Accordion tabs w/panel sub-nav - default open issues

Question

I have a spry accordion in a left sidebar, and I'm using it as navigation for a slideshow for a website I'm working on. Each of my 5 accordion tabs has a different category of slideshow, with each panel having multiple sub-navigation links that each link to a different slideshow which appears in the main part of the page (to the right of the sidebar). Say it's something like this:
VENUES (tab)
(start panel)
Bayside Restaurant (link)
Historic Ballroom (link)
Western Ranch (link)
(end panel)
ACTIVITIES (tab)
(start panel)
Surfing (link)
Dancing (link)
Horse back riding (link)
(end panel)
The sub-navigation to each slideshow is activated by simply clicking on the text, which I linked with the "point to file" link tool in the properties menu. 
Ideally, I'd like to work with one template in Dreamweaver for all pages/slideshows I'm creating, but I'm running into a problem.  I know how to change the default panel in the .js so that a different one appears open when a user first accesses the page, but I can't figure out how to get the default panel to change when the user clicks on a different panel and attempts to use the subnavigation.  The subnavigation works just fine (it takes the user to the correct slideshow), but then the panel snaps shut instead of remaining open on the one the user selected.
(So, to further explain with the example above, say the user wanted to look at all the links in the "Venues" tab, but the default is to have the "Activities" tab open on arrival.  The "Venues" tab opens just fine on the click, but as soon as the user clicks on, say "Bayside Restaurant," the correct slideshow appears to the right, but then the "Venues" tab snaps shut and the "Activities" tab and its sub-navigation appears open again. The user then has to click on the "Venues" tab again if s/he wants to see the other options and view a different slideshow, rather than simply being able to click on the next link.) 
I tried making multiple templates, with different default panels open as a solution, but that's not working either. . .for some reason it keeps defaulting back.  
Does this make sense?  Are there any solutions to this problem? Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
Rebekka

Answer 1

I think I found your problem.  It lies in the Javascript:
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
var indexAccordion = new Spry.Widget.Accordion("indexAccordion");
var acc1 = new Spry.Widget.Accordion("indexAccordion", { useFixedPanelHeights: false });
</script>
You have essentially duplicated the code in order to accomodate the useFixedPanelHeights.  Consolidate it into single one, and remove the duplicate:
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"> var acc1 = new Spry.Widget.Accordion("indexAccordion", { useFixedPanelHeights: false }); </script>
IE might be having trouble understanding the double instances of the script and is ignoring the latter one.  Just keep the latter one and it might fix it.
Also, thanks for the tip, but I use Chrome's Developer Tools... it just didn't cross my mind since I've been busy =)