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When it's dependant of the standing time, it's most probably some parasitic draw.
It can be something easy like a trunk not fully closed or an interior light switched to always on.
The next thing in the line would be a door switch (also glovebox) and then it starts to be tricky and you'll need an expert.
Parasitic draw can happen from a bulb filament falling into the wrong spot. If you have an aftermarket remote start, GPS or electronic equipment hooked up, can cause a drain.
Sooooo many more things to parasitic drains than just I don't leave x plugged in.
Parasitic draw is not in reference to plugged in appliances. It’s in reference to ANYTHING electrical in the car. For example, the computer that controls my radio parasitically draws power while the cars off. Something in your cars computers could be staying on, or randomly waking up.
Side question - So my bonnet release sensor is (potentially) currently intermittently failing.. it trips the alarm, shows Bonnet open warnings when the bonnets lock is engaged..
Will this be creating a parasitic drain? More so that if it fails overnight, I have to leave the alarm off,car unlocked to prevent it from tripping the alarm all night, this thread just triggered this thought process..
Am I correct in thinking it would only drain whilst failing? Sending failure signals back and forth, at the point of failure, to *ICM*?? (Guess work) .. which is likely, randomly, and continuously creating a parasitic drain?
Edit to explain the "potentially" - I also have water Ingress, not found where yet.. I think it may have been with the previous owner and now fixed, rear window is OEM, rest are factory.. but corrosion is slowly eating away.. I reckon this because when I put the car in reverse, the radio turns on. Haha. But I kind of like it, so I've prayed to the car gods to let the rust sit dormant for a few more years and let me enjoy my radio reverse function.
It could.. but that would take someone more skilled than me to tell you. That’s honestly what they thought was the parasitic draw in my car originally; a bad sensor, of which had a rubber stopper they replaced. Maybe you just need to replace the stopper (if you have one).
Fortunately, my car is both ancient and common, and parts are cheaper to replace the whole unit! In my case I've near on replaced 30% the car.. not a proud statement, I wouldn't have started if I knew the future.. but I'm so far in now, I'm driving this car until a firery demise.
The general answer is that the starter is not getting the current flow that it needs. This is most likely due to a faulty battery, second most likely due to a parasitic drain, third most likely due to a poor connection somewhere in the starting circuit, and least likely to be the starter itself.
The correct chain of testing is to:
1) wait a day, and check the battery voltage.
1a) if the voltage is >12v, move on to step 2.
1b), if <12v, get the battery tested.
2) you will need to diagnose the starting circuit. You will need to verify connections throughout the circuit, starting with the battery, starter, and engine ground straps. Don't dig into the wiring harness until the simple things have been checked.
3) if the battery tests good, and all your connections are tight and not corroded, you will need to diagnose a parasitic drain. Do this by measuring current flow through the battery. If there are more than a few milliamps, you have a parasitic drain. With the car OFF, pull each fuse in the engine bay until the current goes to zero. Keep checking fuses until you find it.
4) if none of these provide results, replace the starter.
EDIT: Swapped the order of 2 and 3, check the simplest things first even if they seem less likely.
I’ll also try these when I get home. I also think the starter is the least likely issue because this has a heavier duty starter since it has auto start stop, which I always turn off
19,000 miles in five years, does this sit for a week or more at a time? Lots of short trips? Under 10 miles is very short.
If so, what’s likely happening is the battery is sulfating due to lack of high state of charge. Car batteries (led acid type, AGM too) like to be at a high SoC, it’s a complex chemistry but just trust me they like it.
If you let it sit for a long time the electronics in the vehicle will still draw a small current even when it’s off and nothing is plugged in, this is normal and will slowly deplete the battery. If you routinely drive it only short periods and let it sit for days at a time, the battery will never fully recharge to a high SoC. This will kill batteries very, very quickly. If it is the case that you do not drive it much, a battery tender/onboard charger is in order for you.
Edit: I also worked for a Mazda dealer for a long time as a certified master technician. These are superb vehicles. I’d also recommend switching to an AGM style of battery, if you don’t drive it much.
Parasitic drain, internally failed battery preventing proper charge, alternator not working properly not charging battery properly.
Load test battery at full charge. If good, start and charging tests. Parasitic drain test is a little tricky for some. Might want to thoroughly Google and buy a multimeter and some leads.
Basically once you learned to to check for amperage draw with a multimeter. You open the hood and drivers door. Tape hood switch and latch door latch so thr switch is disengaged.
Watch to see what the draw on the battery is when every modules is shut off... if I remember correctly rule of thumb is 50mAmps and above is bad. But manufacturers do set their own standards.
My guess is remote starter or some after market crap is causing a drain, or even simpler a failed battery.
Defective battery cell? Check battery voltage.
Bad ground somewhere? Likely the ground on the starter, or engine block, could just be loose, or corrosion.
Don’t want this to sound like an advertisement.
But Mazda decided to put the TCM directly on top of the transmission on the Mazda 3,after around 200K you will start having problems,it’s located under the battery box. I removed mine sent it to a place called UpFix, they refurbish the TCM with no programming.Hopefully this will help out some people with the same transmission problem I was having.
Parasidic draw. If you don't have the money, disconnect the negative nightly. I have a 10mm wrench on my key chain because I'm lazy. I can't be bothered with finding the fault until I feel better. I went to Automotive school too. Everyone should own a dvom, and understand the functions. Disconnecting the battery is a temporary fix. The computer needs to be on 24/7 to learn, and pass smog. Then again this is a new per vechicle. The computer might have a panic attack without its 10 volts comming in?
battery could be dying. this happened to me. "new" doesnt mean perfect. also doesnt mean its the correct battery, but simply one listed as fits.
all that stuff aside if it truly was all good and well then get a multimeter and touch the battery prongs with volts on. should get ~12.6, not ~12.1.
if its low then you have an electrical fault somewhere that drains the battery when not supposed to. its called parasitic draw. it could even be as simple as you forgot to turn off a small cabin overhead light.
Parasitic wasps. They lay eggs in catapillers, so if you're keeping a lot of catapillers in your cylinders it can be harder to clear them out if they also contain wasps
it also could be and i dont know how to paraphrase it in english - if low pressure fuel pump is outside the fuel tank maybe fuel is going back to tank and every time it needs to pump it up before it reaches pump, so you need to check if there is leak between pump and tank and maybe install valve.
Thank you for posting to AskMechanics, ripemango5! If you are asking a question please make sure to include any relevant information along with the **Year**, **Make**, **Model**, **Mileage**, **Engine size**, and **Transmission Type (Automatic or Manual)** of your car. *This comment is automatically added to every successful post. If you see this comment, your post was successful.* *** Redditors that have been verified will have a green background and an icon in their flair. *** # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** ### **Rule 1 - Be Civil** Be civil to other users. This community is made up of professional mechanics, amateur mechanics, and those with no experience. All mechanical-related questions are welcome. Personal attacks, comments that are insulting or demeaning, etc. are not welcome. ### **Rule 2 - Be Helpful** Be helpful to other users. If someone is wrong, correcting them is fine, but there's no reason to comment if you don't have anything to add to the conversation. ### **Rule 3 - Serious Questions and Answers Only** Read the room. Jokes are fine to include, but posts should be asking a serious question and replies should contribute to the discussion. ### **Rule 4 - No Illegal, Unethical, or Dangerous Questions or Answers** Do not ask questions or provide answers pertaining to anything that is illegal, unethical, or dangerous. # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskMechanics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
When it's dependant of the standing time, it's most probably some parasitic draw. It can be something easy like a trunk not fully closed or an interior light switched to always on. The next thing in the line would be a door switch (also glovebox) and then it starts to be tricky and you'll need an expert.
I ruled out the parasitic draw because I don’t leave my dashcam plugged in to the 12v outlet. I’ll try to have other things checked
Parasitic draw can happen from a bulb filament falling into the wrong spot. If you have an aftermarket remote start, GPS or electronic equipment hooked up, can cause a drain. Sooooo many more things to parasitic drains than just I don't leave x plugged in.
Parasitic draw is not in reference to plugged in appliances. It’s in reference to ANYTHING electrical in the car. For example, the computer that controls my radio parasitically draws power while the cars off. Something in your cars computers could be staying on, or randomly waking up.
Side question - So my bonnet release sensor is (potentially) currently intermittently failing.. it trips the alarm, shows Bonnet open warnings when the bonnets lock is engaged.. Will this be creating a parasitic drain? More so that if it fails overnight, I have to leave the alarm off,car unlocked to prevent it from tripping the alarm all night, this thread just triggered this thought process.. Am I correct in thinking it would only drain whilst failing? Sending failure signals back and forth, at the point of failure, to *ICM*?? (Guess work) .. which is likely, randomly, and continuously creating a parasitic drain? Edit to explain the "potentially" - I also have water Ingress, not found where yet.. I think it may have been with the previous owner and now fixed, rear window is OEM, rest are factory.. but corrosion is slowly eating away.. I reckon this because when I put the car in reverse, the radio turns on. Haha. But I kind of like it, so I've prayed to the car gods to let the rust sit dormant for a few more years and let me enjoy my radio reverse function.
It could.. but that would take someone more skilled than me to tell you. That’s honestly what they thought was the parasitic draw in my car originally; a bad sensor, of which had a rubber stopper they replaced. Maybe you just need to replace the stopper (if you have one).
Fortunately, my car is both ancient and common, and parts are cheaper to replace the whole unit! In my case I've near on replaced 30% the car.. not a proud statement, I wouldn't have started if I knew the future.. but I'm so far in now, I'm driving this car until a firery demise.
The general answer is that the starter is not getting the current flow that it needs. This is most likely due to a faulty battery, second most likely due to a parasitic drain, third most likely due to a poor connection somewhere in the starting circuit, and least likely to be the starter itself. The correct chain of testing is to: 1) wait a day, and check the battery voltage. 1a) if the voltage is >12v, move on to step 2. 1b), if <12v, get the battery tested. 2) you will need to diagnose the starting circuit. You will need to verify connections throughout the circuit, starting with the battery, starter, and engine ground straps. Don't dig into the wiring harness until the simple things have been checked. 3) if the battery tests good, and all your connections are tight and not corroded, you will need to diagnose a parasitic drain. Do this by measuring current flow through the battery. If there are more than a few milliamps, you have a parasitic drain. With the car OFF, pull each fuse in the engine bay until the current goes to zero. Keep checking fuses until you find it. 4) if none of these provide results, replace the starter. EDIT: Swapped the order of 2 and 3, check the simplest things first even if they seem less likely.
I'd put connection quality right after battery test in this list.
You're right, somehow I talked myself into this order because of the "delayed fuse". I'll swap em.
I’ll also try these when I get home. I also think the starter is the least likely issue because this has a heavier duty starter since it has auto start stop, which I always turn off
19,000 miles in five years, does this sit for a week or more at a time? Lots of short trips? Under 10 miles is very short. If so, what’s likely happening is the battery is sulfating due to lack of high state of charge. Car batteries (led acid type, AGM too) like to be at a high SoC, it’s a complex chemistry but just trust me they like it. If you let it sit for a long time the electronics in the vehicle will still draw a small current even when it’s off and nothing is plugged in, this is normal and will slowly deplete the battery. If you routinely drive it only short periods and let it sit for days at a time, the battery will never fully recharge to a high SoC. This will kill batteries very, very quickly. If it is the case that you do not drive it much, a battery tender/onboard charger is in order for you. Edit: I also worked for a Mazda dealer for a long time as a certified master technician. These are superb vehicles. I’d also recommend switching to an AGM style of battery, if you don’t drive it much.
Right, probably not driving it enough to charge it. Lots of good suggestions here.
Id check the terminals for corrosion and loose connection
No corrosion on the terminals and the battery isn’t bulging. I couldn’t find any loose connections.
Parasitic drain, internally failed battery preventing proper charge, alternator not working properly not charging battery properly. Load test battery at full charge. If good, start and charging tests. Parasitic drain test is a little tricky for some. Might want to thoroughly Google and buy a multimeter and some leads. Basically once you learned to to check for amperage draw with a multimeter. You open the hood and drivers door. Tape hood switch and latch door latch so thr switch is disengaged. Watch to see what the draw on the battery is when every modules is shut off... if I remember correctly rule of thumb is 50mAmps and above is bad. But manufacturers do set their own standards. My guess is remote starter or some after market crap is causing a drain, or even simpler a failed battery.
I’ve seen a rough start because one of the grounds was corroded. Maybe check them all.
Dead battery
Bad battery or a parasitic draw
Defective battery cell? Check battery voltage. Bad ground somewhere? Likely the ground on the starter, or engine block, could just be loose, or corrosion.
Bro. Check the terminals. Make sure they're tight
Check the battery CCA and have it load tested at a local parts store. They do this free as a service.
Don’t want this to sound like an advertisement. But Mazda decided to put the TCM directly on top of the transmission on the Mazda 3,after around 200K you will start having problems,it’s located under the battery box. I removed mine sent it to a place called UpFix, they refurbish the TCM with no programming.Hopefully this will help out some people with the same transmission problem I was having.
Parasidic draw. If you don't have the money, disconnect the negative nightly. I have a 10mm wrench on my key chain because I'm lazy. I can't be bothered with finding the fault until I feel better. I went to Automotive school too. Everyone should own a dvom, and understand the functions. Disconnecting the battery is a temporary fix. The computer needs to be on 24/7 to learn, and pass smog. Then again this is a new per vechicle. The computer might have a panic attack without its 10 volts comming in?
Bad battery or alternator more than likely, slightly worn starter motor that’s gaining some gunk behind the pinion gear causing friction.
battery could be dying. this happened to me. "new" doesnt mean perfect. also doesnt mean its the correct battery, but simply one listed as fits. all that stuff aside if it truly was all good and well then get a multimeter and touch the battery prongs with volts on. should get ~12.6, not ~12.1. if its low then you have an electrical fault somewhere that drains the battery when not supposed to. its called parasitic draw. it could even be as simple as you forgot to turn off a small cabin overhead light.
Perform a voltage drop test to the starter and at the battery and the ground, if all pass perform and parasitic drain test.
Sounds like a battery to me. Perhaps you have a parasitic drain that needs to be diagnosed?
Parasitic wasps. They lay eggs in catapillers, so if you're keeping a lot of catapillers in your cylinders it can be harder to clear them out if they also contain wasps
it also could be and i dont know how to paraphrase it in english - if low pressure fuel pump is outside the fuel tank maybe fuel is going back to tank and every time it needs to pump it up before it reaches pump, so you need to check if there is leak between pump and tank and maybe install valve.
Check battery
Change the battery in your fob, it’s having an issue picking up the signal…..
If you have a key fob don't leave it in the vehicle. Learned the hard way myself
Ummmm it's a mazda... They are built like shit
It’s a Ford….ford bought Mazda a while ago
Could this have been a flood car? I've heard those get bought at auction a lot and dealers resell them.
Update: I can borrow a CTEK CT5 battery charger here. Can it fix this issue?
Considering it’s 5 years old, it’s due for a new battery if it hasn’t been replaced already.
Bro my battery is more than 10 years old and perfectly fine
It depends on how often you drive it, and what year of vehicle. Also quality of battery has a significant factor on life also
Your fuel pump could be going bad, Do you drive around on e allot? Have you ran out of gas before?
I never let it get below 1/4 tank
Its a crank issue, therefore very very very unlikely to be fuel related, as soon as it spins over properly it starts. Fuel is fine.
Fuel’s fine bud. Starts just cranks slow, electrical/starter issue here.
Parasitic drain