[zelda.silver18]

I have a 2019 Mazda CX3. For the last two and one half years I have had ongoing problems with the battery draining and the car not starting as a result.

Last January I brought it to the dealership thinking there must be a parasitic drain. I was given a new battery and told the problem was that I was not driving the car enough given all the electrical systems and I had to start the car every day to prevent this from happening. For the record, at this time, given COVID and being newly retired, I was driving about three times/week.

Since that time, I have started the car just about every day and have continued to drive the car three to four times/week. Despite that over the last three months I have pretty much had to charge the battery every time The car simply wouldn't start even if it had been driven less than 24 hours before.

This week I brought the car back to the dealership. They once again replaced the battery (no charge, which I appreciated). Once again. they were unable to find a parasitic drain. I was told to drive the car every day for at least 30 minutes. They also suggested I purchase a smart battery maintainer.

I know may people with similar vehicles that drive their cars even less that I do but not have this problem. If I were using the car only a couple of times a month, I would understand the battery issue, but I am struggling getting my head around having to drive a car daily in order to maintain a battery!

My Questions:

1. Is this battery drainage problem common in the CX3?
2. Is there a specific number of km or miles I must drive each day/week to prevent this?
3. Is there a specific number of minutes I must drive daily to prevent this?
4. Could this yet be an undiagnosed parasitic drain?
5. Is this simply a lemon or would this happen with any Mazda vehicle?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Malks]

Your battery issue is not confined to Mazdas, or CX3's. My daughter has a brand new 2022 Honda HRV and just needed to replace its battery. It would not start after being parked in their garage for a few weeks. A couple of hours on the charger and it started up fine. They had the battery replaced at the dealer and also had the instruction to drive it more often. I found this to be extremely strange because I have never encountered this issue with any car I have owned and have occasionally left them parked for weeks at a time.

I replaced the battery in my 2016 CX3 last year because it was 5 years old and showing signs it was loosing cranking power. This is to be expected, given our Canadian climate.

It would seem that all of the electronics in modern cars must create some sort of drain on the battery. Even with these features you should be able to park your car for a week or so and be certain it will start when you return. Think of taking a trip and parking at an airport lot and then having to call for a boost when you get back.

You didn't mention if you park in a garage, or outside in the cold, or if you had similar problems over the summer. Either way something is not right. Hopefully the latest battery installed by the dealer will last longer and be an end to your problem.

 

[zelda.silver18]

I know that batteries will die if the car is not driven for weeks at a time, but my car is driven several times a week, and I am on my 3rd new battery!

I park outside (block heater is well used).

I would say the problem began in November 2020. The battery was replaced Jan 31, 2021 and I began having problems again probably late fall/early winter 2021.By February my car wouldn't start less than 24 hours after use. We had to use a battery charger almost every time I want to use my car so clearly the battery was toast again!

Not sure if winter is the culprit given the cycle of battery replacements. I know that the battery takes longer to charge in cold weather, and I also know that there is always some battery drain with all these electronic/computer parts in newer vehicles. But I still don't think my problem is typical.

I am concerned that the problem will reappear in another 8 months or so given the history. I am not really in a position to drive 30 minutes everyday to avoid the problem as per Mazda's suggestion, and quite frankly I don't think I should have to do so. It's only three years old!

I can purchase an intelligent battery maintainer even though that really shouldn't be required given the amount I do drive and the age of the car. Not sure if they can be installed as I do not have a garage. I could also take it to a non-dealership auto shop and see if they can find a parasitic draw, although that would be costly and may not yield results. I could buy a new car, but would the same thing happen?

Any additional thoughts or ideas would help.

 

[Malks]

This is definitely not typical. You should be able to park any car for more than a week and be able to start it without needing to boost the battery.

There are only two possibilities here, either the batteries Mazda uses are defective, or there is an undiagnosed drain on the battery. I would get a second opinion from another shop and have them do a battery test looking for any drain on the battery. Since the drain is causing the battery to loose power in less than 24 hours, it should be easy to find. This test would also let you know if the battery itself is bad.

When I replaced my battery last year I purchased a DieHard battery from a local auto parts store.

I hope you find a solution to this issue.

 

[zelda.silver18]

Thanks! I hope I find a solution too!

 

[SlyCoopers]

Something somewhat relevant to this topic which i just had happen a few days ago. I installed a relay for my front bar fog lights a year+ ago and never had an issue with relays ever until now. Couple nights ago i see the lights on dimly at night which didn't make sense considering its about 600w+ capacity of intense light so "dim" isnt a option. Turns out the relay randomly decided to not work and was slightly stuck open. I could still turn them on and it would be at full power but when shut off it would not fully close. This wouldve chewed through my battery within a day. I replaced the relay head and things worked again as it should.

Not sure if relevant here but the only parasitic drain on a stock (no audio mods) cx3 to the capacity posted here seems to most likely be a symptom of a bad relay somewhere. Usually one would think relays stop working when they go bad but sometimes the opposite happens lol. Problem is you dont know which unless you explicitly test all relays or just replace them all.

 

[zelda.silver18]

Something somewhat relevant to this topic which i just had happen a few days ago. I installed a relay for my front bar fog lights a year+ ago and never had an issue with relays ever until now. Couple nights ago i see the lights on dimly at night which didn't make sense considering its about 600w+ capacity of intense light so "dim" isnt a option. Turns out the relay randomly decided to not work and was slightly stuck open. I could still turn them on and it would be at full power but when shut off it would not fully close. This wouldve chewed through my battery within a day. I replaced the relay head and things worked again as it should.

Not sure if relevant here but the only parasitic drain on a stock (no audio mods) cx3 to the capacity posted here seems to most likely be a symptom of a bad relay somewhere. Usually one would think relays stop working when they go bad but sometimes the opposite happens lol. Problem is you dont know which unless you explicitly test all relays or just replace them all.

Yeah. The deal has checked the car twice for a parasitic drain and have not found any system with an unusually high draw. They recommend a smart battery maintainer. Apparently you can get one installed under the hood which you have to plug in every night, I am assuming like a block heater. I am not sure if taking it to another dealer or mechanic will yield results as electrical problems are hard to find in these newer vehicles. wonder what it would cost to replace all the relays?

 

[hsdejong]

1. Is this battery drainage problem common in the CX3?
   No
2. Is there a specific number of km or miles I must drive each day/week to prevent this?
   No
3. Is there a specific number of minutes I must drive daily to prevent this?
   No
4. Could this yet be an undiagnosed parasitic drain?
   Yes
5. Is this simply a lemon or would this happen with any Mazda vehicle?
   Maybe / No

Once I was abroad for three months and could not use my then 2018 CX-3 model during that time.
I researched how long it would take before the battery would be discharged by the parasitic average current of the connected electronics. The power consumption according to Mazda documents was about 55 mA. That would mean that the battery would be discharged in about a month and a half. Therefore I decided to disconnect the battery during my absence to prevent a flat battery when I came home.
In my opinion you should be able to park your car (with a normal battery condition) for at least a month without any problem. In extreme cold that period will be shorter, but should be at least a couple of weeks.

 

[zelda.silver18]

Thanks for your answers. I was pretty mad when I was told I have to drive the car everyday for 30 minutes to avoid a battery drain. I really felt that driving at least three times a week should be sufficient. When I mentioned this I was told I was not driving enough KMs. That made me angrier!
It seems like I do drive often enough to expect my battery to stay charged enough to start and that I would not likely have the same issues with a new car. Not sure I can trust Mazda but I do like the roomier CX30

 

[joseroig]

Thanks for your answers. I was pretty mad when I was told I have to drive the car everyday for 30 minutes to avoid a battery drain. I really felt that driving at least three times a week should be sufficient. When I mentioned this I was told I was not driving enough KMs. That made me angrier!
It seems like I do drive often enough to expect my battery to stay charged enough to start and that I would not likely have the same issues with a new car. Not sure I can trust Mazda but I do like the roomier CX30

I have owned many cars and never had that problem, your warranty will expire soon and you should be looking for a local repair shop to handle any repairs on your car in the near future, ask your friends or neighbours to recommend someone, choose one and go there, explain your situation about your battery and commit to taking your car there in the future, good luck and God bless.

 

[Dunolde]

Just a thought...I have a 2018 CX3, new to me last Sept. No electric seat warmers so I tried out three different plug in (battery socket) models until I found one that
worked well for me. Cold NE Winters, this past one, especially! Anyway, they all had LARGE WARNINGS to be sure to not leave the plug in the socket when
leaving the car. 1) Because it will drain the battery over time, even with the car shut off!
2) More worrisome, it could overheat and cause a car fire!!
So, I always unplug when shutting off the car, actually, usually before, because it gets really warm!

So, I ask, do you have one of these, or anything else you might leave plugged into the battery socket?

 

[SlyCoopers]

Just a thought...I have a 2018 CX3, new to me last Sept. No electric seat warmers so I tried out three different plug in (battery socket) models until I found one that
worked well for me. Cold NE Winters, this past one, especially! Anyway, they all had LARGE WARNINGS to be sure to not leave the plug in the socket when
leaving the car. 1) Because it will drain the battery over time, even with the car shut off!
2) More worrisome, it could overheat and cause a car fire!!
So, I always unplug when shutting off the car, actually, usually before, because it gets really warm!

So, I ask, do you have one of these, or anything else you might leave plugged into the battery socket?

Doubtful this is a thing seeing as i have a two capacitor based dash cameras powered through a usb charger pluggin in always that turn off when car is off and have an aftermarket remote starter system which is "always on" to receive a signal from whenever i press the button to remote start it and can go 2 weeks + with no issue starting back up on a 2016. So take that as a baseline and as a metric that charger port is acc power only not always on like other cars, (which i think isnt allowed anymore but cant confirm fully)

 

[[email protected]]

Yeah. The deal has checked the car twice for a parasitic drain and have not found any system with an unusually high draw. They recommend a smart battery maintainer. Apparently you can get one installed under the hood which you have to plug in every night, I am assuming like a block heater. I am not sure if taking it to another dealer or mechanic will yield results as electrical problems are hard to find in these newer vehicles. wonder what it would cost to replace all the relays?

I am no expert but I own a 2019 CX3 in cold weather state (Cleveland OH) & we do get below zero in winter. My vehicle has 3,000 miles on it. (I also have 2011 Mazda which is my winter car). I have had no problems starting car in cold weather. I don’t start vehicle on weekly basis. If I had trouble & dealer can’t resolve it I would call Mazda directly. In the US the number is 1-800-222-5500…sorry I don’t know of Canada number. They have been very helpful to me in past. The number should be in your manual (I have a printed manual in my glove box & could look it up for you if you need. If I had that much trouble with my car I would trade it in so fast that somebody‘s head would spin). I have been around a long time & wouldn’t settle for this. I have 2 other Mazda dealerships within 60 miles & I would try one of them. Especially since our factory warranty is expiring soon. I wish you luck because this type of problem makes me angry. Linda

 

[zelda.silver18]

I am no expert but I own a 2019 CX3 in cold weather state (Cleveland OH) & we do get below zero in winter. My vehicle has 3,000 miles on it. (I also have 2011 Mazda which is my winter car). I have had no problems starting car in cold weather. I don’t start vehicle on weekly basis. If I had trouble & dealer can’t resolve it I would call Mazda directly. In the US the number is 1-800-222-5500…sorry I don’t know of Canada number. They have been very helpful to me in past. The number should be in your manual (I have a printed manual in my glove box & could look it up for you if you need. If I had that much trouble with my car I would trade it in so fast that somebody‘s head would spin). I have been around a long time & wouldn’t settle for this. I have 2 other Mazda dealerships within 60 miles & I would try one of them. Especially since our factory warranty is expiring soon. I wish you luck because this type of problem makes me angry. Linda

Thanks a ton! I will definitely be contacting Mazda Canada.

 

[Rykop]

2019 CX3 here and I can add to the battery drain topic. Nothing but problems with this car. ESPECIALLY in the winter. Less than 12K miles and I've already replaced the battery hoping to not have any more issues... but if the car sits overnight for a day or two, even with the new battery, sometimes it almost has a hard time cranking over. The original battery was SO dead one time that I had to put 2 12K peak amp lithium ion jump starters on it to get it going. I don't even remember at this point how many times I've had to jump start it.

That is not common for any car.

There's a reason that the CX3 has already been discontinued. Mazda can say that it's because everyone wants larger vehicles but the truth might be based more in the reality of ongoing issues with the quality of some of their cars.

 

[SlyCoopers]

Another somewhat possibly related culprit. Relative of mine recently agreed to one of those insurance company "trackers" that monitor your driving, speeds, and GPS for a lower rate(lol) while always being connected in the obd2 port. Turns out on his it was always on and would battery leech while car was off. Could vary on device given since it seems kind of ridiculous to always be on but it's another variable people tend to forget.

 

[Cliff]

I have a 2019 Mazda CX3. For the last two and one half years I have had ongoing problems with the battery draining and the car not starting as a result.

Last January I brought it to the dealership thinking there must be a parasitic drain. I was given a new battery and told the problem was that I was not driving the car enough given all the electrical systems and I had to start the car every day to prevent this from happening. For the record, at this time, given COVID and being newly retired, I was driving about three times/week.

Since that time, I have started the car just about every day and have continued to drive the car three to four times/week. Despite that over the last three months I have pretty much had to charge the battery every time The car simply wouldn't start even if it had been driven less than 24 hours before.

This week I brought the car back to the dealership. They once again replaced the battery (no charge, which I appreciated). Once again. they were unable to find a parasitic drain. I was told to drive the car every day for at least 30 minutes. They also suggested I purchase a smart battery maintainer.

I know may people with similar vehicles that drive their cars even less that I do but not have this problem. If I were using the car only a couple of times a month, I would understand the battery issue, but I am struggling getting my head around having to drive a car daily in order to maintain a battery!

My Questions:

1. Is this battery drainage problem common in the CX3?
2. Is there a specific number of km or miles I must drive each day/week to prevent this?
3. Is there a specific number of minutes I must drive daily to prevent this?
4. Could this yet be an undiagnosed parasitic drain?
5. Is this simply a lemon or would this happen with any Mazda vehicle?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Silver]

2019 CX3 here and I can add to the battery drain topic. Nothing but problems with this car. ESPECIALLY in the winter. Less than 12K miles and I've already replaced the battery hoping to not have any more issues... but if the car sits overnight for a day or two, even with the new battery, sometimes it almost has a hard time cranking over. The original battery was SO dead one time that I had to put 2 12K peak amp lithium ion jump starters on it to get it going. I don't even remember at this point how many times I've had to jump start it.

That is not common for any car.

There's a reason that the CX3 has already been discontinued. Mazda can say that it's because everyone wants larger vehicles but the truth might be based more in the reality of ongoing issues with the quality of some of their cars.

Thanks - I had a mazda3 for 14 years so I believe they are a decent manufacturer but this is crazy. I hear the CX30 is terrific

 

[PeterTwoMeter]

I hade my CX3 since 2016. I drive it almost everyday. But I have had it standing in a cold garage for more or less then 1 week without driving on many occasions. My odometer is on 98 000km. I have never had any problems like mentions here above.