Rivian 500hz Horn Upgrade -- Installed Pics & Video Sound Clip

[becada]

Has anyone with the OEM horn located on the drivers side attempted to access that location from the drivers side wheel well, without removing the frunk tub? I’m planning to do the installation this week and am curious if that’s possible before I go tearing apart the frunk.

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[SPITmadFIRE]

Alright, the much awaited summary is here @kong


Step 1: Turn steering wheel to full-right lock to provide clearance between tire and wheel liner. Remove seven TP20 screws that secure the passenger side wheel liner. You don't have to remove all of these, but I found that removing all of them now makes it much easier to align the wheel well liner before reinstalling.

Important notes:

• These screws are TP20 (Torx PLUS) and not normal Torx screws. Make sure you have a TP20 tool and not a regular T20 tool. Even while using the correct TP20 socket, they're incredibly easy to slip/round if you're not careful.
• Make a note of the wheel well liner position before you begin. The wheel well liner tucks up underneath the fender trim all the way around the wheel. When you start manipulating it out of your way in the next few steps, it may pop out from behind the fender trim in other places.

Step 2: Observe stock horn location, and unplug stock horn. The stock plug is in fact a Deutsch connector, and the Y-splitter linked previously in this thread works perfectly. In my install, I found it best to relocate the stock horn, and install the aftermarket HELLA 500hz in its place. Fun fact: the stock horn is a HELLA 400hz horn.

Step 3: Plan out your installation. If you have a horn with a Deutsch connector preinstalled, you may be able to mount it using the provided bracket to one of the many mounting points available in this area. Originally, I tried to attach the aftermarket HELLA bracket to the end of the stock horn bracket, but this did not provide enough clearance between the two horns, and also fouled on the wheel well liner itself when reinstalling. I decided to move the stock horn up and to the right from the stock bracket, mounting to a small hole already drilled in the metal subframe/bracket holding everything here together. I then soldered and shrink wrapped my Y-splitter to the new horn, leaving the other end as a Deutsch connector to plug into the stock horn.

Step 4: Securely fasten your aftermarket horn in place. I used blue Loctite to make sure it wouldn't unscrew itself due to NVH, and I recommend doing the same for these metal-on-metal fasteners.

Important notes:

• Make sure you position both horns such that they won't collect water. The bell of these horns is a perfectly shaped funnel. Avoid potential issues by positioning the bell level or below so that water doesn't collect inside. When I first opened up the wheel well liner last night, there was a considerable amount of water inside from recent rains and wet weather driving.
• Securely fasten down your cable lengths with zipties or similar fasteners, and trim them appropriately. There seems to be an exposed gear in the area that I didn't investigate too much, but definitely want to make sure your cables and zipties avoid. Consider how the cables may move while you drive the vehicle, and be sure to fasten them down appropriately to avoid issues.

Step 5: Ensure all plugs and fasteners are snug, then reinstall the wheel well liner. Make sure to position the wheel well liner underneath the fender trim all the way around the side. Do not overtighten the TP20 screws. Some of them appear to screw into plastic, and will easily strip the threads.

Important notes:

• Adjust the position of the wheel well liner before tightening the TP20 screws. It may take a little work to get it just right.
• Use the lower trim piece to align up to the wheel well liner while tightening the 4 lower screws that secure it. I've highlighted the lower trim piece in blue below.

 

[SPITmadFIRE]

Has anyone with the OEM horn located on the drivers side attempted to access that location from the drivers side wheel well, without removing the frunk tub? I’m planning to do the installation this week and am curious if that’s possible before I go tearing apart the frunk.

I just posted a summary for the passenger-side install -- I'd be surprised if the drivers side is significantly different, but feel free to provide photos when you do it to compare!

 

[Chrisy]

Alright, the much awaited summary is here @kong

Super helpful explanation with awesome photos!
Much appreciated!
(it's like an aerospace engineer's work )

 

[kong]

I just posted a summary for the passenger-side install -- I'd be surprised if the drivers side is significantly different, but feel free to provide photos when you do it to compare!

Thanks so much @SPITmadFIRE! Much appreciated buddy.

 

[becada]

I just posted a summary for the passenger-side install -- I'd be surprised if the drivers side is significantly different, but feel free to provide photos when you do it to compare!

Thank you for posting the thorough summary, it really makes me wish mine were on the passenger side. Unfortunately, after removing the driver side liner I found that I was unable to access the horn location from there and will have to remove the frunk tub.

 

[kong]

After @HaloEyes detective work on the passenger side horn location and @SPITmadFIRE almost surgical level details on installation, today I’m going to be removing the stock horn entirely and replacing it with a dual horn Hella setup in “compass” yellow because, you know, if someone looks down there, I don’t want to be left embarrassed

 

[kong]

Installed. Sounds great. If anyone is on the fence with a dual horn setup, don’t be, it really is a no brainer.

 

[Fast911]

Installed. Sounds great. If anyone is on the fence with a dual horn setup, don’t be, it really is a no brainer.

Where you end up placing the second horn? Got some pics?

 

[kong]

Where you end up placing the second horn? Got some pics?

Exactly where @SPITmadFIRE placed it in his photo above…

 

[SPITmadFIRE]

Where you end up placing the second horn? Got some pics?

Let us know if you run into any issues! Would be happy to help troubleshoot as needed.

 

[runningdenver]

I just posted a summary for the passenger-side install -- I'd be surprised if the drivers side is significantly different, but feel free to provide photos when you do it to compare!

hey - I wanted to thank-you for doing the pics. That really helped I followed the instructions, and added a 2nd horn, and it was literally 30 mins from starting to putting the panel back. Very nice, and sounds so much more 'appropriate' now for the size of vehicle. Appreciate it.

 

[Iatros786]

Hey guys, noobish question here :

If we have an older build, without taking the frunk apart to physically check, is there a way to know if we already have two horns?

And if we do, would an upgrade like this make any improvement?

 

[kong]

Hey guys, noobish question here :

If we have an older build, without taking the frunk apart to physically check, is there a way to know if we already have two horns?

And if we do, would an upgrade like this make any improvement?

For an older build you should be able to see the 2 horns through the grill, as in the thread below:

https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/...t-review-sound-clips-videos.23942/post-479097

A 3rd horn with a different frequency than the other 2 will help. Or you can go for the airhorn option as in the thread above…

 

[5280mcs]

Thanks for the info. Can you please provide the link where to purchase the connector? I did find the horns on Amazon, but for the life of me, no results on the connectors!

After @HaloEyes detective work on the passenger side horn location and @SPITmadFIRE almost surgical level details on installation, today I’m going to be removing the stock horn entirely and replacing it with a dual horn Hella setup in “compass” yellow because, you know, if someone looks down there, I don’t want to be left embarrassed

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