From: blgardne@javelin.sim.es.com (Dances With Bikers)
Subject: Re: FIAMM Installation clues
Reply-To: blgardne@javelin.sim.es.com
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 14:36:38 GMT

Terry.Baldridge@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Terry Baldridge) writes:

>So I get them out and can't make heads nor tails out of the 
>instructions for installing the relay.

Here's something from the last Fiamm cycle.

============================================================================
From: car377@cbnewsj.att.com (charles.a.rogers)
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles
Subject: Re: Can anyone help wire Fiamm Horn relay?
Summary: Electrons 'R Us
Date: 31 Mar 91 05:12:04 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories

In article <1991Mar30.212044.6917@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>, tft8g@holmes.acc.Virginia.EDU (Timothy F. Tolson) writes:

> Here's what the connectors look like on the Fiamm relay.
> 
>       =========================
>       =  --- 4       3 ---   =
>       =  87             85    =
>       =     |       |         =
>       =   1 |     1 |         =
>       =     ?     30/51       =
>       =                    o-----yellow wire------[]
>       =========================
> 
> There are four terminals, three of which have large numbers on them as
> marked:  87, 85, and 30/51.  One is unnumbered, indicated by the ?.
> Also the four terminals have very small numbers, as shown above
> 1, 1, 3, and 4.  Finally there is a yellow wire with a female spade
> coming out of the lower right of the relay.

OK, here's what's inside the relay:

                       Relay                                          
             ..................................                       
             .                                .                 
To   <--  O--------            -----------------O   -->  To     
Horns     87 .    |            |              . 85       Horn Switch
             .    o |        --------         .                 
             .      | - - -  | Coil |         .  
             .    o |        --------         .                 
             .    |            |              .                 
             .    |            -----------------O------yellow wire---[]
             .    |                           .                 
          O-------+-----------------------------O   -->  To +12 Volt  
          ?  .                                . 30/51    (Positive Battery
             ..................................           Terminal through
                                                          16 Amp fuse) 

Relay Pin "?" is connected internally to relay pin 30/51.  Its only purpose 
is to provide a convenient connection point to +12 Volts for the yellow wire 
on bikes where the effect of pushing the horn button is to connect ground to 
pin 85.

On those bikes where pushing the horn button connects +12 volts to pin 85, 
the yellow wire must be connected to a frame ground on the bike (so the 
relay coil will operate, of course).  In this case, pin "?" is left 
unconnected.

Relay pins 87, 85, and 30/51 will connect the same way (as indicated)
on all bikes.  Once they are connected, the yellow wire must either
be connected to pin "?" or to the bike's frame (ground).  If you don't
want to mess with voltmeters or the Scientific Method (tm), just connect
the yellow wire to pin "?" turn on the ignition, and try the horn.  If 
it doesn't honk, then connect the yellow wire to the bike's frame (ground) 
and it will.

What??  It didn't honk?   
OK, here are a few things to check:

1. Did you turn on the ignition switch?  This won't be necessary unless
   your horn switch supplies +12 volts to pin 85 the relay.  It won't
   hurt to have the ignition on in any case.

2. Did you attach the horn brackets to a good electrical frame
   ground?

3. Is your 16 amp fuse (you *did* use one, right?) blown?  If it
   wasn't originally blown and it is now, you have a serious wiring 
   error.  Recheck your connections to 85, 87, and 30/51.

4. Your OEM horn had two wires connected to it.  (If it had only one,
   ignore this item.) One of these is +12 volts controlled by the ignition 
   switch, and the other is the horn switch wire.  You chose the wrong one 
   to hook to relay pin 85.

5. Your relay's coil is open (broken).  If you have an ohmeter,
   you should normally measure about 26 ohms between relay pin 85 
   and the yellow wire (with nothing else connected to the relay).

What?? It won't honk at all when the yellow wire is attached to pin "?"
and it honks continuously when the yellow wire is attached to the frame?
The wire you attached to pin 85 either isn't your horn switch connection,
or your horn switch is stuck on all the time.  See item #3 above.

Some things to think about:

1. Fiamm specifies 2.5 square millimeter wire gauge.  For us, that's
   about 14 gauge.  I'd use 14 gauge stranded copper wire for connections
   to the battery (pin 30/41) and the horns (pin 87).  The other wires
   can be the same type that were originally connected to your OEM horn.

2. Use a 15 Amp (or smaller) fuse in the wire connected between the
   battery and pin 30/51.  Fiamm specifies 16 Amps, but 15 is
   easier to find and should work OK unless you like the sound of the
   horns so much that you just lean on them continuously.

3. The original literature has some cautions about how the horns are
   mounted:

   Adhere to the suggested mounting positions. (The mounting bolts
   on the horns should either point towards each other or up.  The
   horns should not be mounted such that the bolts point away from 
   each other or down.)

  "Install the horns where they will be protected from water and
   mud and at a distance from hot engine components.  Trumpet scroll
   and mouth must always slant slightly downwards.  Use the brackets
   supplied with the horns, or other brackets equally resilient.  The
   mounting point to the vehicle must be strong, so that the vibrations
   of one horn do not influence the other.  If the sound produced is not
   strong and harmonious then the horns must be installed either farther
   apart or in another position."

If you have problems, let us hear about them.

Good Luck!

Chuck Rogers
att!druhi!car377
============================================================================
-- 
Blaine Gardner @ Evans & Sutherland        580 Arapeen Drive, SLC, Utah 84108
blgardne@javelin.sim.es.com  uunet!javelin.sim.es.com!blgardne  BIX: blaine_g
Dumper of Dirtbikes #46       My other motorcycle is a Quadracer.      FJ1200
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles