My battery is dead after one week sitting in the garage. I did some reading and a question popped up:
Can I really jump start this car?

Somebody was saying in another thread that you should not jump-start RX-8 because of the spike in voltage while jump-starting. Is this true? Is it more safe to purchase a battery charger and charge it overnight? Has anybody run into problems after jump-starting their 8's?

 

charging it would be much better. also using a jump box is beter than jumping with another car. either way if you jump it you should drive it aroundf- dont just let itsit there and rev- thats the actual issue, the car sitting and revving high, not the jumping in the first place

 

Not a problem as long as you disconnect the jumper cables after jumpstarting it.

See zoom44's post on this matter: https://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php...&postcount=409

This the thread where the post came from: https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...&page=28&pp=15

 

I'm pretty sure the manual tells you exactly what to do. If I remember correctly, it says NOT to push-start it, but jump-starting is ok.

 

Some owners are experiencing this problem with the OEM battery, caused in some cases by unusual drain on the battery while the car is shut off.

First, get a low-amp battery charger and charge the battery. One with a maintenance capability is nice because you can leave it attached over night if necessary and not worry about over charging. Then take the car to a dealer and tell him of the dead battery/trouble starting problem you are having. There are a couple of Mazda-recommended replacement batteries that are considerably better than the inadequate OEM. They may give you a new, better battery

Second, if the battery died in only a week, you probably have something draining the battery like a short or a component that is not powering down when you shut the car off. You will need to track that down. Make sure the trunk is shut tightly. A slightly open trunk lid can cause the trunk light to stay on and drain the battery over the time period you mention. This is also a known "problem".

 

Thanks for all the replies and valuable suggestions. I bought a charger and set it for 6 A charge for a few hours. I am going to try to start the car in an hour (I need to go someplace).

Regarding the battery being dead in a week, I think it is the battery mostly. I do have Lo-Jack, which drains some power but not nearly enough to drain a sound battery in one week. Before that I noticed that if I leave the radio on (I have stock system) for just 10 minutes or so, the starter rotates the engine "not so happily" after that. On my previous car I could leave the audio on (with three 10'' subs) for 2-3 hours while waxing it and had never had any problems. I guess, I need to upgrade the battery. I will visit the dealer ane let you guys know what happens.

 

There's also a TSB regarding the battery. See if this helps
http://www.finishlineperformance.com...42-04-1429.pdf

 

Ok, I have some update regarding the cause. The light in the trunk was actually on. I opened the small compartment from the inside of the car and the light was on even though the trunk was closed. I opened it and closed it again and it was off. I did it many times and all times except one it was off. I guess, I will need to look at the way to fix it (don't want the dealer messing with my baby). Does anybody know if there is a way to adjust the thing that turns off the light so that it goes off even if the trunk is partly closed?

 

Yep, I saw this one. I will print it out and talk to the dealer sometime next week.

 

Remove the bulb from the light. Do you really need the light? In fact, if you have the optional spare tire, the light is worthless anyway.

 

That's one solution. I feel reluctant removing the bulb if the light has problems. I do not have the spare tire. If the car is supposed to have the light when I open the trunk, I would like to have it there. If it stays on after the trunk is shut, I just need to find the cause and eliminate the cause, not the feature.

 

Is your car a manual?? You can actually push start is.

 

what about kick start? is that fine? put in first gear turn key 1/2 while someone pushs you forward with clutch down and when you have enought momentum to release clutch quickly... is that bad for the car?

 

According to the manual, you cannot push start it. If you do you will damage some sensor in the cat (don't remember its name).

 

Yes, I have warranty, of course. By fixing it I mean not screwing around with electronics but fixing the mechanical cause. I did not look at it but I assume the light operates similar to some old-fashioned button, which is pressed when the trunk is closed. What I was going to do is to glue some extension on the button (I guess, just a little bit is required) to make the light go off when trunk is "almost" closed. I think, this would be a simple process and take a few minutes and some epoxy.