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Horn bump sounds too long

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vzar47a

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Searched but didn’t see this posted before.

Is there a way to rig the horn so that I can just bump it for a short chirp, like when you’re at a stop light and the guy ahead of you is asleep at the wheel?

I read that the steering wheel switch for the horn is connected to canbus, which adds a delay and also sounds the horn for a set minimum no matter how softly you bump the horn.

It is a small annoyance, but since there are other actions that produce short horn chirps, like lock or unlock, just wondering if there’s a way to get the horn to just chirp when needed?
 
I could wire the horn in parallel to an upfitter switch with momentary function, that would be easier than messing with taking it off the BCM. If I were to do that though, I might think about adding a completely different horn as others have done. Was hoping there was a way to shorten the minimum horn duration in the BCM, but probably not?
 
H3LZSN1P3R said:
Train horns!
Click to expand...
Drew M said:
Or an ambulance/fire truck horn...
Click to expand...

Yeah, the horn is kind of wimpy as it is, and I've seen plenty of examples of train horn mods. I might swap out the stock horn for something a little more beefy but not quite on par with a locomotive. Just wish I could briefly chirp the horn, rather than the second or so it sounds now. There's a difference between "hey, the light is green" and "hey a**hole, get off the phone, the light is green". Or even when you just want to say "hi neighbor!". Although maybe nothing says "glad to see you" like 150 psi of compressed air?
 
Every rig I've owned since 1968, I've given a double-tap "see you later until next time" on the horn when leaving family and friends. That tradition is gone with this 2022 Ram. After several attempts, usually resulting in a single delayed long and loud HONK!!! I've given up. Gone are the days of friendly horn taps. And I'm not going to waste time 'fixing' the horn either. I've adjusted to this problem along with other annoying crap thanks to technology.

I read somewhere here that the horn, like every other friggin' thing on these tech-heavy trucks, is software driven - hence the delay between pushing the steering wheel horn and the actual sound. It's probably calling some Python script that analyzes trigger points in numerous sensors, scans for social credit score items at the speed of 8bit data-stack registers, flashes a notice out thru the modem to Stellantis logging the event, then - finally - toggles a 12v blip to the horn. But I'm sure it's all for my safety, thank you. I'll probably be told I'm wrong about software being involved. OK. But, to me that would just indicate some other inept reason for the delay.
 
Last edited:
TinGoatTravelers said:
I had the same question…the last post in this thread says someone found a way to work around it but I’ve heard nothing since then:

Thread 'Delayed horn?'
https://hdrams.com/forum/index.php?threads/delayed-horn.10646/
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I think what was being referred to there was the same thing flan suggested above, taking the horn off the BCM. I did read somewhere that someone suggested finding the horn switch wire in the steering column harness, cutting that, attaching it to a relay, and driving the horn off that in parallel with whatever else drives the horn.

Can anyone confirm that this would actually work, that there is such a wire and that it is connected to a simple momentary switch on the steering wheel that closes a circuit to ground? And If so, where do I find the info to hunt down the specific wire color for a 2020 2500?
 
vzar47a said:
I think what was being referred to there was the same thing flan suggested above, taking the horn off the BCM. I did read somewhere that someone suggested finding the horn switch wire in the steering column harness, cutting that, attaching it to a relay, and driving the horn off that in parallel with whatever else drives the horn.

Can anyone confirm that this would actually work, that there is such a wire and that it is connected to a simple momentary switch on the steering wheel that closes a circuit to ground? And If so, where do I find the info to hunt down the specific wire color for a 2020 2500?
Click to expand...
It looks like both horn switch wires go to the right steering wheel switch, then that switch talks to the steering column module, then that sends a message over the can c network to the BCM.
You could tap into the horn switch wires, but there is no real way to add any wires to the clock spring to get the wires to where you need them.

20221103_065956.jpg
 
Thanks for that. Since the interface between the horn switch and the CAN bus all takes place on the wheel side of the clock spring, seems like you're right, can't be done. I think I've read that there are different clock springs required for more complicated steering wheel features, which suggests that maybe there are clock springs with connectors that have more pins available that I could reassign for just the horn switch, but all of that gets way more complicated than just using an upfitter switch.

Since I have upfitter switches available, and since they are so easy to put to work, I am going to dedicate one of my switches to the horn and set it as a momentary contact switch. I see three options:

1. just wire the upfitter switch directly to the horn, in parallel with the PDC horn relay.
2. run my own relay, driven by the upfitter switch, in parallel with the PDC horn relay (this seems silly)
3. somehow put the BCM horn output (pin 23 on C1 connector of the BCM in your diagram) in parallel with the upfitter switch and use the parallel inputs to the existing PDC horn relay to sound the horn

#1 seems easiest, any potential issues with that? Do I need to worry about any potential issues caused by putting an unexpected +12v source directly on the horn input? Is there some fancy circuitry that monitors the horn? From that wiring diagram it doesn't seem so, but I don't know what SP2237 is.

Side question, anyone found an elegant way to label upfitter switches, that doesn't look like I did it (not real good with arts and crafts). Somehow sticking ptouch label stickers on there doesn't seem "elegant".
 
vzar47a said:
Thanks for that. Since the interface between the horn switch and the CAN bus all takes place on the wheel side of the clock spring, seems like you're right, can't be done. I think I've read that there are different clock springs required for more complicated steering wheel features, which suggests that maybe there are clock springs with connectors that have more pins available that I could reassign for just the horn switch, but all of that gets way more complicated than just using an upfitter switch.

Since I have upfitter switches available, and since they are so easy to put to work, I am going to dedicate one of my switches to the horn and set it as a momentary contact switch. I see three options:

1. just wire the upfitter switch directly to the horn, in parallel with the PDC horn relay.
2. run my own relay, driven by the upfitter switch, in parallel with the PDC horn relay (this seems silly)
3. somehow put the BCM horn output (pin 23 on C1 connector of the BCM in your diagram) in parallel with the upfitter switch and use the parallel inputs to the existing PDC horn relay to sound the horn

#1 seems easiest, any potential issues with that? Do I need to worry about any potential issues caused by putting an unexpected +12v source directly on the horn input? Is there some fancy circuitry that monitors the horn? From that wiring diagram it doesn't seem so, but I don't know what SP2237 is.

Side question, anyone found an elegant way to label upfitter switches, that doesn't look like I did it (not real good with arts and crafts). Somehow sticking ptouch label stickers on there doesn't seem "elegant".
Click to expand...

Found this on Amazon…

 
vzar47a said:
Thanks for that. Etsy has stickers too, was just wondering if there is something a little more polished looking.
Click to expand...

I’m thinking about using a vinyl guy here in town to make mine, that way I can get creative with the names lol.
 
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