Horn unavailable
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 7
Likes: 8
From: Eugene, OR
2020 GLE 580
Horn unavailable
Interesting situation,. Once the car is shut completely off ( door opened and closed) the horn will not work unless as a minimum the accessories are turned on. I visited the dealer and tried the horn on the show room floor -- no joy. I believe the sales manager was surprised with no explanation.
I am not sure why this is the case. Consider the following scenario:
1. You park your car, turn it off, open the door to get out when you notice a car pulling into the space in front of you. It is getting very close and the driver is not paying attention. In order to toot the horn to get his attention, you lean in and push the horn button with no results. You now have to as a minimum activate the accessory switch in order to get his attention which is probably too late as you hear the bump and crunch. Not a good situation.
2. next scenario. You are stuck and need the horn to hopefully get someone's attention. Depending on how stuck for how long, you will have to turn on all the accessories which come with the accessory switch activation to blow the horn. Depending on the situation it could eventually lead to a dead battery.
Is this horn issue the same in all the MBs?
I am not sure why this is the case. Consider the following scenario:
1. You park your car, turn it off, open the door to get out when you notice a car pulling into the space in front of you. It is getting very close and the driver is not paying attention. In order to toot the horn to get his attention, you lean in and push the horn button with no results. You now have to as a minimum activate the accessory switch in order to get his attention which is probably too late as you hear the bump and crunch. Not a good situation.
2. next scenario. You are stuck and need the horn to hopefully get someone's attention. Depending on how stuck for how long, you will have to turn on all the accessories which come with the accessory switch activation to blow the horn. Depending on the situation it could eventually lead to a dead battery.
Is this horn issue the same in all the MBs?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 6,130
Likes: 1,117
A gaggle of MB's
Yes.... when the MB is shutrdown - the "driving horn" is off.
In your scenario(s) (and frankly I have encountered either "scenario" since I have been driving since 1967) - with Key Fob handy - push "Panic"
In your scenario(s) (and frankly I have encountered either "scenario" since I have been driving since 1967) - with Key Fob handy - push "Panic"
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 827
Likes: 202
From: Florida (727)
My question to that is how does the car make the horn chirp when locking the car via the key fob or the touchpad on the door handles? At that point I would think the car would be fully off?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2009
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From: Colorado
'21 AMG53 wDPP & ARC, 19 GLC300 - Former-03 C240,2 ML BlueTecs,20 GLE450 E-ABC,15 Cayenne D,17 Macan
Solution: Carry a Whistle.
It addresses both your scenarios, plus many more. And it's cuter than a key fob around your neck.
It addresses both your scenarios, plus many more. And it's cuter than a key fob around your neck.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 4,037
Likes: 1,012
From: Miami, FL
2003 CL 600
Alarm chirp is a different horn on some cars, but the reason you lose the inside horn, is that it's no longer a mechanical trigger to a relay, it's a CAN signal that tells the front SAM to trigger the horn relay. When the ignition is off and the networks are down, there is no signal for that horn. The KG module can still trigger the relay as needed to chirp the horn, but the steering wheel buttons are dead to the world once the body CANs shut down.
