humanpotatohybrid wrote:
Quote:

CarFreak wrote:
Well I drove it the following day and as I was pulling out of a parking lot I lose power, the radio cuts and it feels like its coasting. Then the radio come backs on and power is back and I continue driving. While this was happening I was hearing some type of electrical noise in the steering column and it started to smoke. It stopped a couple seconds later and everything was fine but the horn didnt work... I figured something shorted or somehow that wire got power to it (it is a ground wire up through the column). Need to look into that. I dont know if this is connected but I also found out my power windows, seat and locks no longer work (need to check the circuit breaker and wires).

I was working on the a/c system and I may have leaned on the connections on the horn relay that allowed contact between the horn relay feed and the horn signal wire? again need to look into that.

Yes, I believe what must have happened your horn relay Bat and Switch terminals were shorted. Then either the horn was pressed accidentally, or there was some other short in the horn switch area, which would cause a direct short to ground. Normally a short to ground at the horn switch would just cause the horn to sound (much to the annoyance of classic car owners whom this happens to accidentally); the wire in the column provides power and it is grounded by the switch during normal operation. This by itself would never cause an overcurrent condition as the current is limited by the impedance of the horn relay coil.

Probably horn wire is toast and the contacts need inspected/cleaned. I know a guy with a whole steering column for sale for like 20 bucks up by Mifflinburg. Unfortunately it's still attached to the car.

If you inspect the wiring harness by the starter probably you will find that the battery wire or connections to the horn relay are also shot. Either the PS, PW CB was spliced into the same horn wire, or it is connected close enough to be likewise damaged by the heat from the shorting horn wire.

Also regarding the original horn problem: see here for the repair to this, page 4. I'm not sure the spacer dimensions but it shouldn't be difficult to figure out proportionally if you can measure the width or depth of the original hardware.https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/SC/SC-VOL29NO8.pdf

P.S. On the fuel issue, there is also a screen in the fuel pump. If you have the original pump and not cleaned out the tank (I don't remember if you did), the screen would be worth checking sometime preventatively I think.