just got done offroading with a ton of mud and water that entered into the engine.. for w/e reason my alarm doesnt beep as loud as it used to before i went offroading.. what did i do? the battery is fine( as the car starts with 1 try) i also drove home about 10 miles with all that mud n stuff in it, soo i think the overall car is fine...

Mud in the horn? I think it's somewhere by the front bumper or wheel well so it could have gotten packed with mud. Anyone remember exactly where the horn is on the '97?

Haynes Repair Manual says there are two... located behind each headlight. Should be fairly obvious... I remember seeing my right one. Circular, a few inches in diameter.

 

Does the alarm system use the horn for the "notification" beeps? I was under the assumption that it used something besides the horns, due to the difference in sound. 'Course, I haven't paid all that much attention to it, too...

 

Update: I went out the this morning to check it... the alarm system does use a different horm for the notification beeps. Stand at the bumper, looking towards the car... it'll be located on the left side of the car, on the left frame area, pointed downwards. Hit the 'unlock' button on the keyfob, and that should point you to where it is if it's kinda hard to see. Fairly obvious on my '97 OBW, though. The horn does point downwards, and it looked like mud/snow might have a chance to spray upwards to hit it..

Bump for updated info /\

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just got done offroading with a ton of mud and water that entered into the engine.. for w/e reason my alarm doesnt beep as loud as it used to before i went offroading.. what did i do? the battery is fine( as the car starts with 1 try) i also drove home about 10 miles with all that mud n stuff in it, soo i think the overall car is fine...

 

First year that used vehicle horn for alarm system was 1999. 1998 and older vehicles use a separate "siren" that looks like a little bullhorn. If it's a Subaru alarm system, that will be attached to the right strut tower and it points downward.