Good thing you located a repair service, reputable, we hope, to take a look at your PW F3. Considering the problem it was exhibiting, perhaps wiring for the horn circuit came loose and was grounding out on the frame, brackets, etc. This can cause a "short" that would be enough to drain current from the motors, but not sufficient to become a dead short, and prevent the horn functioning. I have work-on/repaired many PW engines and have seen this more than once. Nobody will deny that having a good cleaning and lub on any engine is a waste of time. Such is a long standing exercise of any maintenance program. However, any loose wires under the shell can become severe headaches for anyone. Hoping for the best in the repairs and having your father's engines running good as new.
Jesse TCA
