Guide: CX-5 Battery Installation

[MyFirstMazda]

My OEM battery is now 5 years old. It seems fine but I thought I would check out the battery thread. It doesn't look very hard to change the battery.

Mazda CX 5 Battery replacement

5 min tutorial - goes over cautions to avoid triggering theft alarm when disconnecting the battery power, and how to reset power windows after new battery is...

www.youtube.com

 

[yrwei52]

My OEM battery is now 5 years old. It seems fine but I thought I would check out the battery thread. It doesn't look very hard to change the battery.

Mazda CX 5 Battery replacement

5 min tutorial - goes over cautions to avoid triggering theft alarm when disconnecting the battery power, and how to reset power windows after new battery is...

www.youtube.com

There’re conflict informations on how difficult to replace the battery on CX-5. OP said it wasn’t easy, the same from @edmaz who is a very knowledgeable and experienced DIYer. My experience was it isn’t too difficult if you don’t have a bad back.

Coincidentally, I replaced the battery on my daughters 2019 GT a couple weeks ago, and it is indeed tucked in as tight as you described - impossible IMO to be able to get enough grip with 2 hands to be able to pull it up and out of the vehicle. There's just not enough extra space anywhere to allow hands to slide far enough down any of the 4 sides of the battery.

I had good success by first working a thin, heavy duty strap underneath each end of the battery. The straps I used are semi-rigid, which works well to retain a rectangular shape, while working them down and under the battery. Then I linked those 2 straps together with another one, and used a 2x4 propped against the body on the other side of the hood to lever it up and out by the middle strap. I used a piece of rug to protect the body, but any decent padding will work, because there's not much force being applied at that fulcrum point. I didn't watch the time, but the whole thing probably didn't take more than 5 minutes.

 

[172499]

There’re conflict informations on how difficult to replace the battery on CX-5. OP said it wasn’t easy, the same from @edmaz who is a very knowledgeable and experienced DIYer. My experience was it isn’t too difficult if you don’t have a bad back.

I just replaced my battery in the 2018 CX5 last week. It took 10-15 minutes to take and set in the new battery and IMO not very difficult.

 

[sm1ke]

This is WAY offtopic now. Back to the topic, if there's anything left to discuss. Otherwise, the thread can be locked.

 

[Antoine]

This is WAY offtopic now. Back to the topic, if there's anything left to discuss. Otherwise, the thread can be locked.

Thanks @sm1ke ...Removed the recent Off Topic posts as well.

 

[yrwei52]

So the price for this Interstate Group 35 battery at Costo went up again now is selling for $119.99? It had been selling for $78.99 with 36-month free replacement / 60-month rotated warranty for many years until a couple of years ago.

View attachment 320862

It then went up to $109.99 with only 36-month free replacement warranty.


View attachment 320863

Now it’s $119.99 with 36-month prorated warranty.

Not sure it’s a good buy anymore!

Went to my local Costco checking out the car service department on Sunday. Yes they still only do tire installation business nothing else. No oil change or battery installation. And confirmed the price for Interstate Group 35 battery went up again to $119.99. It was $109.99 in June, and $78.89 a couple of years ago! And the warranty has also downgraded to 36-month “prorated” warranty with the price increase, instead of 36-month “replacement” warranty!

 

[BdaCX5]

Wow, I used to be a Mazda lube tech and we would change the battery while the cars where running to not loose any customer settings and I don’t recall it being that difficult, mind you we mostly dealt with OEM. I don’t know how my co-workers did theirs specifically but I would take off the negative terminal and tuck it out of the way and then take off the positive and wrap it in a shop cloth and put a rubber glove over it and tuck it away. Then I would use the positive terminal cap on the new battery and put it on the old one until I had taken it out. I highly don’t advise to change your batteries like this tho, just sharing.

 

[georgem44]

Went to Costco today (SW Florida). Service tech said Interstate does not have a battery specified for a 2021 Mazda CX5 NA. Same thing at Sams Club, No Duracell listed for my vehicle. They both had Group 35 batteries for 2018, 19, 20 and 22 model years but not 2021. Seems a bit odd. Anyone else have this problem??

 

[meow_man]

Went to Costco today (SW Florida). Service tech said Interstate does not have a battery specified for a 2021 Mazda CX5 NA. Same thing at Sams Club, No Duracell listed for my vehicle. They both had Group 35 batteries for 2018, 19, 20 and 22 model years but not 2021. Seems a bit odd. Anyone else have this problem??

It should be the same Group 35 battery. I ran into a similar issue on Costco's website looking up a battery for my wife's Outback. At the time her model year wouldn't show up. I verified the size with the Subaru dealer it was the same as the adjacent years. I checked a few months later & the non-listed model year had appeared in the listings.

 

[yrwei52]

Went to Costco today (SW Florida). Service tech said Interstate does not have a battery specified for a 2021 Mazda CX5 NA. Same thing at Sams Club, No Duracell listed for my vehicle. They both had Group 35 batteries for 2018, 19, 20 and 22 model years but not 2021. Seems a bit odd. Anyone else have this problem??

There’s nothing special on the battery used in your 2021 Mazda CX5 2.5L NA. Like @meow_man said above, just buy the Interstate group 35 640 CCA battery at Costco, install it by yourself, and take the old battery back waiting in the long return line to get your core charge back.

Or better yet, go to Walmart to get the EverStart Maxx group 35N 640 CCA battery for $139.84 which has better 36-month free replacement warranty and free installation. Costco’s Interstate group 35 battery now is $119.99 and it has inferior 36-month “prorated” warranty. And Costco doesn’t do battery installation for you.

 

[Kedis82ZE8]

At my typical Costco location they just write up the core exchange at counter and we swap new for old at the tire service area entrance.

 

[georgem44]

OK, thank you gentleman.
I will go with the Everstart Maxx from walmart.

 

[georgem44]

Installed Walmart Everstart Maxx Group 35 N, 640 CCA yesterday on my 2021 CX 5 Carbon.
After removing cables, I removed the insulation sleeve which made it easier to tip up & lift out battery. I also used a 14" battery strap ( Amazon) that made it much easier to lift out battery.
Wire brushed posts on new battery, applied some dielectric grease. Put new battery in, then slipped insulation sleeve back into place. Reconnected everything. Started engine, no problems. Previous vehicle settings were saved.

 

[Paul 2]

spray/lube with silicone grease or vaseline.

Huh? You mean lube the battery posts & connectors? What does this step do?

I have on hand: White Lithium Grease, WD40, and PB Blaster. Will one of those suffice?

 

[stickerbush]

Huh? You mean lube the battery posts & connectors? What does this step do?

I have on hand: White Lithium Grease, WD40, and PB Blaster. Will one of those suffice?

No, I would not use any of those products on battery terminals. Someone recommend using dielectric grease which is a non-conducting silicone product. I believe it's used to keep out moisture but moisture shouldn't be a problem under the hood where the battery is located. Personally I would not use dielectric grease on battery terminals.

 

[Koko_Bandit]

I use the spray coating for battery terminals to prevent corrosion. You apply after the cables are connected. You can find it at almost any auto parts stores, Walmart, etc.

 

[Freedom55]

My CX-5 was built in March 2020 so the battery is about 3 1/2 years old. No sign of weakness, no corrosion, electrolyte level at max but the battery tender could no longer fully charge the battery ( I didn't get it load tested but assumed it would fail it anyway); it's a demo and I had the recall done for the power back door module that could drain the battery back in Dec 2020. I suspect the battery went dead a couple of times as it was sitting in the showroom when I bought it. I replaced the battery today with a really fresh one (built Nov 2023) from Costco Canada for $149.99. I removed the handle as it was interfering with the insulating sleeve. Not that hard to do but easier on my wife's Juke on which I also replaced it's battery today (a little over 4 years old from Costco) as it failed the load test and was showing mineral salt deposits yet the battery tender was able to fully charge it quickly (go figure!). Both vehicles use group 35. Unlike many other motorists, I didn't want to wait until one of the vehicles fail to start in the middle of a winter storm!

 

[Freedom55]

Today I returned the old batteries to Costco for the $10 deposit refund and learned about the warranty which is 48 month full coverage and pro rated down to 25% for up to 100 month! So on my wife's car which had a Costco battery for a little over 48 months, they gave us a 50% refund of the original price. What a nice surprise...Happy wife happy life! Please note this is for Canada only. I believe Costco US is still 36 month pro rated.

https://tires.costco.ca/Batteries/Warranty

 

[yrwei52]

Today I returned the old batteries to Costco for the $10 deposit refund and learned about the warranty which is 48 month full coverage and pro rated down to 25% for up to 100 month! So on my wife's car which had a Costco battery for a little over 48 months, they gave us a 50% refund of the original price. What a nice surprise...Happy wife happy life! Please note this is for Canada only. I believe Costco US is still 36 month pro rated.

https://tires.costco.ca/Batteries/Warranty

Lucky you in Canada! Your Canadian Costco Kirkland Signature auto battery has much better warranty than US Costco Interstate auto batteries which has downgraded to 36-month “prorated” warranty with the price increase, instead of 36-month “replacement” warranty a year ago!

 

[Freedom55]

Lucky you in Canada! Your Canadian Costco Kirkland Signature auto battery has much better warranty than US Costco Interstate auto batteries which has downgraded to 36-month “prorated” warranty with the price increase, instead of 36-month “replacement” warranty a year ago!

I knew about the 48 month "no question asked" full replacement warranty but didn't know or forgot about the 100 month prorated part...(Could be old age). From what I've read, Costco has a different battery manufacturer for Canada and that could explain the better warranty.

For those who can't/won't buy from Costco, Walmart Everstart Maxx is $20 more here but is maintenance free i.e. no caps to add distilled water.