Car Horn Mechanism: Polarity and Relay [All You Need To Know]

There are many different types of car horns that range in design, sound, and usage. One type is air-driven horn, which uses a metal diaphragm with a hole in it to produce sound when air from the vehicle’s exhaust is pumped into it.

Another type is the electro-mechanical horn which produces an electrical signal so that no moving parts need to be replaced or maintained. In this post, I will talk about whether car horns have polarity.

Table of Contents

Do car horns have polarity?

Do car horns have polarity or not? The answer is: It depends on the car’s horn type as follows:

  1. Single terminal horn – In case your car horn has only one terminal, then the horns’ mounting bracket will be your ground connection. Meaning, a single terminal horn positive lead will go to the horn terminal, and you will close the circuit with the car’s chassis ground.
  2. Dual terminal horn By looking at the horn polarity markings, you can tell whether it has polarity or not. If they are marked with polarity or a red (+) and a black (-) that is how you hook them up. If there are no markings you can generally hook them up either way. This applies to either air-driven horns or electro-mechanical horns.

Will a horn work without a relay?

The answer to the question of whether a horn will work without a relay is No. The horn relay functions as a switch to provide power to the horn without overloading the current circuits. Therefore, the horn will not work if there is no relay. If you want a properly functioning vehicle’s horn, replace the faulty relay right away.

Reference

Car and Motorcycle Horns

Introduction to Automotive Relays