This is a list of tools, materials, and steps I followed to install the second Toyota factory horn in my 2011 FJ Cruiser. Everyone who reads this will not necessarily need to follow as many steps as I did, because almost everyone who reads this will know more about this sort of thing than I do. I have only a vague notion of electrical principles, I hate to work in confined spaces, and I have a lot of tools. With that as background, here goes:
Tools:
Materials:
Steps:
1. Open the hood.
2. Locate the primary horn; I call it Horn Number 1. It’s on a cross brace in front of the radiator on the left hand side of the car.
3. Using the 12 mm wrench, remove the bolt holding the horn in place to give yourself some room to work on the wires.
4. With the bolt removed, the horn will be hanging by wires. It is all right.
5. There is one gray wire going into the horn. Unplug the connector on this wire from the horn so that the wire is accessible.
6. Remove the electrical tape around the gray wire where it enters the black spiral sheathing to get more access to the wire. They don’t assemble these things with any thought that we might actually be working on them in the future, so there is not much wire available.
7. Cut about ¼” off the end of the white 14 gauge wire that you bought so that you have a clean end, where you can see the wire and the insulator.
8. Get the Tap Splice connector.
9. Insert the gray wire to be tapped through the hollow side of the connector, so that the connector is about in the middle of the exposed gray wire. Hold it in place.
10. Insert the end of the white wire that you bought (and just cut for a nice clean end) into the other side of the connector up to the internal stop. The internal stop is located off to one side of the metal tap in the connector, so that you can push the wire under the tap, up to that stop. Hold the two wires in place on the connector.
11. Using pliers, squeeze the metal tap through both wires to complete the connection.
12. Snap the retaining clip into position and the tap is complete.
12a. Plug the end of the gray wire with the black connector back into the socket in Horn Number 1.
13. The hardest part is done.
14. Wrap some electrical tape around the area where the gray wire enters the black spiral sheathing.
15. Using the 12 mm wrench, bolt Horn Number 1 back into position.
16. Taking the other end of the white wire that you bought, strip about ¼” of the insulation off the end using the 14 gauge wire stripper or a knife. If you’re using a knife, be careful.
17. Using the crimping tool, install an insulated female quick connector on the end of the white wire.
18. Plug the connector into the new horn, Horn Number 2.
19. Find the threaded hole in the cross brace. Your new bolt from Toyota should fit in that hole. If it doesn’t, find someone to help you.
20. Using that new bolt and the 10 mm wrench, install Horn Number 2 on the cross brace, in the threaded hole that you just found.
21. Using a zip tie, secure any loose white wiring from your installation.
22. Close the hood.
23. Toot the horn, noticing the satisfyingly irritating and loud noise that it now makes.
Here are after installation photos of Horn Number 1 and Horn Number 2
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Tools:
- Wire cutter, for cutting wire.
- Wire stripper for stripping 14 gauge wire, or sufficient skill to use a knife for this purpose.
- Pliers, for installing tap splice connector.
- Crimping tool, for crimping female quick connector.
- 10 mm wrench (socket or combination), for installing second horn.
- 12 mm wrench (socket or combination), for removing and reinstalling first horn.
- Nylon zip-ties, for tidying up the wiring after you’re done.
Materials:
- 3 feet of 14-gauge wire. I got white wire. Get any color other than gray.
- Tap Splice connector for 18-14 AWG (Ace Hardware product 34566): these are available in small (6-count) packages. This is a blue part.
- Insulated female quick connectors, size 14-16 gauge. This is another blue part. Commonly found in hardware stores, Ace will have them. I’d get a couple, just to be safe. You’ll have enough wire to fail to make the connector crimp correctly a few times, and start over.
- Toyota high-pitched horn for the FJ Cruiser, part number 86510-60240, I paid $68.65 for the part, description is “HORN ASSY, HIGH”.
- Toyota official factory bolt with washer, part number 90080-11545, I paid $1.88 for the part, description is “BOLT, W/WASHER”.
Steps:
1. Open the hood.
2. Locate the primary horn; I call it Horn Number 1. It’s on a cross brace in front of the radiator on the left hand side of the car.
3. Using the 12 mm wrench, remove the bolt holding the horn in place to give yourself some room to work on the wires.
4. With the bolt removed, the horn will be hanging by wires. It is all right.
5. There is one gray wire going into the horn. Unplug the connector on this wire from the horn so that the wire is accessible.
6. Remove the electrical tape around the gray wire where it enters the black spiral sheathing to get more access to the wire. They don’t assemble these things with any thought that we might actually be working on them in the future, so there is not much wire available.
7. Cut about ¼” off the end of the white 14 gauge wire that you bought so that you have a clean end, where you can see the wire and the insulator.
8. Get the Tap Splice connector.
9. Insert the gray wire to be tapped through the hollow side of the connector, so that the connector is about in the middle of the exposed gray wire. Hold it in place.
10. Insert the end of the white wire that you bought (and just cut for a nice clean end) into the other side of the connector up to the internal stop. The internal stop is located off to one side of the metal tap in the connector, so that you can push the wire under the tap, up to that stop. Hold the two wires in place on the connector.
11. Using pliers, squeeze the metal tap through both wires to complete the connection.
12. Snap the retaining clip into position and the tap is complete.
12a. Plug the end of the gray wire with the black connector back into the socket in Horn Number 1.
13. The hardest part is done.
14. Wrap some electrical tape around the area where the gray wire enters the black spiral sheathing.
15. Using the 12 mm wrench, bolt Horn Number 1 back into position.
16. Taking the other end of the white wire that you bought, strip about ¼” of the insulation off the end using the 14 gauge wire stripper or a knife. If you’re using a knife, be careful.
17. Using the crimping tool, install an insulated female quick connector on the end of the white wire.
18. Plug the connector into the new horn, Horn Number 2.
19. Find the threaded hole in the cross brace. Your new bolt from Toyota should fit in that hole. If it doesn’t, find someone to help you.
20. Using that new bolt and the 10 mm wrench, install Horn Number 2 on the cross brace, in the threaded hole that you just found.
21. Using a zip tie, secure any loose white wiring from your installation.
22. Close the hood.
23. Toot the horn, noticing the satisfyingly irritating and loud noise that it now makes.
Here are after installation photos of Horn Number 1 and Horn Number 2
