So when I got my car, horn worked, was wimpy but the other day tried it and I got a weak dying warble and then nothing. So I assume the car died a sad death. All I hear is a relay click when I push the button(s).

So after searching a bit, I found a few threads and people that went with dual twin tone hella units. This was the best I could find, $51 for the set, free shipping and 10% off coupon SAVE, so I paid like $46 shipped! http://www.streetsideauto.com/p/hella-003399803/

The few threads that talk about it, said they had to remove the bumper, now if I had a garage, and it wasn't freezing out (7F at night right now) and had time, and if my bumper wasn't barely hanging on as it is (2002 R53) that had a rough life with the bumper. I would take it off and do it that way.

It looks like there is enough room to pull the turn signal bulb and plug as well as get the screw out of the horn unit and then pull the horn through that access hole.

Anyone done that?

I don't care if I break the dead horns to get them out, it looks like the trumpet can snap off them. The new units are just discs, so it looks tight but doable putting them back in, I assume there is only one bolt holding it to the car. The hardest part will be bending over and crimping on new connectors since I will cut off the stock ones to put on matching ones for the Hellas with the limited wire slack and space.

I seem to have read these horns are crap and go out all the time and it is not worth replacing for $50 or more each. Any other experiences out there?

 

You really don't have to take them out if you can find a place to mount them on the firewall or somewhere. Just disconnect them and run a wire from the horn there to the relay. That's what I did, my horns were fine but I just wanted a better and louder toot. I just left them there. If I remember (I forgot once already) maybe I will remove them when I have the bumper off in the future, but then again, maybe not.

 

It can be done without bumper removal! I couldn't see a good place to mount these suckers.

I ordered these Sunday and got them Tuesday, fast shipping!

So I was able to disconnect the turn and daytime running light, and horn connector, pull both lights out of their sockets and moving everything to the side. This was the passenger side.

Got the bolt out and with flexing the plastic around the hole a little, spinning it around, etc and the bumper flexing got the old horn out without damaging it, not that I care about that dead horn!

So I made up the harness for the new horns, just some blade connectors on there and added about 8 inches of wire. Clipped the old connector off, striped the positive lead, then started on the negative lead and about 3 inches of wire just came out. Great job on making your ground wire splicing MINI! No biggie, I can just ground somewhere else.

So I connected the harness to the horn and tried to get it in the hole. Doesn't fit, much bigger than the old horn. So angeling it so one corner in the front / center of the car and the back / passenger corner, I was able to just barely flex the holes plastic and squeeze it in and then have it fall into the bumper. Good thing I have the wire harness attached to it so I can pull it back up.

The bracket fit perfectly and I only had to bend the blade connectors on the horn towards the bracket so the back would clear (Done before I pushed it in anyways, had to bend a little more. Bolts on perfectly. Had a temporary connection of ground to the grounding strap for the engine and it worked great!

Anyone want pics I can post. Took me about 30 minutes for one side. Will do the other side when I get time.

If you replace with stock, would be faster and easier.

 

Started the second horn tonight, before cutting of the pigtail, I noticed on the old horn the connector is removable! So you have the horn, connector, then the pigtale. So I pulled that off, butchered it, connected wires, electrical tape the crap out of it and tada! I have a factory connector for the 2nd new horn to the existing pigtail.

 

Started the second horn tonight, before cutting of the pigtail, I noticed on the old horn the connector is removable! So you have the horn, connector, then the pigtale. So I pulled that off, butchered it, connected wires, electrical tape the crap out of it and tada! I have a factory connector for the 2nd new horn to the existing pigtail.

 

Pics for anyone interested, I soldered the second horn to the old horn connector/bridge and just taped it.

 

Installed in drivers side before tucking in wires and replacing lights, and last one is passenger installed.

 

Driver's side completed work. There are no base really to these horns, all treble but loud as heck!

 

Thanks for the info but I'm still confused about the ground wire. I'm installing the hellas but am not sure where the ground wire is. Will I find it when I remove the old horns?