2021 CX-9 GT Battery or Alternator Issue?

[jscm86]

Hey guys, I'll preface by saying I don't know much about cars. I bought this cx9 for my wife a few days ago and had it inspected by a local mechanic beforehand and he found no issues. Before I left I had him check the battery and he said that it needed to be replaced based on the reading. I asked the dealership to replace it, but they said their mechanics already checked it and passed it, plus they were "losing money" on the vehicle so they weren't going to do anything. So I thought whatever, I'll just replace the battery for $200. So today I went out to my local autozone to pick up a new battery, but I had the guy test it first and he said the battery was perfectly fine. I was confused so I asked him what else he could do so he ran another quick test and said it looks like there's likely an issue with the alternator, but he can't know for sure. He thought it was weird that such a relatively new car would have alternator issues. What the heck? The car has 37.5k miles so it's out of the initial warranty and I was in the process of getting quotes for the extended warranty.

What are my options here? I though maybe I would take it to a local mazda dealership but they are all booked up several weeks out, so I think I'll just take it to a local mechanic. Should I even let me wife drive it in the meantime?

 

[gphin]

Am I missing something? Why are you concerned? Is the vehicle not starting or not running? There should be no reason why a two year old OEM battery or alternator needs to be replaced.
BTW, you are not totally out of warranty....you still have a 5 yr/60k powertrain warranty. You also have a partial coverage on a battery where you pay 70% if need a battery within 48 months.

 

[jscm86]

Am I missing something? Why are you concerned? Is the vehicle not starting or not running? There should be no reason why a two year old OEM battery or alternator needs to be replaced.
BTW, you are not totally out of warranty....you still have a 5 yr/60k powertrain warranty. You also have a partial coverage on a battery where you pay 70% if need a battery within 48 months.

I'm just worried that there's a a problem I didn't catch from one mechanic saying the battery was shot and another person saying it's not the battery but based on his readings, it could be a problem with the alternator. I don't want to compound the problem if there is one and I don't want my wife to be stuck. I brought it up initially because I thought the car started up a little bit sluggishly, which I initially thought was just from it sitting on the dealers lot for a bit.

 

[ADS-B]

If you do not know anything about cars, here's a simple and cheap trick: buy a USB charger with voltage display. You plug it into the cigarette lighter and you can watch the voltage output. With no engine, just ACC on, you should read something around 12.5 V, plus or minus, depending how healthy the battery is. If you read less than 12.0 V with the engine off, definitely replace the battery. With the engine running, you should read something around or in between 13.5-14.0 V again, plus or minus. If you read less than that with the engine running, like same voltage as with the engine off, it means you have an alternator problem.
This is the one that I have: https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

 

[gphin]

I'm just worried that there's a a problem I didn't catch from one mechanic saying the battery was shot and another person saying it's not the battery but based on his readings, it could be a problem with the alternator. I don't want to compound the problem if there is one and I don't want my wife to be stuck. I brought it up initially because I thought the car started up a little bit sluggishly, which I initially thought was just from it sitting on the dealers lot for a bit.

Any reason why this two year old vehicle didn't come with the Mazda extended CPO warranty? Did you get any type of warranty except for the powertrain as part of the original new car warranty? In any event, unless you know and trust the mechanics who said you might have a battery and/or alternator problem, I would not lose any sleep (or spend any $) over their comments. Again, there should be no issues with a '21 CX9 battery or alternator. If the car was sitting outside on a cold dealer lot, yes, could have started up maybe a little slower than usual. If the car is starting and running ok with no issues, I wouldn't worry. As far as being stuck, remember you have a free 36 month Mazda roadside assistance regardless of mileage. After that, I would consider AAA. Enjoy your ride!

 

[Jack Rabbit]

Hey guys, I'll preface by saying I don't know much about cars. I bought this cx9 for my wife a few days ago and had it inspected by a local mechanic beforehand and he found no issues. Before I left I had him check the battery and he said that it needed to be replaced based on the reading. I asked the dealership to replace it, but they said their mechanics already checked it and passed it, plus they were "losing money" on the vehicle so they weren't going to do anything. So I thought whatever, I'll just replace the battery for $200. So today I went out to my local autozone to pick up a new battery, but I had the guy test it first and he said the battery was perfectly fine. I was confused so I asked him what else he could do so he ran another quick test and said it looks like there's likely an issue with the alternator, but he can't know for sure. He thought it was weird that such a relatively new car would have alternator issues. What the heck? The car has 37.5k miles so it's out of the initial warranty and I was in the process of getting quotes for the extended warranty.

What are my options here? I though maybe I would take it to a local mazda dealership but they are all booked up several weeks out, so I think I'll just take it to a local mechanic. Should I even let me wife drive it in the meantime?

If you can return it under 3 day cancellation, maybe consider returning it.

I would never have bought an expensive 2 year 37 k mile vehicle without the CPO extended warranty thrown in or any type of extended warranty.

This is not about the possible battery/alternator issue, it's about a 37 k vehicle with barely any power-train warranty left.(expires at 60k)
Who knows how hard the last owners drove it or if it got proper maintenance?? Hope you got a really good deal/price on the vehciles.

Did you buy this from a non-mazda dealership?

For future purchases, consider
1. Buy New
2. Buy CPO(with extended warranty) from original manufacturer dealership.
3. Buy any used beater (value $3,000 to $10,000) from any dealership. Who cares about a warranty on a beater ?

As far as the battery/alternator take it to another retail outlet(like Advance) or your trusted local mechanic for testing. Autozone is probably just trying to sell you another alternator.

 

[jscm86]

Any reason why this two year old vehicle didn't come with the Mazda extended CPO warranty? Did you get any type of warranty except for the powertrain as part of the original new car warranty? In any event, unless you know and trust the mechanics who said you might have a battery and/or alternator problem, I would not lose any sleep (or spend any $) over their comments. Again, there should be no issues with a '21 CX9 battery or alternator. If the car was sitting outside on a cold dealer lot, yes, could have started up maybe a little slower than usual. If the car is starting and running ok with no issues, I wouldn't worry. As far as being stuck, remember you have a free 36 month Mazda roadside assistance regardless of mileage. After that, I would consider AAA. Enjoy your ride!

Yep I think you hit the nail on the head. I just to it to meineke shop I trust and they said there's no issue with the alternator, battery or otherwise. He said I probably need to replace the battery in another year or so, but don't need to do anything unless I'm starting to have issues with it.

 

[jscm86]

If you can return it under 3 day cancellation, maybe consider returning it.

I would never have bought an expensive 2 year 37 k mile vehicle without the CPO extended warranty thrown in or any type of extended warranty.

This is not about the possible battery/alternator issue, it's about a 37 k vehicle with barely any power-train warranty left.(expires at 60k)
Who knows how hard the last owners drove it or if it got proper maintenance?? Hope you got a really good deal/price on the vehciles.

Did you buy this from a non-mazda dealership?

For future purchases, consider
1. Buy New
2. Buy CPO(with extended warranty) from original manufacturer dealership.
3. Buy any used beater (value $3,000 to $10,000) from any dealership. Who cares about a warranty on a beater ?

As far as the battery/alternator take it to another retail outlet(like Advance) or your trusted local mechanic for testing. Autozone is probably just trying to sell you another alternator.

I thought it was a good deal- I paid 31k for it which was 2k more for a 2021 than the lowest price I was able to negotiate on a 2019. I just happened to come accross this 21(at a BMW dealership) that had 10k more miles so I thought it was a no brainer to go with the later model. The previous owner drove it alot, but he was also very diligent at getting it serviced(based on carfax).

Re the warranty: It's out of basic warranty but still have the powertrain. I initially purchased 3rd party comprehensive warranty for 5 years $2000, but cancelled it per the recommendation of folks here. I'm currently researching and getting quotes on a mazda extended warranty which I think I can get for around the same price.

 

[jscm86]

If you do not know anything about cars, here's a simple and cheap trick: buy a USB charger with voltage display. You plug it into the cigarette lighter and you can watch the voltage output. With no engine, just ACC on, you should read something around 12.5 V, plus or minus, depending how healthy the battery is. If you read less than 12.0 V with the engine off, definitely replace the battery. With the engine running, you should read something around or in between 13.5-14.0 V again, plus or minus. If you read less than that with the engine running, like same voltage as with the engine off, it means you have an alternator problem.
This is the one that I have: https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

Thanks for this. Will get one to keep handy going forward.

 

[Jack Rabbit]

I thought it was a good deal- I paid 31k for it which was 2k more for a 2021 than the lowest price I was able to negotiate on a 2019. I just happened to come accross this 21(at a BMW dealership) that had 10k more miles so I thought it was a no brainer to go with the later model. The previous owner drove it alot, but he was also very diligent at getting it serviced(based on carfax).

Re the warranty: It's out of basic warranty but still have the powertrain. I initially purchased 3rd party comprehensive warranty for 5 years $2000, but cancelled it per the recommendation of folks here. I'm currently researching and getting quotes on a mazda extended warranty which I think I can get for around the same price.

Not sure where you live but you may have overpaid a bit.
Prices have been coming down.
I Paid $28,500 for a 3 yr old CX-5 CPO (extended warranty) with only 17 k miles. That was back a few years ago during the peak of used car pricing. I needed the vehicle but still negotiated slightly. Dont let them know your in dire straights.

Currently, I could go get a 2021
CX-9 cpo extended warranty with only 19 k miles for $32,000. This is list price before any negotiation.

Something to keep in mind for your next purchase. They always need to sell a car. Most of the time, you never need to buy(unless your cars broke beyond repair and you need to be at work).

Next time leave the dealership, wait a week or two, they'll call with better offer. Especially now it's becoming a buyers market.

Worst case is they sell the color/Trim you want. I've never been attached so i just go find another if that happens.

 

[jscm86]

Not sure where you live but you may have overpaid a bit.
Prices have been coming down.
I Paid $28,500 for a 3 yr old CX-5 CPO (extended warranty) with only 17 k miles. That was back a few years ago during the peak of used car pricing. I needed the vehicle but still negotiated slightly. Dont let them know your in dire straights.

Currently, I could go get a 2021
CX-9 cpo extended warranty with only 19 k miles for $32,000. This is list price before any negotiation.

Something to keep in mind for your next purchase. They always need to sell a car. Most of the time, you never need to buy(unless your cars broke beyond repair and you need to be at work).

Next time leave the dealership, wait a week or two, they'll call with better offer. Especially now it's becoming a buyers market.

Worst case is they sell the color/Trim you want. I've never been attached so i just go find another if that happens.

I'm in NJ. I wasn't in a huge rush to be honest and saw several 2019s in the 30k miles range, but couldn't come to an agreement on those. Only 1 small local guy came down to 29k, but I thought he was playing games. All the other 2019s were listed at 31k or higher(a couple CPOs too) but the dealers weren't willing to move off their prices. Another thing that limited me a bit was the fact we wanted the gray metallic color. Also everything I saw from different valuations suggestioned it maybe decent/good but not great deal which I was ok with.

 

[roundle1979]

My factory / original battery was replaced at around 30K miles (when the vehicle was just over three years old). The battery failed a routine check at the dealership.

One of the baby sitters had an interesting habit of draining the battery flat (she'd run the HVAC with the ignition on but the engine off) which I think shortened the lifespan of the battery.

As someone suggested above, I'd replace the battery and then put a multi-meter on the battery. It should go from 12.x volts with the engine off to >13.x volts when you start the engine.

I think that the factory battery is on the cheaper side. I'd not go crazy with AGM (e.g. Optima). I'd probably get an Interstate from a place like Costco.

 

[Jack Rabbit]

My factory / original battery was replaced at around 30K miles (when the vehicle was just over three years old). The battery failed a routine check at the dealership.

One of the baby sitters had an interesting habit of draining the battery flat (she'd run the HVAC with the ignition on but the engine off) which I think shortened the lifespan of the battery.

As someone suggested above, I'd replace the battery and then put a multi-meter on the battery. It should go from 12.x volts with the engine off to >13.x volts when you start the engine.

I think that the factory battery is on the cheaper side. I'd not go crazy with AGM (e.g. Optima). I'd probably get an Interstate from a place like Costco.

Yep, from what i've seen of others posts, the Optimas arent too good. No firsthand experience though.

I've ran OEM, diehards, Interstate and mostly Napa batteries in Past.
Liked the Interstate and Napa lead-acids but they're heavy but they do last and plenty of CCA.

Will probably stick with the OEM panasonic lead-acids for $200 or a try the Braille AGM for $230 this time. Just some options.

 

[PTguy]

The cause of drawn down batteries in some of these cars is some device that is pulling power when it shouldn't. One of these was the toe-wave switch for the liftgate. It drew power all the time and was responsible for several good-but-discharged batteries being replaced when the battery was the symptom, not the problem.

If you have battery issues, get the battery recharged and have the car checked for one of these devices that is drawing electricity when it should be off. Another culprit is the rear window defroster that doesn't turn off, and usually not the battery which will test good after it's been recharged. I just replaced my late-2015 battery in my 2016 CX9 a couple of months ago, and it was still OK, maybe not good enough for winter.

 

[gphin]

That explains lack of CPO....bought at BMW dealership. Looks like you got a decent price based on what's available on cars.com depending on what model you got.....Signature? Touring? I live just across the river in PA but shopped at NJ dealers before I bought mine and found them to be priced a little high.....but that was 14 months ago when we bought our 2020. Got lucky and found ours at an Annapolis dealer so made the drive. In any event, the vehicle has a great reliability record so your call what your peace of mind is worth buying an extended warranty. We've put 20K on ours since purchase and only needed oil changes. Your battery should last around 4 years but I'd recommend getting it checked when you have your oil changed or get the voltmeter as recommended above .

 

[jscm86]

That explains lack of CPO....bought at BMW dealership. Looks like you got a decent price based on what's available on cars.com depending on what model you got.....Signature? Touring? I live just across the river in PA but shopped at NJ dealers before I bought mine and found them to be priced a little high.....but that was 14 months ago when we bought our 2020. Got lucky and found ours at an Annapolis dealer so made the drive. In any event, the vehicle has a great reliability record so your call what your peace of mind is worth buying an extended warranty. We've put 20K on ours since purchase and only needed oil changes. Your battery should last around 4 years but I'd recommend getting it checked when you have your oil changed or get the voltmeter as recommended above .

It was a 21 Grand Touring. I probably couldve gotten a better price if I wasn't tied to that gray metallic color. But all the 2019s and 2020s were in that same range too.

 

[gphin]

Yep, that gray color looks sharp. Sounds like you got a fair price for a GT in gray that has been well serviced. Again, enjoy the ride.