[Darin Younce]

I was wondering if anyone has ever been sited or put out of service because thier city horn ( center of steering wheel ) didn't work ? When I recently got a level 1 inspection , I was asked to blow the horn and noticed my city horn didn't work but my Air horn does. The inspector didn't say anything but you never know what different officers will say. The FMC safety regs just state that you have to have a working horn .

[Fredog]

Originally Posted by Darin Younce

I was wondering if anyone has ever been sited or put out of service because thier city horn ( center of steering wheel ) didn't work ? When I recently got a level 1 inspection , I was asked to blow the horn and noticed my city horn didn't work but my Air horn does. The inspector didn't say anything but you never know what different officers will say. The FMC safety regs just state that you have to have a working horn .

I dont think they can as long as you have a horn


§393.81 Horn.

Every bus, truck, truck tractor, and every driven motor vehicle in driveaway towaway operations shall be equipped with a horn and actuating elements which shall be in such condition as to give an adequate and reliable warning signal.

[MADLUX]

You can always say the particular truck wasn't ordered with a city horn

[Darin Younce]

Thanks Guys, MADLUX you may be correct because I looked everywhere for an electric horn , and could not find it. The only thing is that I pushed the horn button and I could hear a minor clicking sound somewhere under the dash , sorta like a relay clicking so I just need to get a manual and see where the horn would be .

[Fredog]

Originally Posted by Darin Younce

Thanks Guys, MADLUX you may be correct because I looked everywhere for an electric horn , and could not find it. The only thing is that I pushed the horn button and I could hear a minor clicking sound somewhere under the dash , sorta like a relay clicking so I just need to get a manual and see where the horn would be .

it's usually on the firewall under the hood. see if it came unplugged. happens all the time

[Darin Younce]

I will take a closer look :wink:

[Darin Younce]

Well I found the horn, it is sanwiched between the radiator and grill. The thing is I had the hood tilted when looking , and it was rainy so I didn't get a good look under the front. I have power to the horn , I took my horn off of my old chevy 1/2 ton and it worked . The plug in is different so I will find a horn at a auto parts store hopefully. I was told by my old instructor that I could be cited ,possibly put OOS for not having it working. I tend to disagree because I believe in sec 393.81 the safety manual only says I need "a" horn , blah, blah, blah, anyway I will fix it anyway to be sure.

[Orangetxguy]

Originally Posted by Darin Younce

Well I found the horn, it is sanwiched between the radiator and grill. The thing is I had the hood tilted when looking , and it was rainy so I didn't get a good look under the front. I have power to the horn , I took my horn off of my old chevy 1/2 ton and it worked . The plug in is different so I will find a horn at a auto parts store hopefully. I was told by my old instructor that I could be cited ,possibly put OOS for not having it working. I tend to disagree because I believe in sec 393.81 the safety manual only says I need "a" horn , blah, blah, blah, anyway I will fix it anyway to be sure.

Unfortunately, whether you get sited for the lack of a city horn, is usually up to the discresion of each individual officer. Some local ordinance noise limits make air horns to loud to use...which is silly beyond comparison.

[golfhobo]

Originally Posted by Fredog

I dont think they can as long as you have a horn


§393.81 Horn.

Every bus, truck, truck tractor, and every driven motor vehicle in driveaway towaway operations shall be equipped with a horn and actuating elements which shall be in such condition as to give an adequate and reliable warning signal.

So, if a child runs out in front of your truck, and you instinctively pound on the steering wheel "actuating element" for the city horn, and no sound comes out to warn the child, and you run him over DEAD.... are you NOT in violation of the REGS??

Orangetxguy said:

Some local ordinance noise limits make air horns to loud to use...which is silly beyond comparison.

Perhaps, that is why trucks are ALSO equipped with a CITY horn??? Like Kirstie Alley says..... "use your INSIDE voice!" Air horns are designed to overcome the loud roar of an engine at high RPM's, and (in some cases) wind noise, so that another DRIVER can hear your warning. Also..... deer and other animals are much more "attentive" to an air horn than a "city horn."

However, at the decibel level of the average city street, a city horn would be adequate as a warning device, whereas.... an air horn can be "excessively" startling, and cause an accident for just this reason.

[Orangetxguy]

Originally Posted by Orangetxguy

Unfortunately, whether you get sited for the lack of a city horn, is usually up to the discresion of each individual officer. Some local ordinance noise limits make air horns to loud to use...which is silly beyond comparison.

Now Golf..you went and chopped my statement up...which changes the maening of the statement.

A citation during a DOT inspection, for an inoperable city horn, is totally up to the discression of the inspecting officer. And I am serious about the city opdinance about use of the airhorn. While you and I both know that using the airhorn is the absolute best horn to use during an emergency...John and Sally Doe, living in Suburbia could care less that we know it. All they care about is that their neighborhood is quiet, and to that end John and Sally Doe's, nationwide, petition their city councils to eliminate such noises.
I know this makes no sense, but then, I received a noise ordinance ticket in August of 1998, from a Police Officer whom worked for the city of Bellevue WA. I had to use my air horn, while making a right hand turn, and saw a group of kids come running out of the city park that was on that corner. The officer was across the street, did not see the kids running towards the street, and only heard the horn. A Judge threw it out, only because I took the time to go to court.