Battery problems
05-26-2005, 02:00 PM
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Battery problems
My car has less than 1000 miles on it. I only use it weekends.
The battery goes dead so it has to be jump started.
I measured the current drain and it runs 800 plus milliamps without ignition on, lights etc etc. seems extrodinary.
The dealer claims its normal and has replaced the battery twice.
Any comments would be appreciated.
The battery goes dead so it has to be jump started.
I measured the current drain and it runs 800 plus milliamps without ignition on, lights etc etc. seems extrodinary.
The dealer claims its normal and has replaced the battery twice.
Any comments would be appreciated.
05-26-2005, 02:03 PM
#3
RX8 HA HA
i only drive my 8 on the weekends and that doesn't happen to me...you might have an electrical problem...also make sure that none of your lights are on inside the car...
05-26-2005, 03:06 PM
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Originally Posted by prbeswick
My car has less than 1000 miles on it. I only use it weekends.
The battery goes dead so it has to be jump started.
I measured the current drain and it runs 800 plus milliamps without ignition on, lights etc etc. seems extrodinary.
The dealer claims its normal and has replaced the battery twice.
Any comments would be appreciated.
The battery goes dead so it has to be jump started.
I measured the current drain and it runs 800 plus milliamps without ignition on, lights etc etc. seems extrodinary.
The dealer claims its normal and has replaced the battery twice.
Any comments would be appreciated.
05-26-2005, 07:13 PM
#10
Yeah, 300 mA of dark current is acceptable. That should take about 16 days to run out the relatively weak OEM battery.
There is a replacement battery available from Mazda on TSB. If you complain about short battery life, they should replace it under warranty.
There is a replacement battery available from Mazda on TSB. If you complain about short battery life, they should replace it under warranty.
05-26-2005, 07:20 PM
#11
You 'mercan guys get ripped off with the small batteries you get stock. Ours are 750 cranking amps...and fill up the battery box. I always laugh at nemesis8's battery every time he opens the hood.....he's getting a small man complex from it :D
05-27-2005, 10:06 AM
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Are you sure 300ma is acceptable? Mine draws about 20ma.
I looked into this a few weeks ago when I wanted to know how much current the sCANalyser hardware interface would draw if permanently connected. With no interface plugged in I measured about 20ma. With the interface plugged in I measured about 45ma.
Make sure you leave the meter on for a minute or so to let the initial current draw to settle down. Once everything is powered up, it should drop down to a stable value.
I looked into this a few weeks ago when I wanted to know how much current the sCANalyser hardware interface would draw if permanently connected. With no interface plugged in I measured about 20ma. With the interface plugged in I measured about 45ma.
Make sure you leave the meter on for a minute or so to let the initial current draw to settle down. Once everything is powered up, it should drop down to a stable value.
05-27-2005, 08:45 PM
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Go48 sent me a jpeg of a service manual page about what they (Mazda) term "backup current"
It states "20 ma" but doesn't give much detail whether or not accessories are involved and so on.
Any futher info'd be appreciated. prbeswick prb@beswick.com
It states "20 ma" but doesn't give much detail whether or not accessories are involved and so on.
Any futher info'd be appreciated. prbeswick prb@beswick.com
05-27-2005, 09:13 PM
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Hi prbeswick. I got your PM... please take this as my reply.
The 20ma will be current for the backup batteries in the radio and the engine computer.
When my car is switched off with no aftermarked accessories fitted it draws about 20ma. If you have no aftermarket accessories then your vehicle should only draw about 20ma when switched off. If it doesn't there is a fault. If you have aftermarket accessories I'd be disconnecting them and measuring the current drain. If it's still way above 20ma then you have a fault with the vehicle. If it close to 20ma then I would reconnect the accessories one at a time and measure the current drain. Keep doing this unti you identify what is drawing too much power. When you find out which one it could be a fault with the accessory or it is wired to always on instead of accessory (and is not designed to be wired to always on).
I'd be taking in that page from the service manual to the dealer and telling them to find out what is wrong. If you don't get any help try a different dealer or call Mazda. Your battery should not be going flat if the car isn't started for 2 weeks.
The 20ma will be current for the backup batteries in the radio and the engine computer.
When my car is switched off with no aftermarked accessories fitted it draws about 20ma. If you have no aftermarket accessories then your vehicle should only draw about 20ma when switched off. If it doesn't there is a fault. If you have aftermarket accessories I'd be disconnecting them and measuring the current drain. If it's still way above 20ma then you have a fault with the vehicle. If it close to 20ma then I would reconnect the accessories one at a time and measure the current drain. Keep doing this unti you identify what is drawing too much power. When you find out which one it could be a fault with the accessory or it is wired to always on instead of accessory (and is not designed to be wired to always on).
I'd be taking in that page from the service manual to the dealer and telling them to find out what is wrong. If you don't get any help try a different dealer or call Mazda. Your battery should not be going flat if the car isn't started for 2 weeks.
05-28-2005, 04:05 PM
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What is "room" fuse for?
Today I did another "drain" check. This time i pulled fuses and found that the bottom 15a fuse in the row of fuses in the LF door jam is the culprit. I pulled this one and the drain dropped to less than 0.010 a. This fuse is named "room" whatever that means.
The car starts and runs without it but the radio, clock, interior lights and GPS do not work.
any idea what "room" is spos'd to mean. and where are the connections for GPS, radio etc so I can try dis connecting those to see where the excessive draw is coming from.?
The car starts and runs without it but the radio, clock, interior lights and GPS do not work.
any idea what "room" is spos'd to mean. and where are the connections for GPS, radio etc so I can try dis connecting those to see where the excessive draw is coming from.?
05-28-2005, 04:06 PM
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What is "room" fuse for?
Today I did another "drain" check. This time i pulled fuses and found that the bottom 15a fuse in the row of fuses in the LF door jam is the culprit. I pulled this one and the drain dropped to less than 0.010 a. This fuse is named "room" whatever that means.
The car starts and runs without it but the radio, clock, interior lights and GPS do not work.
any idea what "room" is spos'd to mean. and where are the connections for GPS, radio etc so I can try dis connecting those to see where the excessive draw is coming from.?
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prbeswick prb@beswick.com
The car starts and runs without it but the radio, clock, interior lights and GPS do not work.
any idea what "room" is spos'd to mean. and where are the connections for GPS, radio etc so I can try dis connecting those to see where the excessive draw is coming from.?
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prbeswick prb@beswick.com
05-28-2005, 04:08 PM
#20
It is all of the interior " room" stuff...like radio, interior lights, gps, stereo.... Check that you have no lights on...easy..then check the stereo and other electronics for excess currrent draw.....harder. if you have an aftermarket amp...make sure it is hooked up to go off with the stereo
05-30-2005, 05:40 AM
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One thing you have that sco doesn't have is TPMS. It receives power from the Room fuse......you'll have to disconnect the control module to verify if this is the culprit drawing extra current. It's behind the stereo somewhere.....good luck 
.
.
05-30-2005, 11:42 AM
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Tpms ?
One thing you have that sco doesn't have is TPMS. It receives power from the Room fuse......you'll have to disconnect the control module to verify if this is the culprit drawing extra current. It's behind the stereo somewhere.....good luck .
Reply With Quote
Thanks for your reply
What does TPMS stand for??
prbeswick prb@beswick.com
Reply With Quote
Thanks for your reply
What does TPMS stand for??
prbeswick prb@beswick.com
05-30-2005, 06:09 PM
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After waiting 30 mins module like the TPMS and mmost all others will go to sleep. So to perform a true parasitic draw test you wait about 30 mins to allow all module to go to sleep and hope for something under 50 milliamps.
05-30-2005, 06:12 PM
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Battery — Drain Test
NOTE: No production vehicle should have more than a 50 mA (0.050 amp) continuous draw.
Check for current drains on the battery in excess of 50 milliamps (0.050 amp) with all the electrical accessories off and the vehicle at rest. Current drains can be tested with the following procedure:
WARNING: Do not attempt this test on a lead-acid battery that has recently been recharged. Explosive gases can cause personal injury.
CAUTION: To prevent damage to the meter, do not crank the engine or operate accessories that draw more than 10A.
NOTE: Many modules draw 10 mA (0.010 amp) or more continuously.
NOTE: Use an in-line ammeter between the battery positive or negative post and its respective cable.
NOTE: Typically, a drain of approximately one amp can be attributed to an engine compartment lamp, glove compartment lamp, or luggage compartment lamp staying on continually. Other component failures or wiring shorts may be located by selectively pulling fuses to pinpoint the location of the current drain. When the current drain is found, the meter reading will fall to an acceptable level. If the drain is still not located after checking all the fuses, it may be due to the generator.
NOTE: To accurately test the drain on a battery, an in-line digital ammeter must be used. Use of a test lamp or voltmeter is not an accurate method due to the number of electronic modules.
Make sure the junction box/fuse panels are accessible without turning on interior and underhood lights.
Drive the vehicle at least five minutes and over 48 km/h (30 mph) to turn on and exercise vehicle systems.
Allow the vehicle to sit with the key off for at least 40 minutes to allow modules to time out/power down.
Connect a fused jumper wire between the negative battery cable and the negative battery post to prevent modules from resetting and to catch capacitive drains.
Disconnect the negative battery cable from the post without breaking the connection of the jumper wire.
NOTE: It is very important that continuity is not broken between the battery and the negative battery cable when connecting the meter. If this happens, the entire procedure must be repeated.
Connect the tester between negative battery cable and the post. The meter must be capable of reading milliamps and should have a 10 amp capability.
NOTE: If the meter settings need to be switched or the test leads need to be moved to another jack, the jumper wire must be reinstalled to avoid breaking continuity.
Remove the jumper wire.
NOTE: Amperage draw will vary from vehicle to vehicle depending on the equipment package. Compare to a comparable vehicle for reference.
NOTE: No production vehicle should have more than a 50 mA (0.050 amp) draw.
If the draw is found to be excessive, pull fuses from the battery/central junction box one at a time and note the current drop. Do not reinstall the fuses until you are finished testing.
Check the wiring schematic in the wiring diagram for any circuits that run from the battery without passing through the battery/central junction box. Disconnect these circuits if the draw is still excessive.
Battery — Electronic Drains Which Shut Off When the Battery Cable is Disconnected Test
Repeat the steps of the battery drain testing.
Make sure all doors are closed and accessories are off. Without starting the engine, turn the ignition switch to RUN for a moment and then OFF. Wait a few minutes for the illuminated entry lamps to turn off if equipped.
Connect the ammeter and read the amperage draw.
The current reading (current drain) should be less than 50 mA (0.05 amp). If the current drain exceeds 50 mA (0.05 amp) after a few minutes, and if this drain did not show in previous tests, the drain is most likely caused by an inoperative electronic component. As in previous tests, remove the fuses from the battery/central junction box one at a time to locate the problem circuit.
NOTE: No production vehicle should have more than a 50 mA (0.050 amp) continuous draw.
Check for current drains on the battery in excess of 50 milliamps (0.050 amp) with all the electrical accessories off and the vehicle at rest. Current drains can be tested with the following procedure:
WARNING: Do not attempt this test on a lead-acid battery that has recently been recharged. Explosive gases can cause personal injury.
CAUTION: To prevent damage to the meter, do not crank the engine or operate accessories that draw more than 10A.
NOTE: Many modules draw 10 mA (0.010 amp) or more continuously.
NOTE: Use an in-line ammeter between the battery positive or negative post and its respective cable.
NOTE: Typically, a drain of approximately one amp can be attributed to an engine compartment lamp, glove compartment lamp, or luggage compartment lamp staying on continually. Other component failures or wiring shorts may be located by selectively pulling fuses to pinpoint the location of the current drain. When the current drain is found, the meter reading will fall to an acceptable level. If the drain is still not located after checking all the fuses, it may be due to the generator.
NOTE: To accurately test the drain on a battery, an in-line digital ammeter must be used. Use of a test lamp or voltmeter is not an accurate method due to the number of electronic modules.
Make sure the junction box/fuse panels are accessible without turning on interior and underhood lights.
Drive the vehicle at least five minutes and over 48 km/h (30 mph) to turn on and exercise vehicle systems.
Allow the vehicle to sit with the key off for at least 40 minutes to allow modules to time out/power down.
Connect a fused jumper wire between the negative battery cable and the negative battery post to prevent modules from resetting and to catch capacitive drains.
Disconnect the negative battery cable from the post without breaking the connection of the jumper wire.
NOTE: It is very important that continuity is not broken between the battery and the negative battery cable when connecting the meter. If this happens, the entire procedure must be repeated.
Connect the tester between negative battery cable and the post. The meter must be capable of reading milliamps and should have a 10 amp capability.
NOTE: If the meter settings need to be switched or the test leads need to be moved to another jack, the jumper wire must be reinstalled to avoid breaking continuity.
Remove the jumper wire.
NOTE: Amperage draw will vary from vehicle to vehicle depending on the equipment package. Compare to a comparable vehicle for reference.
NOTE: No production vehicle should have more than a 50 mA (0.050 amp) draw.
If the draw is found to be excessive, pull fuses from the battery/central junction box one at a time and note the current drop. Do not reinstall the fuses until you are finished testing.
Check the wiring schematic in the wiring diagram for any circuits that run from the battery without passing through the battery/central junction box. Disconnect these circuits if the draw is still excessive.
Battery — Electronic Drains Which Shut Off When the Battery Cable is Disconnected Test
Repeat the steps of the battery drain testing.
Make sure all doors are closed and accessories are off. Without starting the engine, turn the ignition switch to RUN for a moment and then OFF. Wait a few minutes for the illuminated entry lamps to turn off if equipped.
Connect the ammeter and read the amperage draw.
The current reading (current drain) should be less than 50 mA (0.05 amp). If the current drain exceeds 50 mA (0.05 amp) after a few minutes, and if this drain did not show in previous tests, the drain is most likely caused by an inoperative electronic component. As in previous tests, remove the fuses from the battery/central junction box one at a time to locate the problem circuit.