Horn sounding after battery cut

[B/C-BP]

Went to a front end job yesterday. Found the air bags activated, and the horn sounding. The battery cables were cut and the horn still continued to sound.... What up? This was a late model Buick.... Is there a back-up sustem, was the horn tied to the airbags? Anyone encounter this before?

[ 08-01-2001: Message edited by: B/C-BP ]

[IGO4IT]

Never heard of that. I did hear of incident where a screw was driven into the battery of the car and completed the circuit. so that is why now they teach the cut both cables twice method.

[rescueal]

Now you have several other cables attached to the battery. i have cut the two main cables and still have a vehicle horn blow at me, after i would cut the third seperate cable it would stop. you also see them attached to a seperate power source attached to the side wall.

be safe! cut it all out!

[rmoore]

A Posting From Ron Moore, Forum Moderator, to B/C-BP regarding his battery post - -

What did you ever come up with as an answer to why the horn sounded when the cables were cut?

I can think of multiple battery cables, expecially several negative cables, as being one possible reason. I've also heard of the damaged battery being impaled by a piece of metal, grounding the battery.

Last week, went to a collision where a vehicle at high-speed rammed into the back of a stopped vehicle. I noticed that the parking lights on the vehicle with front-end damage were still on when we arrived. (The headlights were obviously out because the bulbs were smashed).

Through the crumple of the hood, I was amazed to see that the battery was also cracked, big pieces were missing and even the internal battery cells were exposed. Yet power continued to the lights until we double cut all cables.

Just food for thought.

Ron Moore,
Fire Training Manager
Plano (TX) Fire Rescue
214-728-6776
<[email protected]>