Horn Replacement

4XMotion · May 24, 2010

Horn Replacement DIY
Tools you will need are as follows:
T30 torx (driver or socket)
10mm (socket or wrench)
13mm (socket or wrench)
Note : If your car has headlight washers (like mine) it will be a little more difficult to remove the lower side grille but you just have to take a little more care>
Step 1. Pop your hood and remove your VW logo to gain access to the (T30 torx) screw. Once the single screw is removed you can remove the upper grille.
Step 2. Remove the lower fog light bezel

The removal of both the radiator grille and the fog light bezel for your hand to gain access to aid the removal and reinstallation of the lower side grille the your horn resides behind.
Step 3. Starting from the outer edge (near the reflector) begin to firmly push inward to disengage the clips on the grille. Remember to work your way from the outside to the inside. You may find the you need to pull forward on the center bar on the bumper cover to enough space between the bumper cover and the frame to remove the grill

If your car came with headlight washers you have to unhook the hose from passing through the lower side grille. Once you have freed the grille you can either leave it in the fender or you can fish it out through one of the holes in the bumper cover.

Step 4. Once the grille is removed go ahead and locate the horn and horn bracket. Locate the 13mm bolt that attaches the horn and bracket assembly to the car and remove it. Once the bracket and horn assembly have been freed from the car you will now be able unplug the connection to the horn then you can decide whether you want to work on exchanging the horn in or out of the car.

Step 5. Use your 10mm wrench to remove the horn from the bracket. You may want to attach the new horn to the bracket loosely so that you can clock the horn into the right position before tightening it to your desired position.
From this point on reassembly is the opposite of disassembly

Take your time and work about the hoses back into place and especially take care when reseating the lower corner grille as you can get cut on the bumper rebar.

volkswagendude · May 24, 2010

Thank you very much!

Tahoe · May 24, 2010

4XMotion, I got your PM. Thanks for getting back to me. And thanks so much for posting this with photos. I still haven't replaced mine because I didn't know how to do it still. But now I do.

Thanks

siberian · Jun 2, 2010

BTW the grill removal is different on the T2s...

siberian

edebozo · Jul 30, 2010

My low pitch horn needs to be replaced according to the Dealer. Are the low and high pitch horns located in the same place? I have a 2007 V6. Thanks.

edebozo · Jul 30, 2010

Nevermind. High pitch horn is on left. Low pitch horn is on right.

VDubfan · Jul 30, 2010

This gives me something to do this weekend. I have a dual-tone airhorn just sitting in my garage..

dnsacks · May 28, 2011

Easier Way to Access Horn

Hi -- on my 04 v8, there was no reason to remove the fog light bezel or metal grille under the headlight to replace the horn. My horn is EASILY accessed once the center/upper grille is removed. Not sure if other years models are significantly different, but worth checking out the below before you proceed beyond removing the center/upper grille.

I found this on another post and, having replaced my horn in under 15 minutes, thought I'd post

Once you remove the center/upper grille (google "remove touareg grille" for comprehensive instructions), you'll see that there's a vertical plastic shield/piece extending from the top to bottom of the driver's side of the area behind the grille between the radiator and the headlight assembly(the horn's right behind it) that is held on by 4 t-30 screws (you'll need a stubby screwdriver or torx socket to reach as there wasn't enough room for my 8" torx screwdriver on the bottom screws), remove the screws, remove the plastic piece, and the low tone horn's right on the other side, easy to reach, etc. -- 10 mm nut holds on the horn.

Same procedure (I presume) to replace the passenger side horn, as the passenger side plastic panel looks identical (my high tone horn was fine).

I bought my low tone horn at my neighborhood porsche dealer for $50, my vw dealer wanted close to $100 -- after replacing, I saw that partsgeek is at $35. My vw dealer quoted me $400 (??) to replace -- this was easier and quicker to do than an air filter change on my 04 v8

siberian · May 28, 2011

Has anyone removed the grill on a T2? I'm curious about how to remove the VW logo since it's not the same as on the T1s.

siberian

dizzywater · Jun 20, 2011

This forum thingy is good !! About one month ago, one of my horns stopped,.......I had a look but couldn't even find the wretched things. Last week the second one died !! After looking at this thread I am much wiser about how to tackle it. I'm hoping that connectors fell off,...I don't fancy buying replacements.

4XMotion · Jun 20, 2011

dizzywater said:
This forum thingy is good !! About one month ago, one of my horns stopped,.......I had a look but couldn't even find the wretched things. Last week the second one died !! After looking at this thread I am much wiser about how to tackle it. I'm hoping that connectors fell off,...I don't fancy buying replacements.

Dizzy more than likely they are dead, for some unknown reason horns on touaregs have short lives, those connectors don't just off, so if you are going in there you might as well have new horns to go with.

If you are in the US those horns list for over $65 USD each but there are online parts dealer that can get them for you for about half the price.

noobytoogy · Jun 20, 2011

Don't buy VW - get one of these instead [it's not just for bikes either!]

Chrome Dual-Tone Motorcycle Air Horn

denver.pete · Jul 29, 2011

Adapters?

noobytoogy said:
Don't buy VW - get one of these instead [it's not just for bikes either!]

Chrome Dual-Tone Motorcycle Air Horn

OK, so being new to this... is there an adapter of some sort that I need to install a non-factory/OEM horn? Or do I just need to do a bit of splicing? I'm comfortable with splicing but would prefer to not have to just because of the location of the horns and wanting to keep it as clean/water-tight as possible.

Thanks

dizzywater · Jul 29, 2011

Treg horns

Sure enough,...I have a T2 and its necessary to take the whole front off the car to get at them. I was daunted by this and took the car back to the seller garage to have it done there. They took the lower plate off from under the car and were able to deliver a few smacks to the horns. This had the effect of reviviving them from their coma and lo and behold they work again. The garge guy said that lack of use often causes this so now when I remember, I blare the horns when driving along a deserted road !

denver.pete · Jul 29, 2011

dizzywater said:
Sure enough,...I have a T2 and its necessary to take the whole front off the car to get at them. I was daunted by this and took the car back to the seller garage to have it done there. They took the lower plate off from under the car and were able to deliver a few smacks to the horns. This had the effect of reviviving them from their coma and lo and behold they work again. The garge guy said that lack of use often causes this so now when I remember, I blare the horns when driving along a deserted road !

Wow.. I'll have to give that a shot. I wonder if all this "dead horn" epidemic could just have been cured with a few swift blows to the horns themselves. When I get time to take apart the grill this weekend I'll give it a shot and let everyone know.

Thanks again.

noobytoogy · Jul 29, 2011

Squirt some WD into the horns first and leave for 24 hours.

Then go somewhere where you won't disturb anyone and put your hand on the horn without releasing it for a long time. You might eventually get a "Parp" or even two!

Armagedor · Jul 30, 2011

I have replaced my horn twice in 3 years (nyc lots of salt in winter i guess) i repkaced wit an oem the first time and an aftermarket the 2 still runing a bit over a year on that one. U do jot need to takr the front off, access the hirn through the wheel well and work a bit on the tight space that is left?, it is posible to do. For the ftermarket hin i left the oem one on place(not working) just took the wiring and plyed it and connected the aftermarket one somewhere more accessible.

volkswagendude · Jul 30, 2011

Armagedor said:
I have replaced my horn twice in 3 years (nyc lots of salt in winter i guess) i repkaced wit an oem the first time and an aftermarket the 2 still runing a bit over a year on that one. U do jot need to takr the front off, access the hirn through the wheel well and work a bit on the tight space that is left?, it is posible to do. For the ftermarket hin i left the oem one on place(not working) just took the wiring and plyed it and connected the aftermarket one somewhere more accessible.

Out of curiosity, do you use it much or very rarely?

Can't be any more salt there than here, so I doubt it's that. I'm still on the original horn btw.

Armagedor · Jul 30, 2011

I don't think i use it to often, for NYC standards, but i bet it is above average use since we are so cramped here. But yes i have gone trough 2 of them in 3 years, first replaced at the steales (my god they take an arm an a leg) the one that im runing on is a unknown brand that i purchaced at a dubious auto equipment store for realy cheap, didn't even bother with the brand name jsut considered that the price was so cheap that even if i installed this and then buy the OEM part would still be cheaper than replacing at the dealer. The horn has a year now, and it is still good, and honestly even though they told me at teh store that it was a week horn, it sounds better and louder than the OEM (by the way the OEM sounds like the Jetta's). So far the unknown brand horn has worked no fading on the sound so o'm pleased, and if it last another year, i will consider it a very sound investment since it will last the same as the previous one for a fraction of the cost.

Laggyband · Jul 30, 2011

Heres is the removal and install guide from the manual, i am down to one horn and did not know it had duel till this thread, so i'll go investigating:

Horn Replacement

4XMotion

volkswagendude

Tahoe

siberian

edebozo

edebozo

VDubfan

dnsacks

siberian

dizzywater

4XMotion

noobytoogy

denver.pete

dizzywater

denver.pete

noobytoogy

Armagedor

volkswagendude

Armagedor

Laggyband

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