New Caprice - Discussion forums

First of all, are these left behind on all ex-service vehicles? There is a Whelen siren behind the bumper on the passenger side. I was hoping to get it hooked up for a local show that goes on by me weekly. Is getting this active something that would require some sort of controller/amplifier, or is it just a matter of applying +12v? I didn't see a model number, and when glancing at the wiring diagram, nothing really jumped out at me.

All the factory wiring does is provide 4 wires to the underhood area for things such as this. But no telling which ones they used or if they used the factory wires at all. Just have to follow the wires. Most likely it would require some sort of controller. SIrens are usually just dumb devises that just repeat what ever is sent to them.

That makes sense. I tried tracing the factory wiring to the inside and have it +12v with no effect. I'll have to get back under the car and see what wires (if any) are connected to it. Thanks for your help!

The siren speakers are not normally left on the vehicle as a practice but I would say yours was left either out of laziness or it was one of those out of sight out of mind things. They did not see it and therefore forgot to pull it out. It wont work without a siren amplifier which is either mounted in the center console, under the seat or in the trunk usually.

Controllers for sirens are not the cheapest.

Also, I would be careful with having usable emergency equipment in the vehicle. Some agencies do not mess around with it. Some couldn't care less. But I know hat if you activated it in public, you'd most likely have some problems. Ha

What was in my car was a Whelen Alpha series amplifier that went to a speaker in the engine compartment that was left behind when the amp was pulled out. The Alpha amp has no control head, you wire it for the option(s) you want switch-wise and then use dip switches on the amp to program up the configuration. I wired my amp airhorn ONLY, power was always on to the amp when the car was running via the pink keyswitch 12V line in the trunk. So, I only needed four conductors off the amp to go forward in the car. Two for tone activation, the other two for connection to the speaker. Turn the key on, the amp powers up. Push the button and 100 watts of BZZZZZZIP for as long as it's held

In Florida an electronic airhorn is pretty much "safe" as long as you don't go busting intersections with it, etc etc.... Siren tones.... um.... nope! I wish that I had that airhorn installed when the dweebils running the Daytona Spring Fling told me my car was a "grocery getter" and wouldn't let me show it with the GoFasst bunch years ago at their last organized car show. They asked me if I had a siren in the car and my answer was "nope". Then they turned me away. GRRRR.....

It all depends on where the siren speaker comes from. Some have them behind the bumper on the left or right behind the "fog grilles" and others (like kerr) have them bolted to the hood latch. There is a four pin connector behind the right headlight to run the siren speaker and the grille lights and those wires run underneath the dash to the upfit connector.

No it needs to be connected to a 100 watt siren driver which is part of police "unitrols" which is what activates light and siren. Just putting 12vdc to the speaker will just make a popping noise and is a way to tell if the speaker is good or bad.