1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Train Horns?

Discussion in 'Prius c Accessories and Modifications' started by steveoknievo, Aug 12, 2013.

  1. steveoknievo

    steveoknievo Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2012
    225
    79
    17
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Three
    As some of you may know, I used to drive big jacked up trucks. Well, with those jacked up trucks comes some fun toys. Before I sold my last one, I took off my train horn. It's a horn-blaster type horn with a compressor and tank, etc.

    Now, I'm not asking for legal or ethical advice or comments as I know what the rules and regulations are. I also am aware that I would be very pressed to find room to mount my horns and whatnot onto the car. But talk about horn mods in another thread got me dreaming about this. So instead of selling the kit to someone, I figure I'd ask you guys to see if wiring it up would damage anything/void warranty of my Prius C. Obviously the dealer would tug at any string they could if god forbid something did happen electronically to my car.. But on the other hand the horn is not going to burn out the wiring harness of the vehicle, it's the same electronically as an amp or anything else.. My question to you guys is about the compressor running. If I start the car up and it's on battery power, I'm wondering if this will tax the battery more than normal/in a different way? Does the power supply for those types of accessories run off of the hybrid battery or is it just like a standard vehicle (alternator powered)?

    I'd have it installed by someone who knows what their doing of course but I wanted to get insight from the masters on here about the wiring harness/hopefully non potential for an electronic issue should something come up?
     
    #1 steveoknievo, Aug 12, 2013
  2. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2010
    7,762
    6,564
    0
    Location:
    Redneck Riviera (Gulf South)
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    If you get it professionally installed, there should be no warranty issues at all, and even if the person who installs the (*cough-cough!!!*) accessory is as big an idiot as somebody who would put a train horn in a passenger car (not that I'm talking about you specifically!! ;) ) then the dealer is only released from warranty liability for the portion of the electrical system that's damaged by the non-oem appliance.
    I'm thinking that the horn compressor isn't going to be a heavy lift for the AUX wiring bus, since as you pointed out there are many C-type owners that accessorize their cars with amps and subs.
    In other words...if you suck a valve during the warranty period then you're not in danger of having Toyota deny the warranty claim because you decided to put a dangerous and illegal piece of electrical equipment in your car.
    The hybrid components (including the battery) are covered by a separate warranty, and if you live in a CARB state, you'll benefit from an extended warranty on those components.
    Of course.....You have to pick the person who installs the horn with care.
    If said person who installs the horn jacks your wiring up---whaddaya going to do? Call the Po-Po? Take them to small claims court? :)
     
    #2 ETC(SS), Aug 12, 2013
    steveoknievo likes this.
  3. steveoknievo

    steveoknievo Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2012
    225
    79
    17
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Three
    Thank you for your thoughts. (y) There's a place that does that sort of thing around here and they do pretty custom audio work too, so even if I was going to really do this I would have no issues with letting them wire it. (Not to mention they've done several for me on other vehicles in the past).

    I guess I just have more apprehensions about even adding an amp or sub to the car because it's a hybrid and just a tad bit different than conventional cars.. At least with the old carb engines I could fix most of the issues myself..Simple everything, even wiring harness. With this thing, I get a headache just looking under the hood.
     
    #3 steveoknievo, Aug 12, 2013
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)