I don't think it should be this way.

[Jerry J]

I have an air horn switch that has on or off, probably the same as yours. The regular (city) horn is like a car horn when my air horn switch is off and when the switch is on the air horn and the regular horn blow the same, or almost the same time. I believe what you have is normal.

[stik]

Concur with JerryJ. Electricity (city horn) travels at the speed of light, air, not quite so fast, so there will be a slightly perceptible lag.

[lajuene]

I've been thinking of maybe installing a switch so I can turn off the car horn and run the air horn alone. not sure it would work but it sounds like it might. That way the car horn would be silent when using the air horn.

[MaverickBBD]

We turn off the air horn and use the city horn to communicate driver to parker, usually DW. Three taps I'm backing, two forward, one stop. We learned this in the F.D. and it works well for us. Once out on the road it is air horn on. I figure if I have to use the horn I am making as much noise as possible. That includes screaming obscenities. If I don't want to use the air horn, I found I can not depress the horn bar too far I can use only the city horn. Like for a thank you when someone lets me pass.

[Falcon190]

I'd like to be able to shut off the "city horn" as well. Seems simple enough to do. Like said, the lag is the air pressure building up. But it just sounds "wimpy" when the regular horn blows before the air horn, right?

But regardless, it's sure fun to scare the crap outa those idiots on the on-ramps that either don't notice me till the last second, or that try and out run me! :-)

[Journey39n]

I like the idea of using the car horn for communicating, sometimes need to get the attention of my 'parking attendant' who starts talking to a neighbor, before we are parked.

My switch is either car or air, not both.

I use the horn very infrequently, usually in on-ramp close calls, and people in cars who cut in front and think I only need 10 feet between them and me. So I usually leave it in air horn mode.

[Madrona]

Thanks, everyone, for your help and confirmations. Sounds like it is completely normal for the horn system to sound the city horn slightly before the air horns. I agree, it sounds "wimpy" but at least now I know it's a "normal" wimpy!

[doorguy]

I couldn't stand the city horn sound with the air horn so I pulled the wire off the wimpy city horn. If I need to use the air horn, chances are it is for something which needs to make a statement and get some attention. If I had my way, I would install a train horn in the front to REALLY get attention; I haven't ruled that out yet.

[Wizard]

I too just pulled the wire off the city horn. If i need to blow the horn, I want everyone to hear it.