180 Challenger Horn keeps dying

[JThomasLambert]

Last year my horn blew (uh, no pun intended) after just a few toots. When my dealer winterized it they also did the 10 hr service and replaced the horn under warranty. Put the boat in this year and had maybe 3 toots and no more horn again. Doesn't appear to be a fuse and am a little frustrated since hauling it all the way back to the dealer is going to be a pain (they refused to just allow me to bring the horn back or pay for the haul themselves).

Any idea what I could try or what the issue might be? All other switches, etc. work fine.

 

[kustomkarl]

Is the wire at the horn getting power? If it is check the horn on a different battery. If it is still bad was it mounted where water got inside...it might have been installed wrong...pointed up, 2 times.

Karl

 

[JThomasLambert]

Oh wow--never thought of that. If this thing is pointed up, I'll post pictures and name the dealer that "fixed" it.

 

[ktech]

Same issue

I have same boat with the same issue..Was the horn upside down? What was the end result?

 

[mottrocks]

Same thing cheap fix

I just had the same problem. I think mine was caused by my lovely wife shooting the hose into the grill and filling up the horn while washing. I went on ebay and purchased the replacement. It's a Fiamm 12 volt horn AM80/L it says on the box. I had to put different wire ends on but that just took a second and the horn cost $8. Sounds great now. Hope this helps.

 

[Mueller]

MY Challenger 180 with 26 hours on it just blew the horn, so to speak. It blasted a few times getting out of the dock yesterday, then went dead. All fuses seem to be fine as I think it is on the accessory fuse. Not positive about that. But all other lights and switches are fine, just no horn blast.

Can you tell me where the horn is, I hate hauling the boat to the dealer and paying a couple of hundred dollars for an $8 part.

Thanks!

 

[mottrocks]

Horn

If it's in the same place as the one in my 1800 it's under the drivers windshield, remove the box and there it is close to the side of the boat held on by one nut. with 2 wires going to it. As easy as removing an oil filter. There should be a plastic grill on the outside of the boat that lets the sound out. You can locate it by that also.

 

[Mueller]

Thanks for the quick reply. It turned out to be very easy, it was just two screws on the horn external cover on the Starboard side forward of the windscreen. It pulled right out of the hull and unclipped. Voila!

I am getting a replacement online as the thought of taking something so simple to the dealer gives me shudders.

Happy Boating!

 

[seedooer95]

won't that void your warranty?

 

[mottrocks]

I pulled up a quick picture of your boat and could instantly see the oval, white plastic grill on the upper right side of the hull, right in front of the winshield. The horn is behind that. Yours doesn't look as easy to get to, but I'm just going by a picture. The Hiamm Horn I bought off ebay has worked great since I put it in. I just asked my wife to stop shooting the hose through that grill when she washed the boat. She thought she was cleaning the inside of the hull, not filling the horn with water. At least she's very pretty so what's an $8 horn every now and again.

 

[Mueller]

Two screws on the horn cover was all it took to get free. My local Marina manager says that horns are notorius for breaking, Maybe I should buy a whistle? lol

Thanks again for the help & advice, this is a great forum.