2022 CX-5 with repeated dead battery

mguarda

Member
:
2004 Mazda 6S Hatch (sold)
2019 CX-5 PP (sold)
2022 CX-5 Signature
In March of 2022, my lease ended on my 19 CX-5 and I ended up getting a 22. The 19 CX-5 was flawless. The 22 CX-5, on the other hand, has had the battery replaced twice. The first time was about 5 months and 3k miles in, and the second time was 18 months and 10k miles in. This just happened this week.

It's nothing I'm doing. The car is garage kept in a temperate climate, is driven weekly on longer distance trips, and I don't leave anything plugged into the outlets in the car. Even the key fobs are kept far enough away in a drawer.

While the dealer has replaced the battery twice, they haven't found the actual issue so I know it's a matter of time before this happens again. Electrical gremlins are notorious to find, but they seem to be putting 0 effort into finding them and instead just keep replacing the battery. I let them know of the attached TSB for the ventilated seat failing to turn off but I'm not sure if that's the issue. I've read on here that there were issues with 21 and earlier CX-5s, and 23 CX-5s for battery drain issues, but the 2022 year seems exempt from those specific issues.

My question is: are there any 2022 (specifically 2022) CX-5 owners here that have dealt with this and found a solution? One bad battery could simply be bad luck; two bad batteries given how the car is maintained seems incredibly improbable.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot 2023-11-23 at 11.56.43 AM.png
    Screenshot 2023-11-23 at 11.56.43 AM.png
    64.3 KB · Views: 89
First question is why did the dealer replace the battery if they couldn't find a cause for it going flat? Were the batteries actually bad, or did they just replace them because they didn't know what else to do.
Second, take a look at this thread to see if it might have any bearing on your situation. Brand New CX-5, Dead Battery!
A couple of months after we got a '23 CX-5, the battery went completely dead after my wife parked the car for four hours one afternoon. Dealer checked the condition of the battery and said it was fine and that they had no idea why it went flat. The thread referred to above explains that, under certain conditions, the ignition can be left on when you think you've turned everything off, thus depleting the battery in short order.
And third, there was a recall of cars around the '22 model year for a radio relay of some sort located near the antenna because it failed to shut down when the ignition was shut off. Thus killing the battery. Hope this helps.
 
I seem to recall a few years ago a problem with the rear hatch draining batteries. You might want to see if you can find any info and mention it to the service people if it sounds like it might pertain.
 
The tech with a VOM should find the problem quickly.
Anyone who knows how to perform a parasitic draw test should be able to get the problem isolated to one specific fuse fairly quickly. However, depending on the details of exactly how many (and which) circuits are protected by that fuse, it could take significantly more work to diagnose what the exact issue is.

Automaker service departments don't normally diagnose anything beyond what their proprietary OBD tool provides. So, the idea of a tech spending some unknown number of hours troubleshooting an electrical issue with a meter, is way too scary for them to actually consider doing. Just throw parts quickly is what they do. However, they're totally ok with unlimited diagnosis, if the customer is paying for it :rolleyes:
 
Do you have ventilated seats?
If you do and you used them a lot, most likely thats the cause. Been there with my 2022. Same problem. New module and so far ok.

The other problem was something with the TCM (mentioned above for the antenna) if I recall but I updated the software on mine.

Go back to the dealer and ask them for resolution. Escalate if you have to.
 
Last edited:
Back