Sounds like you're the same kind of guy who created a hornet's nest under
the panel of my first airplane... all the wiring had to be redone it was so
bad. Now that I am older and wiser, before buying an airplane I look for
signs of any owner (i.e. amateur) wiring (or rewiring) and run from the
airplane if that is the case.

If you really want to save buck then hire a pro to do it right. That is my
opinion.

-- Plumb Bob

"Dave" wrote in message
om...
Okay, I screwed up. I was relocating the 3 panel switches for my STEC
30. The main power on/off, the nav 1/nav 2 and the alt. hold push
button.

When I relocated them and powered up, the self test succeeded and I
heard the servos testing themselves. But then one of the insulators
covering a lead on the alt. hold button came loose and the contact
touched my metal panel. Now, the AP doesn't work. When I turn it on,
the RDY/ST/HD/LO/HI lights all light up momentarily and then all
indicators go off. Usually, they would come one, and then the trim
up/down lights and alt. hold light would come on and cycle off.

I checked the breakers, but nothing popped out. I don't think there's
a fuse hidden somewhere under the panel, but maybe.....

Could something in the unit have shorted out? Is there anything I can
check before calling my avionics shop?