Did you use the relay? The relay makes a big difference. Also keep in mind these horns are directional. Did you have someone test the horns while you are standing in front of the car? You may be surprised.

 

I used the relay. Tested the horns before installing. They are better than stock and sound good. Just expected better. Just me?

 

Could it be because you have the horns oriented in different directions?

 

Definitely possible. One Hella doesn't sound louder than the other though. I expected it to be MUCH louder than OEM.

Do you feel like yours is a LOT louder than stock? I know mine are the India produced ones and are not made in Germany. Maybe that's it? I tried to find the German made ones but they are scarce these days.

 

I wonder about this. Subaru guys seem like they install Hella supertones like we install nonRFTs and RSBs. I just don't get it.

I live in a tourist rich environment that doubles in population during "season". Being small I often get run at or merged into or just never seen (red MINI, hard to miss). I just skipped the electric horn and went with a custom kit from hornblasters.com (A few pics and I will stop trolling)

4 trumpets and a 4gal pancake tank with 150 psi in it with a compressor.




Bonus of onboard air

tucked inside the rear bumper, around the hitch.

 

Nice! Smallest air horn setup I've seen on the forums. Forgive me, but it's early. RSB?

 

nice DIY but your images are way too large to view and makes this thread difficult to read....Suggest you load them into MS Paint, reduce size and repost ?

 

Rsb = rear sway bar

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using NAMotoring

 

They are growing on me. I'm liking them more as I use them.

 

@ian - i find the horns to be way louder than stock. just recently i was stuck at a light with a couple of other MINIs and my horn way overpowered their's

 

Installed mine this evening- and these are way louder than stock!

 

Sorry to revive an old post, but wanted to throw some thoughts out to those who may change out their horns.

Horns are louder, not too crazy loud, but definitely more European and more in line with what a MINI horn should sound like. It definitely gets attention when you beep beep! A little more "Roadrunner" (meep meep) and less 1983 Buick Roadmaster (HONK HONK)

First, you do NOT have to remove the bumper.
Second, You do not have to go in backwards through the wheel well.

Take the headlight out...4 10mm bolts and you have all the access you need. (Make sure you mark around the bolt housings with a silver sharpie so you can make sure you get it back in the same spot.)

The horn on the left is easy out and back in with the new.
The horn on the right, you have to make a bracket to get the job done right.

I removed the battery and mounted the relay inside the battery box. NO exposed wires and a much cleaner install. All wires run UNDER the battery mounting bracket. They come out through a large rubber grommet in the bottom of the box.

I also used the ground on the left by the bonnet hinge and it came out of the battery box via a small grommet right next to it.

I will post up picks of locations and my final mount of both horns.

This was easy!

Thanks to Corin for the initial post which is very helpful, wiring...right on point!

 

This is where I mounted the relay. This is the far right side of the battery box. It's UNDER the cowl that covers the battery.

 

This is the left side of the battery box. Routed the ground wire (pink) below the battery and out through the small grommet (Blue). Mounted it to the existing ground terminal (yellow)

 

This is where I ran the wires for the lights and the trigger from the old lights. Inside the yellow circle you can see where the loom came through the large rubber grommet.
The blue line is the loom with the wires in running to the horns.

 

Headlight removed, original 1983 Buick horns still attached

 

Hellas installed and new bracket on the right side Horn. (Inside blue circle)

This ALSO does not impede changing the bulb through the wheel well when needed.

 

https://youtu.be/QloqtfloGMQ

Everyone should check out all these videos. Great quality on this e46 coupe and just great ideas

 

I cut NO wires when installing my Hellas. I ONLY had to tap into the horn wire. Also, I think it's pretty silly to have those yellow or red horns showing through the grill. Very Subaru/hondaish.