Starting issue?

Tiny
MAZDAMAN96
  • MEMBER
  • 2013 MAZDA 5
  • 2.3L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 176,000 MILES
The car has power, and all the lights and indicators are coming on. But it won't turn over. I have replaced the battery, starter (twice now) and the alternator. I've checked all the connections, and everything seems to be fine. It'll run fine, but if it sits it starts to act like this again.
Saturday, April 29th, 2023 AT 10:51 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
BRENDON S
  • MECHANIC
  • 653 POSTS
Good morning, MazdaMan96,

So, if it is sitting overnight or longer and then won't start it's possible it is something called a "Parasitic Draw". So, something may be using power while the car is off and sitting.

The easiest way to check for this is to remove the positive battery terminal and hook up a test light between the positive terminal on the battery and positive battery cable. If something is staying on and draining the battery the light should illuminate.

Now start pulling fuses one circuit at a time until the light goes out. Since it seems to happen when it sits longer, I would start with lower amperage fuses like 10amp, 15amp, then 20amp. I would pull one, put it back then pull another.

Some things that could cause this are if something is left plugged into a power adaptor, an improperly installed radio, bad door ajar switch, things like that. Basically, things that are considered accessories.

If you don't have a test light, you can get one from your local auto parts store. (I will add a picture of this for you)

Here is an article to give you more information on this type of issue:
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-battery-dead-overnight

This article will give you some general information on diagnosing a no start problem, it may not specifically pertain to your issue, but I think it's a good article with a lot of useful information:
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-cranks-but-wont-start

Thank you,
Brendon
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Sunday, April 30th, 2023 AT 5:12 AM

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