Honk .. without starting engine ?

amcar · 07-25-2005, 09:54 AM

I am not able to honk unless the engine's started ? Is this normal ? Why would they do that ?

RichP · 07-25-2005, 10:03 AM

All BMWs are like that; I dont know their rationale for such a decision.

Broken1 · 07-25-2005, 10:07 AM

It is normal. Why they do that, i'm not sure. It doesn't really bother me, as I never honk my car when it's not moving. I think it might be because honking should only be to avoid an accident, so making it not work when the engine is off - stops people unnesasarily honking (ie to call someone from a house) and hence reduces noise polution.

ssangjune · 07-25-2005, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Broken1

It is normal. Why they do that, i'm not sure. It doesn't really bother me, as I never honk my car when it's not moving. I think it might be because honking should only be to avoid an accident, so making it not work when the engine is off - stops people unnesasarily honking (ie to call someone from a house) and hence reduces noise polution.

What if you're parked to wait for someone inside a house and a garbage truck is slowing inching towards your car.... dum dum dum.... run out of the car and yell "HoNk HoNk!!!!!:

ward · 07-25-2005, 10:45 AM

you can turn the car on, but not start it, then the horn would work

itznin · 07-25-2005, 12:46 PM

I guess the horn is electronic and needs the fob in to work.

BellasBmw · 07-25-2005, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssangjune

What if you're parked to wait for someone inside a house and a garbage truck is slowing inching towards your car.... dum dum dum.... run out of the car and yell "HoNk HoNk!!!!!:

Haha

billgti · 07-25-2005, 12:56 PM

all german cars i've been in have the honk disabled with the car off. if u turn the accessory power on, the honk will work. with japanese cars, the honk works at all times. it's just one of those small differences between japanese and german cars..like how japanese fuel gauges show fuel level with the car off and german cars don't...and japanese gauges take a while to register full after a fillup whereas german cars pretty much jump to full right when u start the car.

e90wraith · 07-25-2005, 03:25 PM

On a humorous note, the horn switch springs inside the steering wheel of my old Mazda were losing their elasticity, and the switch became very sensitive to touch. If I just brushed the top of the steering wheel, the horn would sound.

Anyway, I went to visit my parents in San Francisco last winter. I left the car parked in their driveway for the night. Around 2 AM, the police knocked on their door. The neighbors had called the police because my horn had been going-off all night! So I had to go out in the middle of the night to disconnect the battery. The police thought my car was possessed when they learned that I didnt' have an alarm.

What had happened was that it was much colder in San Francisco than Los Angeles, so the springs contracted a little bit, closing the switch, and causing the horn to go off. Since my Japanese car had an active horn even with the key removed, it allowed this to happen. If I had my BMW, this wouldn’t have happened.

So maybe the same thing happened to a German engineer at his parents' house in the past, and he vowed on his ancestors' grave that this would never happen again, at least for German cars.

bzzbenz · 07-25-2005, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Yell Honk Honk!

HaHa! Very Very Funny!

07-25-2005, 09:54 AM	#1
amcar New Member 0 Rep 22 Posts Drives: 2006 330i Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: NJ iTrader: (0)	Honk .. without starting engine ? I am not able to honk unless the engine's started ? Is this normal ? Why would they do that ?
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

07-25-2005, 10:03 AM	#2
RichP Major 144 Rep 1,184 Posts Drives: F80 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: CT iTrader: (4)	All BMWs are like that; I dont know their rationale for such a decision.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-25-2005, 10:07 AM	#3
Broken1 Addict 203 Rep 2,074 Posts Drives: 2024 X5 40i M-Sport Join Date: May 2005 Location: Ontario iTrader: (0)	It is normal. Why they do that, i'm not sure. It doesn't really bother me, as I never honk my car when it's not moving. I think it might be because honking should only be to avoid an accident, so making it not work when the engine is off - stops people unnesasarily honking (ie to call someone from a house) and hence reduces noise polution.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-25-2005, 10:45 AM	#5
ward Major General 155 Rep 6,158 Posts Drives: F Join Date: May 2005 Location: T iTrader: (0)	you can turn the car on, but not start it, then the horn would work
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-25-2005, 12:46 PM	#6
itznin Captain 26 Rep 679 Posts Drives: 2013 F30 Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: North NJ iTrader: (2)	I guess the horn is electronic and needs the fob in to work.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-25-2005, 12:56 PM	#8
billgti Lieutenant 26 Rep 506 Posts Drives: 06 BMW 330i Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Los Angeles, CA iTrader: (0)	all german cars i've been in have the honk disabled with the car off. if u turn the accessory power on, the honk will work. with japanese cars, the honk works at all times. it's just one of those small differences between japanese and german cars..like how japanese fuel gauges show fuel level with the car off and german cars don't...and japanese gauges take a while to register full after a fillup whereas german cars pretty much jump to full right when u start the car.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-25-2005, 03:25 PM	#9
e90wraith Private 37 Rep 69 Posts Drives: E90 325i Jet Blk Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Pasadena, CA iTrader: (0)	On a humorous note, the horn switch springs inside the steering wheel of my old Mazda were losing their elasticity, and the switch became very sensitive to touch. If I just brushed the top of the steering wheel, the horn would sound. Anyway, I went to visit my parents in San Francisco last winter. I left the car parked in their driveway for the night. Around 2 AM, the police knocked on their door. The neighbors had called the police because my horn had been going-off all night! So I had to go out in the middle of the night to disconnect the battery. The police thought my car was possessed when they learned that I didnt' have an alarm. What had happened was that it was much colder in San Francisco than Los Angeles, so the springs contracted a little bit, closing the switch, and causing the horn to go off. Since my Japanese car had an active horn even with the key removed, it allowed this to happen. If I had my BMW, this wouldn’t have happened. So maybe the same thing happened to a German engineer at his parents' house in the past, and he vowed on his ancestors' grave that this would never happen again, at least for German cars.
	Appreciate 0 Quote