Strange behavior after battery died and EPB was on: 2016 CX5

bmninada

Contributor
:
2016 CX-5 AWD GT+iActive Soul Red
Witnessed a frustrating incident recently. Irked me to no end. BTW: I do love my CX-5 but found the below experience: Unacceptable.

Left car in NJ Transit parking lot (as usual) with EPB = ON and left for work (as usual). Return to find out battery died. Why? No idea - could be I left something on, who knows.... but that's not the point. The point is:

1st point irked me to no end: Bloody trunk wont open! Nada, zilch. There's NO manual release, WTF? I had to put down the seats and crawl in. Even from inside - can't find a manual release. Now - my jump start wires are UNDER the cargo rubber mat. Try pulling that mat from inside! BAD design by Mazda in my opinion. They should have some facility to manually release the trunk.

Found a nice gentleman who agreed to help and jump started my car. Then Hell broke loose.

2nd. point irked me to Kingdom Come: The car won't move. Seat-belts: ON, doors: closed, car: In Park but EPB won't release. Keeps blinking. Tried this, tried that: nada. Can't I restart my car? Duh - no, since the other guy has driven off. I don't want to be stuck again with a dead battery.
So much so - I had to call for Mazda tow service (yes: Still within warranty). That thing will take 60 min. After waiting like this with the car running and not moving - for 15 min., I decided to risk it and shut it down and attempted re-start. Nada/zilch. The EPB keeps blinking. Another jump start and another 15 min.
Finally the tow service: arrives. Car: Stopped. Very accidentally, he attempted restart and car started. (I guess 30 min. in idle did re-charge the battery). Boom: A bunch of error messages came and disappeared and boom: the EPB stopped blinking and now its working as expected.
Tow truck left without towing - don't care if they'll still charge Mazda ; they deserve it.

Moral: Never again - I'll use EPB. If your EPB is ON and something goes wrong with car resulting in loss of electrical power - this is what will happen, I guess. Bad design: absolutely. Something is seriously wrong with this.
 
The moral of the trunk story, either see about rigging up a more accessible trunk release or keep your jumper cables under the passenger seat ;-).

As for the parking brake, well releasing it is going to take a similar amount of force from the drive motor as it does to engage it so maybe, just maybe, you could up the battery terminal voltage by revving the engine AND/OR pressing the foot brake quite hard would unload the force on the pads. However, there is a means of winding the brakes off for just this very low voltage situation. You might not be impressed with this given your unfortunate location but don’t shoot the messenger. I guess this is to go and recover a dead one.
 

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When you say EPB, you mean electronic parking brake, right?

So a few months ago, my wife left the Ultragauge turned on in our CX-5. It drained the battery. So I did a jump start with another car beside it, let it idle for like 10 minutes, then took it for a drive. Everything seemed to work fine for me. You're saying the electronic parking brake on your car was stuck?

Also, I'm not sure what other solution we have for the cargo hatch/trunk if the battery is dead. I mean there is no option of sticking a key in it, so I don't know how it can be opened if the battery is dead. Do other manufacturers have a solution for this?

In our case, after my wife drained the battery on the CX-5, I have since purchased a jump start kit. Those small USB powered ones that you just hook up to the battery. I keep it inside the car, not in the cargo area or trunk.
 
They should have some facility to manually release the trunk.
Agreed!
The moral of the trunk story, either see about rigging up a more accessible trunk release or keep your jumper cables under the passenger seat ;-).

As for the parking brake, well releasing it is going to take a similar amount of force from the drive motor as it does to engage it so maybe, just maybe, you could up the battery terminal voltage by revving the engine AND/OR pressing the foot brake quite hard would unload the force on the pads. However, there is a means of winding the brakes off for just this very low voltage situation. You might not be impressed with this given your unfortunate location but don’t shoot the messenger. I guess this is to go and recover a dead one.
Tough procedure for the side of the road!
 
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Also, I'm not sure what other solution we have for the cargo hatch/trunk if the battery is dead. I mean there is no option of sticking a key in it, so I don't know how it can be opened if the battery is dead. Do other manufacturers have a solution for this?

How about a manual release like that in the trunk of every sedan made these days? Simple.
 
Agreed!

Tough procedure for the side of the road!
What is a DTC inspection?

Diagnostic trouble code.

How about a manual release like that in the trunk of every sedan made these days? Simple.

That works for these vehicles with a cable release (the cable goes to the latch in the door frame) but the CX-5 has an electronic release in the door. There is a manual release but you have to get inside the trunk and take a little access panel off to shift a little lever.

Legislation will do away with manual handbrakes soon so get used to these foibles.
 
Diagnostic trouble code.
I should search before I ask, sorry. I reversed it this time.

That works for these vehicles with a cable release (the cable goes to the latch in the door frame) but the CX-5 has an electronic release in the door. There is a manual release but you have to get inside the trunk and take a little access panel off to shift a little lever.

Legislation will do away with manual handbrakes soon so get used to these foibles.

I meant like the day-glo emergency release that's inside the trunk for those who have been locked in accidentally or have been kidnapped.

I found the panel, looked inside, but didn't see an obvious little lever. Can you be more specific? Seems like something we should all know how to do!
 
How about a manual release like that in the trunk of every sedan made these days? Simple.

I've been driving Mazda hatchbacks all my life. I've never had a car with trunk/hatch release in the car LOL. My dad's Accord Sport also doesn't have a trunk release from inside the car, you would have to use the key to open the trunk. I would think with a drained battery, that won't work either.
 
I've been driving Mazda hatchbacks all my life. I've never had a car with trunk/hatch release in the car LOL. My dad's Accord Sport also doesn't have a trunk release from inside the car, you would have to use the key to open the trunk. I would think with a drained battery, that won't work either.

I'm talking about sedans with trunks, not hatchbacks. It couldn't be out in the open [like in a trunk] to prevent accidental operation, but could be behind a panel.

I thought it was a NTSB requirement for enclosed trunks.

This is from my wife's 2011 Subaru Legacy, which also has only an electronic release:
trunk%20release.jpg
 
^^ That is a trunk, you can get kidnapped and not be able to escape but for a hatch its not mandatory. Legacy is a sedan so it is mandated.
 
When you say EPB, you mean electronic parking brake, right?

Yes

So a few months ago, my wife left the Ultragauge turned on in our CX-5. It drained the battery. So I did a jump start with another car beside it, let it idle for like 10 minutes, then took it for a drive. Everything seemed to work fine for me. You're saying the electronic parking brake on your car was stuck?

Yes

In our case, after my wife drained the battery on the CX-5, I have since purchased a jump start kit. Those small USB powered ones that you just hook up to the battery. I keep it inside the car, not in the cargo area or trunk.
I'm also thinking along the same lines. But those power packs capable of car jump start are not cheap.
 
I should search before I ask, sorry. I reversed it this time.



I meant like the day-glo emergency release that's inside the trunk for those who have been locked in accidentally or have been kidnapped.

I found the panel, looked inside, but didn't see an obvious little lever. Can you be more specific? Seems like something we should all know how to do!

I’m not worth kidnapping so no real risk there. It was easier to go out to the rental and take a photo than trawl the manual. It’s that little lever dead centre in the photo and it definitely works because I tried it.

0_ED58_A68-49_E1-4182-_B9_E8-7494_CC934_AF2.jpg
 
I would think between us we could tie a bit of wire to that and bring it to a convenient location. Not me though, my workshop is 4500 miles away.

BTW it is operated by pushing away from the camera.
 
However - I do have 1 problem.... just like the driver side door can be opened with a key, I strongly feel the trunk should have a similar option - i.e. with a key.

As for the electronic parking brake frankly I don't see any option if battery is dead. No one can design an auto release in case battery is low - that would be dangerous since the car can be stopped if shift is in non-P position too. Thus if auto released the vehicle will start moving (as if in neutral). The only option I see is some sort of mechanical release without having to take apart stuff. A quick thought - the must be a EPB fuse I guess? If the fuse blows and EPB is in locked position that's also a catastrophe.... are there spares provided which match the EPB fuse?
 
I'm talking about sedans with trunks, not hatchbacks. It couldn't be out in the open [like in a trunk] to prevent accidental operation, but could be behind a panel.

I thought it was a NTSB requirement for enclosed trunks.

This is from my wife's 2011 Subaru Legacy, which also has only an electronic release:
trunk%20release.jpg

That little picture shows a kidnappee escaping at high speed.
 
However - I do have 1 problem.... just like the driver side door can be opened with a key, I strongly feel the trunk should have a similar option - i.e. with a key.

As for the electronic parking brake frankly I don't see any option if battery is dead. No one can design an auto release in case battery is low - that would be dangerous since the car can be stopped if shift is in non-P position too. Thus if auto released the vehicle will start moving (as if in neutral). The only option I see is some sort of mechanical release without having to take apart stuff. A quick thought - the must be a EPB fuse I guess? If the fuse blows and EPB is in locked position that's also a catastrophe.... are there spares provided which match the EPB fuse?

The fuse is blown? What about if a rat chews through the battery cable. Where’s a spare cable and what about the poor rat. Have a beer my mate and stop worrying. I’d be more concerned about the battery going flat in your example. Did you leave something on or is it knackered? This will stop it happening again.
 
I’m not worth kidnapping so no real risk there. It was easier to go out to the rental and take a photo than trawl the manual. It’s that little lever dead centre in the photo and it definitely works because I tried it.

Got it, thanks. Hard to see without light! And thanks for the operating instructions.
 
^^ That is a trunk, you can get kidnapped and not be able to escape but for a hatch its not mandatory. Legacy is a sedan so it is mandated.

Exactly what I said, Kaps.

I'm suggesting that something like that COULD easily be added for hatchbacks. It doesn't have to be mandatory to be a good idea.

Apparently, it's already there. So all it needs is a little handle to make it easier to operate once you take the access cover off.
 
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