06- horn going off when backing with door open

[NSperduto]

And I just searched the website to see if there was a fix for this. They did this recall on my '04 and it absolutely sucks because I'm constantly backing into my driveway at night or a campsite with a 34 foot trailer and I open the door to see the trailer and now the damn horn keeps honking. That's a great way to annoy everyone in the camp and me and my neighbors.

This absolutely sucks. and I'm not even going to ask the dealer because I already know the answer. The seat belt trick does not work in my '04. I have a seta belt extender always plugged in and it still honks. The only think I can think of is to put a switch on the horn wire and flip the horns off when I need to back up. This is one idiotic recall that really sucks.



Nick

 

[Matt400]

Unless I authorize them to perform this modification mandated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, they (the "dealer") will not honor of perform any warranty service on my 2003 Ram 3500 DRW truck. "

Need a new Dealer

 

[Nine Ball]

Yeah, I suppose you could just hook the horns up to a toggle switch and just turn them off. I rarely use the horn anyways, people just get out of my way

 

[swexlin]

Need a new Dealer

Agree. I had mine in for regular service (oil, etc) a few weeks ago, and stated to them, IN WRITING, that I am refusing this "recall", and that I did NOT want it done on my truck. Easy as that. They didn't do it.



Of course, it's probably only temporary. Next time they have to do anything under warranty that involves reflashing or something, I'm sure this is already encoded into ANY new computer flashes that come out.

 

[JMalone]

Ahh, the ol' horn going off when backing up. I liked to have had a heart attack the first time it happened..... What was funny was I went to show my husband (before I realized that the seatbeat mattered) and of course I was buckled up and it wouldn't work. He thought I had finally went totally crazy. It finally dawned on me that I didn't have my seatbelt on when it happened -- so I was able to prove to him that I was at least a little sane... . for now

 

[Hoefler]

You could wire a relay in the horn wire, wire the dome light in to activate it. You can use a cheap relay that they sell for driving lights, has normally open and normally closed terminals, wire the horn on the normally closed terminal. Dome light on opens it.

 

[LewisD]

You could wire a relay in the horn wire, wire the dome light in to activate it. You can use a cheap relay that they sell for driving lights, has normally open and normally closed terminals, wire the horn on the normally closed terminal. Dome light on opens it.

Great idea! Oo. I was going to put a switch on my horn until I read your post.



Half the time the horn scares the crap out of me so I would not remember to switch the horn off or buckle the seatbelt (if that even works on my truck)

 

[Huskerman]

This is the funniest thread I have ever read on the TDR I think. I have quite a few relatives that drive trucks for a living and when I told them about this thread they all said the same thing.



"Learn how to back up with your mirrors. "



Much ado about nothing.



I don't know what is more ridiculous:



Dodge installing this "safety" feature



OR



People who get literally ****** off about it.



Huskerman



P. S. If you know a lawyer, thank them for this little "safety" feature.

 

[LewisD]

"Learn how to back up with your mirrors. " There is always one in the crowd :-laf



It's not the fact that we need to learn to use our mirrors, if you have tried this and need to get in and out of the truck often, you almost always get one annoying tweet from the horn. Not good at 2AM backing into a camping spot and when mirrors don't cut it.

 

[Huskerman]

LewisD,



Hey, I am not saying that I think Dodge installing this was a good idea. People getting this upset about it is humorous to me. I know, I am probably just stirring, but, oh well.



I have never opened my door to back up. Not for parking, not for trailering etc. Maybe its because its a little harder to look out the door with manual. Not sure.



Huskerman

 

[NSperduto]

.



"Learn how to back up with your mirrors. "



Much ado about nothing.



I don't know what is more ridiculous:



Dodge installing this "safety" feature



OR



People who get literally ****** off about it.



Huskerman



P. S. If you know a lawyer, thank them for this little "safety" feature.

So they never turn and look out the window of the truck when backing.

so tell me . I'm backing a 34 foot camper off a street into a drive way that is at a 90 degree to the street (or less) so you get the camper jacked hard, you can look in the mirror and all you will see is the front of the camper. So it's either adjust the mirror or look out the window/door. I prefer to open the door and look out.

And don't tell me that I'm the only one that does this. and it's not me not knowing how to back up a trailer. I'm not saying I hang out the door the entire time, but until I get tht truck to come around enough to use the mirror. and I've watched plent yof camper folks do it the same way as me. Including my dad whos driven 18 wheelers for over 30 years.

but maybe it's just that I'm fat and I'm not limber enough or small enough to turn around in the seat without hanging out the door.

 

[Huskerman]

I'm fat and I'm not limber enough

That would make two of us!!



I never said you were the only one that does this. I never said that if you have to look out your door you aren't skilled enough.



I said I think it's funny that people get this angry.



You do what you gotta do to get your rig parked. I have a hard time envisioning somebody hanging out the door while backing up a 35' whatever while driving a manual though. That must be a sight!



Me, as fat as I am and even WITH the topper I have I still use the mirrors and maybe occassionally turn around and look out the rear window. To each their own.



Huskerman

 

[nickleinonen]

one wire snipped in the door to make the truck think the door is always closed solves everything. although interior light won't work when door is opened [a relay to disconnect the wire when the engine is running maybe?]

 

[navyjoe]

I just got my 06, automatic, it does it every time. I hate it too. I will try the set belt trick. Personally it is really stupid. It is a real bummer in a campground. I now have a quiet diesel that deesn't wake every body up except now the horn honks and wakes everybody up. Really good horn though!

 

[raf2000]

Agree. This is the most irritating thing on my new 06 3500. I found a novel fix today. Ordered a seat belt extender, short strap that is meant to give about another 12" of seat belt reach. Has the blade on one end and a receiver on the other. Light in dash is now off, and no more horn blow in reverse, best $18 I ever spent. Nothing wires to clip or rules to "comply" with. . Pickup truck drivers do NOT have to wear a seat belt in Georgia. DC part # 05135197AA

 

[RNash]

There has been a post about how to disable the horn. I tried it on my 04 and it works good except every so often it beeps. Haven't figured out the sequence yet. How do you do it? you grind off about 1mm from the end of the key, do just a little at a time. I used a spare key the first time.

 

[robmints]

I'm not very good with words as you all know. Can someone write something up so we can all send it to nhtsa?

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/



Maybe if they get enough complants they will realize they are making people work around and disable other safety equipment because the solution Chrysler came up with was not a true fix, but a poorly placed band aid. I mean if it was really a good idea all cars and trucks would have this feature. Never mind about that last comment, wouldn't want to give them any ideas. But enough complaints does work. VW would not recall some late model cars for fuel pump failures, but an organized complaint drive caused nhtsa to force them to recall. That is the only one I was part of, but I'm sure their have been others. It can work if enough people want to participate.

 

[JimBob24]

1. Early AM departure from campground. Try to back up to 5th wheel quietly.

2. Get out of truck to check hitch release.

3. Get back in truck and back up. Door not completely closed.

4. WAKE UP NEIGHBORS IN CAMPGROUND WITH HORN.



That was enough for me. I unplugged the seatbelt switch plug located on the right rear driver's seat leg. I placed a female spade terminal across the two posts inside the seat belt plug recepticle. That's it.



Now I can back up all day with the door open if I want with no horn blowing. I don't have to listen to the seatbelt chime when I turn the key on before fastening my seat belt either.



The only difficult part of this mod was reaching my not-so-petite hand around the leg of the driver's seat to reach the plug. It is held in place with a plastic "Christmas tree" so I pushed it out so I could pull the plug down to work on it. There is a little red tab on the recepticle which you slide outward until it clicks, then press down on it to release the plug from the recepticle. Looking inside the recepticle you will see the two small pins which you can jumper with a female spade terminal or something similar. If you want to return to stock, just remove the jumper and reinsert the seat belt plug.

 

[MSalvatore]

Dam that's funny I was backing up last night with drivers door open and I heard a beep. I looked around and nothing and was perplexed as I didn't hit the horn. Now I know why.

 

[AlK]

I know I am cheap, but this was an easy fix and it works.





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