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Horn Upgrade --- DIY

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Accessories and Modifications' started by evpv, Jan 2, 2011.

  1. RaZa

    RaZa Member

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    Here's a quote from my post a cpl months ago:


     
  2. jae

    jae Junior Member

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    I switched mine out this weekend! Thanks for the excellent instructions!
     
  3. intrigueing

    intrigueing Junior Member

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    If anyone is looking for a really cheap alternative - harbor freight tools has horns for $9.99. You can also get a 25% off coupon quite easily. I got mine for $7.50. The sound was exactly what I was looking for (very similar to my GMC Envoy). I did need to ground one terminal of each horn to the bolt holding the horn to the car.
     
    j12piprius likes this.
  4. roadcykler

    roadcykler Junior Member

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    Just completed this and it was a pretty simple job thanks to the pictorial. If you have smaller hands you might not even have to take the emblem off. Now the V commands attention when needed. Hopefully it won't scare anyone too much. :D
     
  5. Lucky Lager

    Lucky Lager Junior Member

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    Thanks evpv - great write ups.
     
  6. vthreee

    vthreee Junior Member

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  7. bxw30

    bxw30 Junior Member

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    Thanks for the DIY.
    Replaced the stock ones with the FIAMM 72102 and 72112.

    On my 2013 - I couldn't get the FIAMMs in without unscrewing the top of the bumper cover.
    Easy install.
     
  8. rl23

    rl23 Junior Member

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    Excellent writeup. That is just the "boost" I needed to get the job done. I had a pair of horns from Harbor Freight here, and they worked out real well. Thanks a million. First time I had the horns, it even made me jerk. What a difference. Thanks again!
     
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  9. mrbigh

    mrbigh Prius Absolutum Dominium

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    I would like to install a cheap version of the " freight train".......
     
  10. pmike

    pmike Member

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    FYI. Those are 128db the OPs are 130db.
    Acoustic Devices
    - El Grande
    - FIAMM
    Acoustic Devices
    - Freeway Blaster AM80S High Note Horn "E"
    - FIAMM
    Acoustic Devices
    - Freeway Blaster AM80S Low Note Horn "F"
    - FIAMM

    I did the horn upgrade this morning.

    Sounds much better, more commanding. Going to see if I can do the same to the 2012 Civic.

    I removed the emblem but I didn't use that hole at all. I removed the hood security latch and top bolts/clips for the bumper so I could work from the top. It was still a tight fit and I have little scrapes all over my forearms.
     
  11. chkcee

    chkcee Junior Member

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    hello everyone - just bought the hi & low FIAMM horns and during the install, it dawned on me that the Prius already has the high tone (what we all hate) so i proceeded to install just the low. Essentially the same effect and volume. So, if you'd like save yourself time and money from the hi-tone install.
     
  12. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Sorry, I'm going to have to disagree. The Prius oem horn does not sound like the FIAMM high tone horn. Hence the meep meep sound. Since you already bought the high tone horn, go ahead and install it. :)
     
  13. FortyFour

    FortyFour Junior Member

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    +1 for another successful install. Thanks for the write up.
     
  14. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

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    Nice job! Many thanks for the instructions, (and the idea). When I first moved here (from the UK, back in 1983) I drove a VW Rabbit, and one of the first things I did was to fit a pair of Maserati Air-Horns, and when it came to sell the car, the first prospective buyer (kid only just out of his teens) bought the car because "…he loved the sound of the horn!" :rolleyes:
     
  15. Johnnycat

    Johnnycat New Member

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    Thanks for the write up!
     
  16. Seanzky

    Seanzky Member

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    Just bought these for $40 on Amazon. It seems that the price has doubled since the thread started. I can't wait to get these in the mail and install them. The beep-beep sound is truly pathetic. In fact, when I honk (lots of dumb drivers in Flushing, Queens), I keep it short so they don't get to hear the whole sound. :ROFLMAO: Just enough to let them know, "hey, the light turned green 5 seconds ago!"
     
  17. Skuits

    Skuits Junior Member

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    I installed the FIAMM horns yesterday. I noted that the terminals were on the side of the horns that I received, but didn't have any problems w/ the wires reaching. I did take care to bend the connectors away from the water hose on the passenger side, as it ended up very close and I wouldn't want it to rub a hole in the hose. Both brackets had to be bent slightly to accommodate the size of the new horns. Overall it was a bit of a struggle to do through the emblem hole, but well worth the effort. Love the new horns. I got mine from ebay, shipped to my house for both was $37. Amazon w/ tax and shipping was a bit more.

    I think the red horns bundled as a package would be oddly visible through the grill area...?

    Thanks so much for the great writeup. It was exactly what I wanted to do and it was nice to know what parts to use and how to install. I would've never guessed that thin little 14mm nut would've come off. Even w/ the instructions I was tempted to remove the original brackets - so glad I didn't.

    I love tooting my own horn now!!! ;)

    Nice Job!!! :) :) :)
     
  18. CeeJayNorth

    CeeJayNorth Junior Member

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    Just finished. Super simple with the instructions. I chose to remove the clips holding the top of the bumper cover because my hands wouldn't fit. Once that was done I had all the space I needed and I did not need to remove the emblem. Very happy with the new sound of the horn.
     
  19. Seanzky

    Seanzky Member

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    I did exactly as you did except it would have been nice to remove the emblem. I cut up the back of my hand on the radiator since it was such a tight fit. I'm kind of skinny and my hands are far from ginormous but even removing the top cover and loosening the bumper/front grill, I still couldn't fit my hand in there. I don't know how others who didn't remove the emblem did it. For me, if it wasn't for my stubbornness, I might have given up. I even removed the black hook for the hood and thought it helped a little, it was still a tight fit.

    It would have been a very easy install had I known where the hell I put my damn stubby screw drivers (new house, stuff everywhere, big mess). After about 45 minutes or so, I finally finished and it was all worth it.
     
  20. RedBackFur

    RedBackFur Owner

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    I just installed the Stebel Brio (La Dolcé Vita) model in my 2010 IV. I had a previous aftermarket horn (with horn relay installed), but the horn malfunctioned. I had to fashion a small extender bracket so it would fit (otherwise the hood would not be able to close), as this is a much larger horn. It is attached with a single screw to the bracket behind the toyota logo, in front of the radiator. (this mounting spot is designed to house the radar for the Prius technology package). The horn works great and is a real head-turner. And causes smiles because the sound is so unexpected.
    STEBEL® ITALIA - Trombe Horns
     

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