How Long Does a Horn Relay Last?

Having a fully functional horn is an essential part of staying safe while driving. The horn on your vehicle will allow you to alert other drivers of your presence and can be used to prevent accidents in some instances. The flow of power that the horn gets from the battery will have to be regulated in order to reduce the chance that it shorts out. It is the job of the horn relay to make sure that the power going to the horn is sufficient for smooth operation. Every time that the car turns on, the horn relay will have to start working to keep the horn operational.

The relays that are on your car are designed to last as long as the car does. Like any other electrical component on a car, the horn relay may start to show signs of wear as time goes by. Usually, the biggest issues that a relay will have is in regards to the wiring that it has. In some cases, the wiring that a relay has will begin to become brittle and will easily break. Having these broken wires can lead to a number of issues and may result in the horn not working at all. If you suspect that there is an issue with the wiring of your relay, then you will have to take the time to let a professional take a look at it for you.

Spotting issues with the horn relay and getting them fixed in a timely manner will help to reduce the time that you are without your horn. Attempting to track down the issues that you are having with your horn on your own can be nearly impossible due to your lack of experience.

When there are issues with the horn relay, you may start to notice certain problems occurring:

  • When the horn button is pressed, nothing happens
  • All you hear is a click when the horn is pressed
  • The horn works only on occasion

By taking action to get your broken horn relay fixed, you will be able to avoid the negative consequences that come along with not having a properly working horn.


The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

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