Litz

Sorry guys probly a stupid question and more than likely get flamed... anyway here's what happened: buddy charges cell phone in my car for approx. 30 min via the cig lighter with the key turned on 1 click, I had turned the radio OFF. Didnt really think too much of it because a battery should be able to last for over an hour with radio on from my experience.

Get in to go somewhere and no start. engine cranked really slow but wouldnt turn over. So I put the charger on the battery for a hour and a half and try to start again and same thing happens.

Did it flood and how can that be possible? Thanks for any help I'm just kinda confused by the situation and yes I have searched.

puch96

If you did not start the engine at any point and the turned it back off before it reached normal operating temperature, I don't think it is a flooded engine.....

What model year 8 do you have??? Do you have the battery upgraded in your car?

Litz

2004 GT is the year/model and it has never recieved the new battery/starter. I was told my Mazda they wouldnt replace them until a flood occured. This was 2 months ago during my oil change/computer flash. Also, last time I drove the was yesterday roughly 20 miles on the freeway, no short trip.

puch96

That is stupid of Mazda.... They HAVE to replace it now... not wait until the first flood. Go to Mazda and demand a new battery and starter... there is a TSB on that.... you should not have to wait to go through the hassle of flooding for them to do the upgrade.

NgoRX8

iTrader: (1)

yea i think you need a new battery.

Litz

Little update: I just threw the charger on boost and tried to fire it up... all the lights/gauges come on but now there is absolutly no sound at all from the engine when I turn the key. Never had a flood before so dont really know, is this one?

msrecant

When flooded, the engine turns over but never starts. You have a dead battery so the engine cranks really, really slow or does not crank at all.

About the flooding TSB issue, I suggest you call the Mazda USA 800 number. They should authorize the new battery/starter/plugs for your car. For some reason, some dealers really try to avoid doing this upgrade.

Krankor

Might not be the battery, could be something else in the whole starter system. But I agree with everyone, that's not a flooding problem.

Litz

OK... another update, so I am watching the Twins comeback victory and decide that a bottle of jag is necisary (sp?). In the process I goto the garage to grab beers, see the car sitting there and attempt to start it again and it STARTS!, (turned over a little slow but it started). This makes no sence what-so-ever. I did not do anything to the car since 4 pm, it just sat in my garage doing nothing, and suddenly it starts?. So, I let it run for 20 mins before shutting off. Hopefully it will start tommaro morning again?.? Someone tell me WTF is going on with my car, because I have NO idea.

Raptor2k

Tell your dealership that's BS. They're under TSB, hell, I got the new spark plugs and battery unknowingly when I had my car up at the dealership a while back.

limpy81

2 dealerships in my area wouldn't do it for me either. They said that the car would have to flood first for them to do it and that TSB's are not required.

Krankor

The only thing I can think of that even REMOTELY matches your story:

Many years ago I had a Mustang that was giving me starting problems. Sometimes it would start, sometimes it wouldn't. Mechanic insisted it was the battery, but I was *highly* dubious. For one thing, the car, delightfully, had an alternator guage, and it didn't show any sign of unusual charging activity. And as I recall, it was an all or nothing proposition: when the car didn't start, it didn't even try to turn over, just nothing. But I'm no mechanic, so I went along and paid for a new battery. Completely failed to solve the problem. In the end, the problem was diagnosed and fixed as being the "solinoid". To this day, i still don't know what a starter solinoid is, but I can tell you it's a thing what can make the car sometimes start and sometimes not start if it's broken. That's why earlier I said it might be something non-battery in the starter system. Might even be some kind of loose wire somewhere.

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

Solenoid is like a relay ...it takes the low current ignition wire connection and turns on the high current starter motor...and allows the teeth from the starter to engage the flywheel gears..and turn the motor....

If it doesn't work...you get nothing when you turn the key...(with a full battery).

Sometimes they will partly fail and result in unreliable operation......sometimes they work...and sometimes they don't.

Take it in...it's a good excuse to get the new starter that you should have. If you kill the battery and it goes in dead...they might give you the updated one....but they might pro-rate it depending on how old your car is.

Winfree

Still sounds like a bad battery, a weak one will recharge itself a little - we used to have a bad one in an old VW, leave it overnight everything was fine, but use it a little, run lights or anything and now you were stuck until jumped. Drive your car, while you can, to get a new battery!

Krankor

Yeah, but he tried jumping it and it still did nothing. Until, mysteriously, later.

Hightshoe

Did he try jumping it? I thought he just said he tried a battery charger, which I would assume would get the job done if left to charge long enough. But maybe actually jumping with another car would work? If the battery is completely shot, it should still start with a jump, but not with a battery charger.

dazygirl415

Something similar happened to me. My battery died and when I tried to start the car, my engine flooded. The lights came on and it sounded like it was about to crank over, but it never did. The only twist is that yours mysteriously started... I'd say it's flooded.

Take the easy route - call up your dealership, tell them it won't start. Under warranty, they'll send out a tow truck to get it. You get it fixed within a day or two, max.

DOMINION

You know its sad. This question should have not be asked by a fellow owner but be taken care of by mazda

Litz

OK.. I made an appointment for Wednesday at noon, brought the car in, they said they couldnt order the parts untill everything was looked at by a mechanic. Was told parts will be shipped overnight and installed Thursday (today) and I'll be all set to pick it up. Call today and they are waiting on parts... starter/battery will be here tommaro (friday) but some new part for the computer wont be here untill Monday next week. No rental cars available. Stuck pretty much 6 days with no vehicle. Is this what everyone goes through to get a recall/TSB done?

puch96

I think they should have given you another car to drive for 6 days.... Mazda should take care of their customers, because after all it is not our fault that Mazda didn't find the problem with the batteries and starters/plugs until the 8 went into production. I guess Mazda concentrated too much on the RENESIS and left out some of the crutial components....

Sephiroth

Its not mazda, it's that dealership. Why do some people just like to keep bashing mazda all the damn time!

alfy28

amen. the mazda dealerships in okinawa are always nice and take good care of you.

puch96

Yes... You are correct. But the fact of the matter is that the dealerships represent Mazda in a way, so if the dealership sucks, most customers will generalyze and say that Mazda sucks.....