Hi all. The main relay on my 93 Del Sol had some badly cracked solder joints. I resoldered it a few days ago and popped the switch back in, hoping it would fix a mysterious electrical problem I'd been having in the fall. I turned the key and only got a sad chiming and a faint whir from the starter, as though the battery is dead. Now, the battery probably *is* dead, because prior to this the car sat in the driveway for two months in the freezing cold (don't ask...).

But I'm worried I might have shorted out part of the relay. I don't think I did - I'm a decent solderer - but could this cause symptoms similar to a drained battery?

And here's the big question: if there *is* a short, and I try to jump start the car, could I do any lasting damage to the electrical system - or can I just trust my fuses?

 

Go ahead and jump start. The only thing I could see is having the relay shorted so the fuel pump runs all the time (which would take a really determined effort to do with just solder). That would drain the battery within a few hours but not immediately.

 

Thanks for the advice! I'll give it a try with crossed fingers.

 

Lead acid batteries have a high self discharge rate. If it sits for a long time without charging, sulfation will take over, greatly reducing battery capacity.