Mazda 3 Electrical Problems :(

gman233

Member
I'm a new owner of a mazda 3, and there seems to be some major electric issues with it. Just for a little background, I bought this car off a guy used with about 53,000 km on it. The status is rebuilt as it has been in an accident with the first owner (I'm the third).

Anyways, the first couple of weeks I had it, everything was fine. Then the temperature dipped to about -10 C, and I tried starting it the dash instruments did some clicking and flickering and it wouldn't start. A couple days later I tried it again and the battery was completely dead. I took it in and had an AVR test done at the same time they put on my winter tires. They said it passed the test but they thought maybe a bad relay was draining the battery or something like that. They charged the battery, was fine for a while, then it happened again where the battery was completely dead after the car wasn't used for a couple days. I took the battery inside and charged it up, and fired up the car. It was fine for a little while, now when I try to drive it the power goes in and out. The interior and exterior lights cut in and out, the steering wheel locks up, etc.

Does anyone have some ideas as to what this could be? The battery was replaced by the previous owner in November as he said the car had difficulty starting in cold weather, he would always plug it in. If its a relay or something I could do it myself otherwise I will take it in to the shop.
 
Are you sure it's rebuilt as a result of an accident and not water damage? The latter could mean major electrical issues. I would check relays and get the alternator tested, but if it's gremlins, they'll probably be tough to find. Good luck!
 
yeah....make sure to get the alt tested....if it's fine...find a volt meter and and stick on the power lines with the key off to see if there is any kind of drain... there could be a bad relay or something else that isn't turning off with the key and allowing something to continue pulling vlotage off, like a light or something left on
 
thanks for the replies. I will check it with a voltmeter. It seemed strange to me with this car though that the times I tried to start it in the cold never really caused the engine to work it just made the dash lights click on and off. Other older cars I've had that don't start, you hear the starter working and the engine struggling until the battery runs down. I guess in this case a connection or the power supply wasn't strong enough for the starter's power demand. The times in warmer weather I've used it, the power also did seem a little weak as well.
 
3 things to check:
-main relay.. on 04-06 cars, the main relay can freeze in cold weather
-PJB unit.... if the electronics are screwed up, it will cause the battery to drain
-trunk latch... if it is misaligned or jammed, it will leave the trunk light on

there are TSBs on some of these issues.... check the faq for them
 
no offense why would you buy a car with a rebuilt title in the first place your just asking for issues.

and with solutions to the issue TheMAN is dead on the money
 
i would also check to make sure a grounding kit or aftermarket stereo or something like that wasn't installed and uninstalled or installed incorrectly where you are draining your battery that way.
 
one other strange thing I've noticed with my 3,is that my hazards don't flash when I press the lock button on my key. I read in my manual that they should to tell me that the car is armed. The first time I push the button, I hear the doors lock and if I push it again the horn goes, but no hazards flash. What is the normal sequence that should happen when you lock the car? I also have a VW where when you lock it the horn goes and the hazards flash at the same time to tell you the car is locked.

This may be a separate issue altogether than the other stuff, or maybe its all connected somehow.
 
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