See full version: How to Connect an Electric Meter
Inside a standard household electric meter box, there is a center neutral bus bar with wire connection lugs at each and two hot bus bars, each with wire connections lugs at each end. There is also a connection lug for the grounding wire, which is bonded to the center neutral bus bar. None of these wire connection lugs is visible unless the meter mechanism itself is removed from the box. more
The actual wire connections are quite easy to understand. Three large-gauge stranded wires (two hot wires and one neutral) enter the meter box from a weather head on a metal mast (or from underground service) and are attached to the corresponding line terminals on the hot and neutral bus bars in the meter box. These feeder wires are known as the line wires. The load wires running to the indoor circuit breaker panel are connected to the remaining load terminals on the bus bars. And the grounding wire running to the grounding rod is connected to the grounding lug inside the meter box.
It is very rare for a homeowner to work on the electric meter that monitors current usage in the home. This device, which provides the connection point where electrical power passes through the wall of the home to reach the main service panel, is officially owned by the power company, not the homeowner. Therefore, any wiring connections should be handled by a professional electrician or by a technician from the power company. In fact, homeowners may be forbidden to work at the electric meter in any way. But it can still be useful to understand the functioning of the electric meter and the particulars of how it is wired.
The process by which an electrician or utility technician connects an electric meter involves making a total of seven simple wire connections: three line connections, three load connections, and a grounding connection.
Now you'll need a 12-volt test light or a voltmeter. You also should find a shop manual or, at the very least, a schematic diagram of the horn circuit. Start by testing for 12 volts at the connector to the horn. One side of the circuit is carried by the car's metal frame, so you'll need to check between a good ground point and the wiring connector for the horn. If there's no voltage at the connector, try checking the horn relay. [links]
The horn relay switches a large current to the horns at a signal from the low-current horn button in the steering wheel. It's a simple, inexpensive single-pole single-throw (SPST) relay, packaged in a small metal or plastic box with five spade-lug connectors. If you're unlucky, your vehicle uses a relay that's integrated into a larger box of sparks that also controls several other functions on your car, such as the headlights or the turn signals. This part is considerably more expensive. Sorry. Consult the shop manual for the location of the relay, as it, like the fuse box, may be hidden almost anywhere underhood or under the dash--and not necessarily near the fuse box. A simple SPST relay will have a constant supply of 12 volts to it, a lead that runs through the harness to the horn, another lead that runs to the horn switch in the wheel, and a ground. Check that voltage is coming into the relay and leaving it when the switch is pushed. If it's not, try grounding the lead that goes to the horn button to make the relay pull in. If the horn sounds, the relay is good but the horn button or its wiring is bad. You may be able to simply replace the relay if it's the problem. Otherwise, you'll need to do some serious detective work to chase down the open circuit.
But your horn doesn't blow. A sound more akin to the utterings of a dyspeptic goat emanates from your grille for a few seconds--then silence. Your horn is broken. The moment is gone. And your mood sours even further. here
If there's still no sound, make sure that a bad horn is indeed the problem by running a jumper wire directly to the battery terminals. If one horn is defunct, replace it. Generally, the horn will have an imprint or a sticker identifying it as a High or Low tone. To preserve the OEM horn character, you'll need an exact replacement. This will ensure that the horn's frequency (pitch) will be the same. If you're not fussy, any universal replacement will work, although the mounting may not be the same and you'll have to adapt it. [links]
Less-Than-Adequate Honking
In our scenario, the horn blew for a few seconds at reduced volume. This means that the circuitry that feeds the horn with 12 volts is alive and well. Most vehicles actually have two horns, wired to sound at the same time. They usually will be of a different pitch, sounding a chord instead of a single note. Some luxury cars use three horns for a more complex, melodious sound. The horns generally are mounted to the radiator core support or somewhere behind the vehicle's grille. A cursory rooting around in the engine compartment should find them.
If your car horn is not working, take a few minutes to go over these common problems and what you can do to fix them yourself.
Driving without a horn is illegal in many states. When you get your car state inspected, one of the normally checked components is the operation of the horn. If the horn doesn't work, you will fail state inspections.
Check Ground [links]
This article was co-authored by Anthony "TC" Williams. Anthony "TC" Williams is a Professional Landscaper in Idaho. He is the President and Founder of Aqua Conservation Landscape & Irrigation, an Idaho Registered Landscape Business Entity. With over 21 years of landscaping experience, TC has worked on projects such as the Idaho Botanical Garden in Boise, Idaho. He is a Idaho Registered Contractor and a previously Licensed Irrigator in the State of Texas.
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