Could someone familiar with the PMDG 737 explain this mystery to me? I'm rather pleased with my progress in learning to manually program the FMC. But here's what invariably happens just after I land. I'll make a flawless flight (more or less), receiving no error messages or honking horns at all. I'll follow the LNAV flight path and the VNAV altitude and speed targets (more or less). I'll capture the glide slope and make an impressively smooth landing and come to a stop -- at which time the horn starts honking and won't quit under any circumstances. I get no error message. I've even tried flipping OFF every switch in the entire aircraft -- including the Horn Cutoff and the Alt. Horn Cutoff -- but the horn won't cut off. Is this perhaps a horn of celebration (for a successful flight) rather than a horn of impending doom? "Jane, stop this crazy thing."

I think the autopilot disconnect horn carries on honking until you click the 'disconnect autopilot' to confirm that's what you wanted it to happen.  Not quite sure what the correct procedures are, but that certainly silences the horn for me 😉

Thank you! I suspect that's my problem. I do disconnect the autopilot just before landing with the bar on the far right that disconnects everything at once. I then switch to an external view to watch the landing, where cockpit audio is unheard. When I return to cockpit view, the horn keeps honking. Where do you confirm that you want to disconnect the autopilot? On the FMC?

5 minutes ago, David Mills said:

Thank you! I suspect that's my problem. I do disconnect the autopilot just before landing with the bar on the far right that disconnects everything at once. I then switch to an external view to watch the landing, where cockpit audio is unheard. When I return to cockpit view, the horn keeps honking. Where do you confirm that you want to disconnect the autopilot? On the FMC?

Hey David,

Don't use the bar on the autopilot. Assign the "autopilot off" option in controls to a button on your joystick or keyboard. Press that button to disconnect the autopilot. Quickly press  again to silence the horn (this is how it happens in real life with an autopilot disconnect on the yoke, including the second press - which confirms your intent)

Had to step in here, seeing as you was asking Jane to turn it off ;))

all the best

Jane

Edited May 30, 20224 yr by JaneRachel

2 minutes ago, David Mills said:

Thank you! I suspect that's my problem. I do disconnect the autopilot just before landing with the bar on the far right that disconnects everything at once. I then switch to an external view to watch the landing, where cockpit audio is unheard. When I return to cockpit view, the horn keeps honking. Where do you confirm that you want to disconnect the autopilot? On the FMC?

I disconnect between 1000 and 500 feet AGL

1 minute ago, David Mills said:

Thank you! I suspect that's my problem. I do disconnect the autopilot just before landing with the bar on the far right that disconnects everything at once. I then switch to an external view to watch the landing, where cockpit audio is unheard. When I return to cockpit view, the horn keeps honking. Where do you confirm that you want to disconnect the autopilot? On the FMC?

I have a button on my yoke assigned and so, using that rather than the bar, I click once to disconnect the AP and then click again to cancel the horn.  In a GA aircraft, clicking a second time would re-engage the AP, but on these, presumably you always have to reset at the panel bar and button.

Yep one click to disconnect, 2nd one to declare your (deliberate) intent and silence the warning horn.

5 minutes ago, AJZip said:

I have a button on my yoke assigned and so, using that rather than the bar, I click once to disconnect the AP and then click again to cancel the horn.  In a GA aircraft, clicking a second time would re-engage the AP, but on these, presumably you always have to reset at the panel bar and button.

there should never be any reason to touch the bar on the autopilot deck in a 737, unless you are dealing with an abnormal situation.

1 hour ago, JaneRachel said:

Don't use the bar on the autopilot. Assign the "autopilot off" option in controls to a button on your joystick or keyboard. Press that button to disconnect the autopilot. Quickly press  again to silence the horn (this is how it happens in real life with an autopilot disconnect on the yoke, including the second press - which confirms your intent)

Should be marked as best answer. 

That sound can drive a person crazy! I’ve got “Toggle Autopilot Master” mapped to a button on my stick. Push once to deactivate then twice to confirm. 

5 hours ago, David Mills said:

I do disconnect the autopilot just before landing with the bar on the far right that disconnects everything at once.

Dumb Question, but what is "the bar" ?

Thanks to Jane and others, I have indeed stopped this crazy thing. I mapped the X button on my XBox controller to Autopilot Off. When I press it the first time, the horn sounds. A quick second press and I'm in peace again. This problem was something I don't think I would have figured out on my own. So I especially appreciate you guys -- and ladies! 

7 minutes ago, Beagle12 said:

Dumb Question, but what is "the bar" ?

There is a horizontal bar-like switch on the far right of the autopilot panel that turns off everything at once. Jane said we shouldn't use it unless there is an unusual situation.

OK Thanks

8 hours ago, JaneRachel said:

Don't use the bar on the autopilot. Assign the "autopilot off" option in controls to a button on your joystick or keyboard. Press that button to disconnect the autopilot.

Ironically, we have been advised against this very simple control binding for almost to 2 years now because the base sim "just doesn't support it, yet", despite this capability being available in past iterations of MSFS since 2002.

Maybe a person with your pedigree could convince the devs that basic AP functionality such as this should be universal across AC and not dependent on a 3rd party?   Hopefully, this could be "squeezed" into a update in the near future as they have conveyed they're sincerely dedicated to improving the core sim.