General Chat
Q:
I've been searching for a day or so ... I'm looking for the Federal standard for allowable loudness (in dB) for car horns in US model new cars.
If anyone knows with certainty, please respond. Source docs/links would be welcome.
Thanks.
Post Edited (Dec 10, 1:15pm)
A:
i dont know the standard but i ordered 135 db horns a week ago and should be coming in shortly.
A:
FMVSS
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.
I think it's at dot.gov, or some federal government site.
The FMVSS is the reason people with four-point harnesses can get tickets. While sanctioning bodies O.K. them for track use, unless they have the relevant FMVSS Approval Number on them certifying they are O.K. for street use, they are the same (in the law's eyes) as having nothing in there at all! Schroth is one of the few manufacturers that has FMVSS approvals for their harness systems.
I digress....
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
I had already been there and had not found anything on horns.
A:
Let me guess, you want those train horns like I saw in a video on Streetfire.net last week, that were scaring the sh*t out of pedestrians.
Black, bumperless, 78 Z with MSA superturbo system, K/N cone filter, ported intake, and exhaust manifolds.....15.9 @87 mph.
A:
I'll leave that for the kids.
Can you help with an answer to my query?
Post Edited (Dec 10, 7:32pm)
A:
i believe tonyd posted something about it in one of my old posts. It doesnt give an exact number, it just says that you have to a horn loud enough to be heard from a certain distance. Or something to that affect.
-John
Absolute Z Club
L.A./Orange Counties
73 240, PnP E88, webers, coil-overs, 17's, "Bolt-In Power Steering", train horns; you know, the norm... "Yea its green, but the chicks love it"
A:
What I posted before was out of the CVC (California Vehicle Code), it's not a Federal Specification...
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
I know the 350Z lacks power, but I didn't know the horn lacked power as well!! hahaha
Or is this for your 240Z or some other vehicle??
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12.804 @ 107.26 mph on crappy street tires with Dual SU Powered 2.9L Stroker!
ZCAR.COM member since Aug 1998
A:
The orig. Z horns were defective on mine from the jump so I replaced 'em. But, sometimes you can getthe OE horns to work by taking them apart and rotating the housing 180 degrees and cleaning up their contacts; the adjustment screw may also need to be moved, too.
If you put on louder horns, they may blow the fuse if they need too many amps, so you may need to add wires and relays to the sys.
Here, any noise violations (horns, muffler) must have a measurement by a Db meter for the case to be valid.
Rusty but running.
Polish cell phone and two tubes of Aluma-seal.
And, now we are historic.
A:
If you use the notes A,C,and E, you can get a powerful chord. That's what 70's Cad Sevelle uses & other big GM types out there. Norm K
Norman Krell
A:
Thanks for the help, ol' buddy o' mine.
I forgot ... hahaha
Post Edited (Dec 11, 7:01pm)
A:
Hey 72n03 I really wasn't trying to be a jerk with the comment I was just ribbing ya.
I have no idea what the decibel level should b,e but if I find something I'll let ya know.
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12.804 @ 107.26 mph on crappy street tires with Dual SU Powered 2.9L Stroker!
ZCAR.COM member since Aug 1998
A:
Whatever you might find would be of interest. Thanks.
And, honestly, the 350Z horns are quite useless. My wife's '97 Cougar produces more get-outta-my-way noise.
I'm upgrading to 115 dB PIAA horns. I found a reference in an online article that stated the standard is 97 dB, so, if that's correct, the ones I ordered will be 6 times as loud as the muted French horns installed on my favorite Nissan sports car.
Post Edited (Dec 11, 8:56pm)
A:
Hopefully the Horn manufacturers have researched the permissible db loudness so as to ensure they won't have to refund a customer's money due to compalints of noise violations.
I would think that as long as you use it for emergency situations no cop would mess with you.
I'd be surprised if an inspection station failed you because of too much horn noise. If there is a noise rule then an inspection station might be the best place to find your answer.
Later,Norm
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12.804 @ 107.26 mph on crappy street tires with Dual SU Powered 2.9L Stroker!
ZCAR.COM member since Aug 1998
A:
when I lived in Florida before the state canned them in the late 70s. Pull up. Turn on your lights. High beams. Honk the horn. Do the brake test. Pull back, now really hit the brakes this time. CA only does smog checks every other year.
Shoot, if the bikers can run straight pipes so they can be noticed (their excuse,) I ought to be able to get by with a loud horn that will be used only when necessary.
Post Edited (Dec 11, 11:09pm)
A:
I also thought the same thing about the Harley boys earlier! haha
No way your horn could be as loud as a Hog on the throttle!! haha
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12.804 @ 107.26 mph on crappy street tires with Dual SU Powered 2.9L Stroker!
ZCAR.COM member since Aug 1998