Where is the horn?

[GeordieLaforge]

This is really helpful, thank you! Did you add you train horn to the OEM ones, or replaced them? I'm trying to figure out what to do, and I can't even find info on what type of connectors the OEM have. Ideally I would need to remove the aftermarket horn (considering either a Stebel Nautilus or a Wolo 419 Bad Boy) before returning my lease, so I prefer not to splice cables so it'll be easy to reconnect the OEM. I saw this site which made me wonder if the Telluride uses a special connectors for its horns:
View attachment 3174
Do I need to get such an adapter? I would really appreciate your help with the wiring configuration. Thanks!

I spliced in to the horn wires so probably not much help. If you can get the pigtails, then splice in to the current wiring and replace the pigtails before turning it in. I just used wire taps (https://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-20-Count-T-Tap-Wire-Connectors/999956682) and if done carefully, they can be removed and no one will see them...especially because they would have to remove the bumper to see them. The wires run in next to the radiator but are covered until they get to the horn. I just tapped in to the drivers side horn. Tapping in to the fuse as KaptinKia suggested won't work as you need to tap in to the switched side, which is the wire the goes to the horn. And don't forget the relay.

 

[GeordieLaforge]

Another doubt I have is the fact that the dealer mentioned that something as simple as replacing the horn would be enough for KIA to refuse honoring the warranty if anything were to fail (related to electrical). That really ticks me off! I have a Nissan Leaf which I had to add a double horn to its OEM as it was so low it was a safety hazard. Nobody could hear the horn in traffic. My bicycle's horn was louder than the Leaf's OEM horn (literally!). So I said screw it and spliced the wires and added a double horn, for a total of 3! Sure as hell everyone can hear it now and the warranty just expired and luckily nothing happened. The Telluride's seems nowhere near as bad as the Leaf's - although it can definitely use an upgrade , so need to consider if it's worth the risk, especially with so many owners having different issues, and KIA's poor track record accommodating customers. Would love to see what others think.

While it's possible that it could void the warranty, they would have to prove that adding a horn caused the electrical failure and that's almost impossible for it to do. With the relay, it barely draws any current and certainly not enough to cause a failure unless you really screwed up the install. But that would be like saying my driving lights caused the failure of the rear hatch switch....just not happening. And, you could always remove it

 

[Tahellyouride]

I spliced in to the horn wires so probably not much help. If you can get the pigtails, then splice in to the current wiring and replace the pigtails before turning it in. I just used wire taps (https://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-20-Count-T-Tap-Wire-Connectors/999956682) and if done carefully, they can be removed and no one will see them...especially because they would have to remove the bumper to see them. The wires run in next to the radiator but are covered until they get to the horn. I just tapped in to the drivers side horn. Tapping in to the fuse as KaptinKia suggested won't work as you need to tap in to the switched side, which is the wire the goes to the horn. And don't forget the relay.

I guess I need to see the original hook up and connectors to fully understand what I need to get. Splicing an added pigtail makes a lot more sense than the original wire, but then again, I need to understand how the wiring is connected to the OEM horns. If anyone has a closeup image of the connectors, that would be very helpful. Thanks again GeordieLaforge!

 

[Tahellyouride]

While it's possible that it could void the warranty, they would have to prove that adding a horn caused the electrical failure and that's almost impossible for it to do. With the relay, it barely draws any current and certainly not enough to cause a failure unless you really screwed up the install. But that would be like saying my driving lights caused the failure of the rear hatch switch....just not happening. And, you could always remove it

I totally agree with you, but what ticks me off is that car manufacturers will go to great lengths to find reasons not to pay. Even absurd justifications like that one. Removing the horn before servicing the vehicle makes sense, except that I'd be removing the bumper way more than I would like (any service call, maintenance, recall, etc...). At the end of the day you're assuming a risk for the duration of the warranty.