How To : Change Your Horn

[Action Jackson]

Everyone knows the stock horn sucks. I decided to do something about it and bought a replacement one.

The first thing to do is to remove the grill and a good place to check out is:

http://www.smokinmhz.net/mazda/grill (http://www.smokinmhz.net/mazda/grill)

I'll just give some modified tips to speed up the removal.

The biggest stumbling block was the vertical tabs that are beside the two screws on the widest part under the green box here:

[Action Jackson]

Under the yellow box above you can use a pry bar to pull out the tabs horizontally out.

Here's a pic of what those tabs look like and the pry bar. I also used the pry bar to carefully vertically lift the side's up in the green box above.

[Action Jackson]

This is what those tabs look like in the green box in the first picture:

[Action Jackson]

And the top view of the car's attachment point in the green box:

[Action Jackson]

From the website http://www.smokinmhz.net/mazda/grill (http://www.smokinmhz.net/mazda/grill) , the author uses some long needlenosed pliers to squeeze and loosen some clips that are behind the grill.

Instead you can use a screwdriver with an extension, then cup the end of it onto those tabs and just push horizontally out towards the front of the car to pop off those tabs.

[Action Jackson]

There are 3 lower retention tabs along the bottom of the front grill.

I would suggest that you probably don't want to access them from the front [through the grill] as I broke 2 of the 3 tabs!

Here's what they look like on the grill from behind:

[Action Jackson]

and here's what they look like if they're busted.

Take a note on the words "retention clips" and how the lower part of the rear grill is extended rearwards.

[Action Jackson]

Here's a pic of the receiving tabs on the lower part of the car that take the 3 lower grill clips:

[Action Jackson]

Time to remove the grill. A picture says it all:

[Action Jackson]

The back of the grill:

[Action Jackson]

There are 2 long tabs that you'll be pulling against to remove the grill but it takes a little muscle.

They are located closer to the rear sides of the grill.

Here's what they look like:

[Action Jackson]

The other end:

[Action Jackson]

and....

[Action Jackson]

My replacement horn came with nice instructions on how to hookup. I disconnected the NEG- terminal on my battery.

At this point one of my wires from my ground wire kit came loose from the end terminal. Suffice to say that it took about an hour for me to try to reattach it.

Pull out the power connector off the stock horn and here's what you got:

[Action Jackson]

Since the OEM horn hookup didn't fit my new horn, I removed the adapter using a small slotted screwdriver.

I inserted it on the end with the wire and pushed in a bit, then pulled out the adapter to get this:

[Action Jackson]

Remember those "lower grill extensions" I mentioned?

Here's my new horn with it's supplied bracket that I bent to try to install it in the original OEM horn location. As you can see there's no way I can reattach the grill here.

I wanted the opening of the horn to face downwards at first but the tightness of the power wire prevented me from doing so.

The power wire originated from behind the top of the chassis in a loom bundle. A very tight bundle.

[Action Jackson]

Now what. Where do I install that huge horn?

I decided to use one of the bracket screws holding the radiator.

I had to rebend the supplied horn bracket to fit this in.

[Action Jackson]

And a side view of the finished assembly.

Notice how tight the power wire is pulled.

You can see that there's plenty of clearance from the radiator.

[Action Jackson]

There you have it. Hopefully this will help someone with a grill removal and/or a horn replacement.

It should take less than 30 minutes to do the total job IF there are no complicatons.

The horn isn't quite the "Big Rig" sound as advertised on the packaging but IMHO it's better than OEM.

If anyone asks, the pictures are taken with a Canon A70 on highest res. on automatic mode. Cropped and resized with ACDSee, then captions added with Photoshop.

"Honk Honk"

[Lord_Zath]

pretty good writeup. I even have a similar looking/shaped horn. Though a couple variations I did.

1. I left the stock horn in place and fashioned a new plug so if I ever needed to, I can just plug the stock horn back in. This also saved me the trouble of getting off the grill and possibly breaking a tab or twenty.

2. I mounted the horns (I have dualtones) behind the lower air dam on the bolts holding in the plastic cover. I can try to get a pic or two for ya if you like.

[Action Jackson]

Every little bit helps.(rockon)

[Lord_Zath]

hehe no prob. Your way works just as well. Just trying to add in my experiences, too :). Do you have one horn or dualtones? Also I'd check it after a couple drives to make sure it's not rubbing the paint off or doing worse to the radiator. You can never be too careful!

[Action Jackson]

I have a single FIAMM 130dB Lo Tone Freeway Blaster. I would love a real big rig horn though....

Even though I broke a few tabs, I've never had a problem with the grill, and the horn still works fine :)

I did this install almost 2 years ago.

[Lord_Zath]

oh wow! just got around to doing the writeup then? lol

[benimal]

Action J,

You are so much the MAN! This is the write up I have been looking for. I'm a big pus when it comes to breaking plastic tabs and crap on my car. I like it even less when someone says, "Just pull on the grill and it will come off." Thanks for a great write up. I think I now should be able to swap in my FIAMM horns this weekend!

Ben

[Lord_Zath]

good luck! I think as you pull, you're supposed to gently rock it towards you IIRC.

[Action Jackson]

oh wow! just got around to doing the writeup then? lol

Actually I wrote this up back then but on another forum.

I'm just really lazy..(eyeballs)

[Action Jackson]

good luck! I think as you pull, you're supposed to gently rock it towards you IIRC.

I can't even remember exactly. I do remember that I had to use quite a bit of force.

Good Luck Ben. If you bust it, then you can get a new aftermarket grill(nana)

[benimal]

a short play by Ben....

"Sorry Honey, the grill just sorta broke... but there's this nice Erebuni style..."

<SMACK>
[SMACK]


"Ok.. it was worth a try...."

:)

Ben

I can't even remember exactly. I do remember that I had to use quite a bit of force.

Good Luck Ben. If you bust it, then you can get a new aftermarket grill(nana)

[Antoine]

Moved to the "How-To" Forum...Free Bump!

[WetsuitxNinja]

LOL after seeing this mod I went to autozone and bought a big rig horn. What a joke, it didnt sound like advertised, I think it sounded worse than stock. Im going to hook it up to my friends high beems, so when he turns them on, the horn goes off. It will be amazing if I can make it work (upyours)

(a howto will be created for this if you guys want lol)

[Lord_Zath]

lol great.

[pmac]

I just want to thank "Action Jackson" and respondents for the assistance with horn replacement (thread started several years ago I think). I've been in the garage for an hour trying to get to my dgtr's 2002 Protege5 horn and your posts have helped termendously. I should probably donate the $130 the dealer wanted to charge for this but I can't afford that either. Anyway, thank you for your help.(thumb)

[mach'er]

I, too, would like to thank Action Jackson. I just completed a horn replacement, and his photos and comments were very helpful.

Thanks.