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Mjackson42 · 10-13-2019, 08:17 AM

I have a 2003 Monaco Dynasty. The horn stopped working. This happened once before and I started messing with the horn relay in the fuse box and all the sudden it started working. This time can't get anything - dead.

Any help appreciated!

Mike

jacwjames · 10-13-2019, 10:05 AM

If you have a VIP smart wheel it also activates the horn, do the rest of the smart wheel function work?

My horn is activated by an air solenoid type valve which is located in the overhead compartment behind the TV cabinet. If the electrical relay is working and sending power it may be the air solenoid that is bad.

ZackMan · 10-13-2019, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mjackson42

I have a 2003 Monaco Dynasty. The horn stopped working. This happened once before and I started messing with the horn relay in the fuse box and all the sudden it started working. This time can't get anything - dead.

Any help appreciated!

Mike

Mike,

Get ahold of a wiring diagram to find out the electrical wire paths. It sounds that you may have an electrical glitch. I presume you have already checked the fuse.

The front run bay will have the fuse and power control board that will be applicable to your issue. A relay on the board may possibly be bad. The wiring diagram will assist greatly.

153stars · 10-13-2019, 03:40 PM

If you can get a helper you should be able to hear or feel the relay click. The air solinoid is small magnet you can usually feel the magnetic field on top of coil with a small screwdriver when activated. Some of Mac valves have test button in top you can push with small tip.

K7JV · 10-14-2019, 06:53 AM

I don't know how much the Dynasty changed from '03 to '06, but the horns on ours are air activated from a solenoid operated air valve located in the front compartment of the coach. It is mounted on a vertical structural member in front of the passenger side, accessed with the generator slide extended. It will have a ¼" air line in (blue on our coach) and a ¼" air line out (yellow on our coach), and it will have a wire connector on it with two wires attached to it. One wire is from the horn relay and the other goes to ground. You can test to identify which goes to ground, if it is not obvious.

The fuse and relay on our coach is on board #8 in the front run box, but there is a fair chance that may not be the same with yours. On ours, the fuse and the relay are both mounted on that board.

Finally, like "jacwjames" suggested, you may have the Smartwheel system in between your horn button and the relay.

To troubleshoot, I would first find the solenoid operated air valve and check for operating voltage. Check to see if voltage appears on that operating signal wire at the solenoid when the horn button is pressed and goes away when the horn button is released. If it does, the problem is with your solenoid, or the air supply to it. You could slightly loosen the fitting on the incoming air line to see if air escapes to check for adequate air supply.

If you aren't getting an operating voltage to the solenoid, I would next identify the terminal on the relay/fuse board that operates your horn and check to see if voltage appears when the horn button is pressed and goes away when the horn button is released. On our coach, that is terminal #2 on connector J2 on board #8. If you are getting operating voltage at that point, the problem is with the wiring between that point and your air solenoid.

If you aren't getting an operating voltage on that terminal, I would next identify the terminal on the relay/fuse board that receives the operating signal from your Smartwheel to see if voltage appears when the horn button is pressed and goes away when the horn button is released. On our coach, that is terminal #1 on connector J2 on board #8. If you are getting operating voltage at that point, the problem is with the relay and/or the fuse. If you are not, it's going to get a little more complicated.

If you do those things and haven't found the problem, let us know. Actually, feel free to let us know, either way.

Cheers, and good luck to you!

tankcj · 10-14-2019, 07:32 AM

I had a similar problem where the horn worked intermittently and then finally quite altogether. The relay stopped working. Try swapping out another relay (mine are all the same) and see if it works. I now carry several spare relays.

TRH299 · 10-14-2019, 11:43 AM

If it helps.... here is a picture of where my airhorn valve is located on the front firewall of my 2004 Monaco Camelot 40PDQ project. I have not got around to testing mine yet but there are two wires going to it... Unfortunately the wires were severed in the crash, but pretty sure one will be ground and one will be 12volts when horn switch is activated.

It would be easy to run a 12v jumper wire to this valve to momentarily test the valve.

Mjackson42 · 10-15-2019, 07:50 AM

Here is what I found. I ran a hot wire and ground to the air selinoid and the horn blew. About jumped out of my shoes. There is a relay that is labeled horn and 87. Have to try to find that relay. Auto parts store did not have.

Thanks for great advice !

153stars · 10-16-2019, 09:39 AM

Napa stores seem to have more of RV/truck part inventory. Just not the tiny little old wooden store near me.

RustyTools · 10-16-2019, 04:03 PM

Late to the party (as usual).

I was going to add that 'someone' had left a battery-power screwdriver on the steering wheel while the air was down (so no sound). Turns out the pressure caused the relay to energize, til it got hot and melted. Lesson learned!

Mjackson42 · 10-19-2019, 07:06 PM

Update, fuse is good, replaced relay and air selinoid
Works fine when I apply voltage. So now I'm down to
Smart wheel horn button?

K7JV · 10-20-2019, 06:46 AM

Do you have a module that looks something like this, most likely in your front run box? If so, I may be able to help you further. If your "Smartwheel" system is different, we need to hope that someone on here has experience with the type of system that you have.

Mjackson42 · 10-20-2019, 03:04 PM

This is exactly my box. Took steering wheel cover
Off today. Horn button connecting like it should.
Wires all hooked up. So I know the relay, fuse, air solenoid
And horn button all seem right! But still no horn.

K7JV · 10-21-2019, 07:16 AM

If your Smartwheel is like ours, and it sounds like it is, there is no physical/electrical connection between the horn button and the wiring to the horn. The steering wheel has a clock-spring like interconnection assembly with four conductors. One is power, one is ground, one is for back-lighting and the other is back-lighting ground.

The information transfer is actually a communication path, not a direct 12 volt controlling path. When the horn is pressed, the steering wheel module "tells" the controller in your front run box that the horn has been pressed. The controller then sends a voltage to energize the horn relay which then passes operating power to the horn solenoid, itself.

The likely failure points, assuming your other Smartwheel functions are working as they should, are the connectors and wiring from the bottom of your steering column to the Smartwheel controller, the controller itself, or from the controller to the horn relay.

My next question. Do you have a relay board or fuse board in your front run box that has the horn relay on it? If so, did you try applying power to the input connection to that board for the horn relay? I wasn't sure from your description of where the horn relay you mentioned is located. On ours, the input would be pin #1 on connector J2 on board F8. Wherever it is, if you can apply 12 volts to the control input on that horn relay and see if the horn operates, you can narrow your problem to being either the relay itself, the wiring from the relay to the horn, or the wiring from the relay back to the controller and on to the steering column.

IMPORTANT QUESTION - Do the other functions on your steering wheel all operate as they should? In other words, is the horn the only thing from the steering wheel that is not working? The answer to that will establish whether the problem starts in the steering column, or if it starts with the Smartwheel controller, itself.

I am attaching the troubleshooting guide for what is likely your Smartwheel system. It, along with the other stuff those helping you have shared should get your problem positively identified. Good luck and keep us posted.