Guide Mazda5 with iStop - How to select and install both batteries

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Mazda5 2.0 DISI i-Stop
The oldest of the second gen Mazda5's with istop are getting to about 4/5 years old now, and for most owners the batteries will be fairly tired, and your car will be out of warranty.

For those that don't know, the 2.0 DISI Mazda5 has the iStop system which is a forerunner to the full Skyactive e-Loop system. Basically the car has a main, larger, start/stop battery and a smaller battery bolted next to it that runs the ancillaries when the car is in auto shut-off mode. Both batteries were designed and built for Mazda by Panasonic.

The problem is, a dealer will charge you 250+installation to replace both of these, and the ancillary battery is described as 'dealer fit only' if you use most online parts lookup sites.

There is an easier way....

After much searching and research, the main battery is a type 053. Except, most online parts lookup tools will tell you it is a much larger battery which won't fit - so ignore them. Ideally, you want a an updated battery that is rated for start/stop applications. The official factory fit Panasonic battery just isn't available online to private buyers in Europe. Nobody seems to do a start-stop rated battery in 053 size, accept Yuasa, but nobody has any stock that I could find. The Vata battery site actually recommends a pretty much standard battery for this car (probably because it is considered a light duty start/stop application).

In the end I went for the best CCA rated 053 battery I could find -which was this Silver graded Yuasa:

YBX5053, HSB053

The ancillary battery is a little trickier as the code on the battery doesn't hit any English language sites and its size is a bit of an oddball. After much searching around, the code on the battery has an equivalent code of 34B17L. So I went for another Yuasa:

YBX3009

Total cost for the two : 85.

When the batteries were delivered I removed the two metal battery clamps from the old units and installed the new ones, and much to my relief, they fit. The leads to the ancillary battery were very small so you have to put a slight angle on it in the clamp for it to fit. Further relief when I found the car started, and no iStop warning lights.

The only issue then is that iStop won't actually work as you have to put it through the battery learning procedure that is a little convoluted, but steps 4-8 here worked for me a treat:

https://euroesi.mazda.co.jp/esicont/eu_eng/mazda3/20110724140058/html/id011736800500.html

So, for anyone that is facing a large bill from the dealer on these batteries, I hope this helps. I read quite a few forum posts from both Mazda3 and 5 owners that had been told all sorts of things about the battery setup and were basically forced into to paying stealership money - my advice is don't - all you need is the above batteries, a socket set with 10-13mm sockets, a wrench, and some latex gloves and you are golden.
 
The only issue then is that iStop won't actually work as you have to put it through the battery learning procedure that is a little convoluted, but steps 4-8 here worked for me a treat:

https://euroesi.mazda.co.jp/esicont/eu_eng/mazda3/20110724140058/html/id011736800500.html

@Bodgerx,

Thank you for this very informative post - my wife's Mazda 5 with Start Stop has become a serious problem with the battery's going flat just by it not being used - we went abroad for 5 days in Feb and it was completely dead when we returned despite a 100 mile journey to the airport. So action is well overdue - despite her working full time in engineering this is apparently my job to do.

We are being quoted £300 - £400 for battery replacement even from the independents, and that is 10% of the car value. Swapping a battery was one of the most basic tasks covered in my car maintenance course from many many years ago, along with brake pads and wiper blades. But that was before cars became computer controlled.

I have found the Stop Start you listed for £52, and the other for £37; verified that the sizes appear to match what is in the car and the terminals are in the right place.
I have the sockets and I am sure I can dig up some gloves. But I just want to clarify the software reset process....

The instruction sheet you refered to has multiple sections:
Operation after Connecting Negative Battery Cable
Operation after Replacing Main Battery
Operation after Replacing Sub-Battery
Each of those has "Steps 4-8", but only the first of them is a simple process; the other two after replacing the battery all require "Clear applicable DTCs using the M-MDS".

Can you confirm whether this process needs the M-MDS software?

Thanks

Rewolf
 
Yes we went ahead and replaced both the batteries, and the good news is that the car has started fine ever since.

But without the ability to clear the DTC flags we couldn't initiate the reset of the stop start, so the warning light still flashes and stop start still doesn't work. Next time it gets a service we will be seeing what they can do - seeing as we have done the expensive task of replacing the hardware all we need is the "clear applicable DTC" and we can do the press the button, stop, start stuff.
 
Another cheap possibility is: Buy an obd dongle, install any free obd software on your smartphone, delete dtc error, initiate the procedure for new battery installation.
 
Just changed both my batterys on my 12 plate Mazda 5 mpv 2 ltr it took me about 40 minutes i put it through the battery learning procedure and steps 4-8 worked for me a it took about 20 minutes for the green i stop light to go out then it was perfect ..... thanks for the info.....i also have a dongle that i can rest if needs be
 
The thread bounce from strett0466 reminded me to post another update - just by doing nothing the DTC cleared themselves after about 4 weeks. The stop-start even works although it generally restarts after about a minute even without being put in gear.

If I was doing the job today I would use a generic OBD tool to reset the DTC - I have a bluetooth OBD dongle that I use on my Leaf and having gone through problems on that due to poor 12v battery state I reconditioned the 12v using a modern charger (NOCO GENIUS5UK, 5-Amp Fully-Automatic Smart Charger, 6V And 12V Battery Charger, Battery Maintainer, And Battery Desulfator With Temperature Compensation : Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors) and reset the stack of random DTCs that had cropped up. The low voltage on the 12v had triggered multiple detected sensor failures resulting in traction control and ABS being disabled. Restored the battery condition and the failed sensors all worked again which probably saved me an absolute fortune at the main dealers (one simple pressure sensor was £450 for the spare part alone).

Batteries may be pretty cheap to replace, but a modern charger in an overnight session or two can restore live to an old battery without even disconnecting the battery.
 
The thread bounce from strett0466 reminded me to post another update - just by doing nothing the DTC cleared themselves after about 4 weeks. The stop-start even works although it generally restarts after about a minute even without being put in gear.

If I was doing the job today I would use a generic OBD tool to reset the DTC - I have a bluetooth OBD dongle that I use on my Leaf and having gone through problems on that due to poor 12v battery state I reconditioned the 12v using a modern charger (NOCO GENIUS5UK, 5-Amp Fully-Automatic Smart Charger, 6V And 12V Battery Charger, Battery Maintainer, And Battery Desulfator With Temperature Compensation : Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors) and reset the stack of random DTCs that had cropped up. The low voltage on the 12v had triggered multiple detected sensor failures resulting in traction control and ABS being disabled. Restored the battery condition and the failed sensors all worked again which probably saved me an absolute fortune at the main dealers (one simple pressure sensor was £450 for the spare part alone).

Batteries may be pretty cheap to replace, but a modern charger in an overnight session or two can restore live to an old battery without even disconnecting the battery.
The sub/auxiliary battery was knacked it was knacked when i brought the car in 2015 from Mazda tamworth/UK but they didnt tell me that ,they changed the main battery which was fine in the summer but come winter the powered doors and everything else took it toll on it come to the point thought i best cange them both ....so charging them would'nt have worked for me ....but that looks a usful peice of kit...................
 
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