During my pre-trip I noticed that the city horn didn't work. the air horn, however, worked fine. I asked the mechanic about it and he said that it was company policy to not maintain the city horn and that you only need the air-horn.

I always thought that you needed both and in every inspection I've had the DOT always asked me to use them both.

Do you need both?

 

answer 1: If its on the truck- it's suppose to work. If DOT inspector wants you to blow it-- it better work.( But you already knew that )

answer 2: MY volvo only has 1 horn. air or otherwise. I would think- the city horn is more DOT "required" than the big air horn.

 

Right, 393.81 says "Horn" in the singular not "Horns" so that means to me only one is needed but if its on the truck it had better work is what I thought.

I always thought that the city horn was kinda useless with the air horn and a needless expense on a vehicle.

 

Let out a loud fart.

 

Most of the DOT inspectors I have had the pleasure of dealing with the last few years, prefer that the airhorn work more so than the city horn. Especially the CHP, but I have also found it true with units like the Houston PD, the Nashville PD, and even the Bayonne PD.

But there are always the sticklers.....like the Ontario officer out there on 401. Made me toot that city horn 3 times.......just to hear it bleep I guess. :roll: :roll:

 

I always heard it explained along the following.

If you lose your Air and are rolling off Grapevine or Cabbage with no Air- that Air Horn isn't gonna work anyway-- and besides you probably got more important problems/concerns on your mind in this instance.

Now the "city horn" is far more "polite" and "professional" to be blowing in "traffic"- it doesn't scare the little ol ladies and give em heart attacks.

Now if you can't get stopped and run an intersection-- they want you to blow the big air horn. Mainly, this will get the attention of any near-by Police so they will notice your infraction and can immediately issue the appropriate citation! :thumbsup:

 

If you lose air to the point the air horn doesn't work your brakes will have lock up.

Every inspection I had required both horns to work.

kc0iv

 

The seat will go to the floor too, right?

 

Air horn is on the secondary system along with any other air operated devices. Brakes are on the primary.

 

I went round and round about this same issue when I was with Werner.

Werner said, the regs only require only one horn to work.

When I talked with various DOT officers I got different answers. Several said both had to be working. Couple said it doesn't matter as long as one of them works. Couple said the air horn only is required. Couple said the city horn is the only one required.