Engine Does Not Start

Taking Action with Depleted Lead-acid Battery

Taking Action with Depleted Lead-acid Battery

The lead-acid battery might be depleted if the following conditions occur.

  • The engine does not start.

  • The horn sound is weak or it does not sound.

  • The brightness of the lights is extremely low.

Using commercially available booster cables, connect the lead-acid battery of the booster vehicle’s battery to the lead-acid battery of your vehicle and start the engine.

Jump-starting is dangerous if done incorrectly. Therefore, follow the procedure carefully. If you feel unsure about jump-starting, we strongly recommend that you have a competent service technician do the work.

 

Read the following precautions carefully before using the lead-acid battery or inspecting to ensure safe and correct handling.

Always wear eye protection when working near the lead-acid battery.

Working without eye protection is dangerous. Lead-acid battery fluid contains SULFURIC ACID which could cause blindness if splashed into your eyes. Also, hydrogen gas produced during normal lead-acid battery operation, could ignite and cause the lead-acid battery to explode.

Wear eye protection and protective gloves to prevent contact with lead-acid battery fluid.

Spilled lead-acid battery fluid is dangerous.

Lead-acid battery fluid contains SULFURIC ACID which could cause serious injuries if it gets in eyes, or on the skin or clothing. If this happens, immediately flush your eyes with water for 15 minutes or wash your skin thoroughly and get medical attention.

Always keep lead-acid batteries out of the reach of children.

Allowing children to play near lead-acid batteries is dangerous. Lead-acid battery fluid could cause serious injuries if it gets in the eyes or on the skin.

Keep flames and sparks away from lead-acid battery cells and do not allow metal tools to contact the positive (+) or negative (-) terminal of the lead-acid battery when working near a lead-acid battery. Do not allow the positive (+) terminal to contact the vehicle body.

Flames and sparks near lead-acid battery cells are dangerous. Hydrogen gas, produced during normal lead-acid battery operation, could ignite and cause the lead-acid battery to explode. An exploding lead-acid battery can cause serious burns and injuries. Keep all flames including cigarettes and sparks away from lead-acid battery cells.

Keep all flames and sparks away from lead-acid battery cells because hydrogen gas is produced from lead-acid battery cells while charging the lead-acid battery or adding lead-acid battery fluid.

Flames and sparks near lead-acid battery cells are dangerous. Hydrogen gas, produced during normal lead-acid battery operation, could ignite and cause the lead-acid battery to explode. An exploding lead-acid battery can cause serious burns and injuries. Keep all flames including cigarettes and sparks away from lead-acid battery cells.

Do not jump-start a frozen lead-acid battery or one with a low fluid level.

Jump-starting a frozen lead-acid battery or one with a low fluid level is dangerous. It may rupture or explode, causing serious injury.

Connect the negative cable to a good ground point away from the lead-acid battery.

Connecting the end of the second jumper cable to the negative (–) terminal of the depleted lead-acid battery is dangerous.

A spark could cause the gas around the lead-acid battery to explode and injure someone.

Route the jumper cables away from parts that will be moving.

Connecting a jumper cable near or to moving part (cooling fans) is dangerous. The cable could get caught when the engine starts and cause serious injury.

Close Warning
View Warning

 

Use only a 12 V booster system. You can damage a 12 V starter, ignition system, and other electrical parts beyond repair with a 24 V power supply (two 12 V batteries in series).

Close Caution
View Caution

  1. Make sure that the vehicle power is switched OFF.

  2. Remove the hole cover.

    Refer to Removing the hole cover in Inspecting Lead-acid battery (Search).

  3. Remove the lead-acid battery cover.

  4. Turn off the booster vehicle's engine and connect the jumper cables in the following order.

    Make sure that the jumper cables are securely connected so that they do not disconnect due to the vibrations.

    1st lead

    Positive (+) terminal on the depleted lead-acid battery

    Positive (+) terminal on booster vehicle's battery

    2nd lead

    Negative (-) terminal on booster vehicle's battery

    Location shown in the figure (do not connect to the negative (-) terminal of the depleted lead-acid battery)

  5. Start the booster vehicle's engine and rev the engine.

  6. Start the engine of your vehicle.

  7. Disconnect the booster cables in the reverse order of their connection after the engine is started.

  8. Install the lead-acid battery cover.

  9. Have your vehicle inspected by an Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as possible.

 

Push-Starting

Do not push-start your Mazda.

 

Never tow a vehicle to start it.

Towing a vehicle to start it is dangerous. The vehicle being towed could surge forward when its engine starts, causing the 2 vehicles to collide. The occupants could be injured.

Close Warning
View Warning
Starting a Flooded Engine

Starting a Flooded Engine

If the engine stops unexpectedly, it may be flooded (excessive fuel in the engine).

 

Follow this procedure:

 

  1. If the engine does not start within 5 seconds on the first try, wait 10 seconds and try again.

  2. Make sure the parking brake is on.

  3. Depress the accelerator all the way and hold it there.

  4. Depress the clutch pedal (manual transmission) or the brake pedal (automatic transmission), then press the push button start. If the engine starts, release the accelerator immediately because the engine will suddenly rev up.

  5. If the engine fails to start, crank it without depressing the accelerator.

 

If the engine still does not start using the previous procedure, have your vehicle inspected by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.

Page top