how to run your battery down...

[X10James]

You know that neat little feature they mention in the manual about how they turn the dome lights off if you leave the door open for an extended period of time so that you wont run the battery down? Well that protection doesn't extend to the light in the back that turns on when you leave the rear gate up.

I unloaded the car from a long trip recently and never made the last trip back out to the garage to close the hatch. It was 2 days before I went back out and it was completely dead. A quick jump start later and all is well, but it's something to keep in mind.

 

[B1GHAM]

also keep in mind with mazda5's and mazda3's they use electro-hydraulic assisted power steering. there is actually an electric motor that will help with power steering. When the battery is first jumped, you may notice the steering is either jumpy or delayed. Let the battery charge for a bit (20-30 minutes) and you shouldnt have any trouble.

 

[ladygrey]

You know that neat little feature they mention in the manual about how they turn the dome lights off if you leave the door open for an extended period of time so that you wont run the battery down? Well that protection doesn't extend to the light in the back that turns on when you leave the rear gate up.

I unloaded the car from a long trip recently and never made the last trip back out to the garage to close the hatch. It was 2 days before I went back out and it was completely dead. A quick jump start later and all is well, but it's something to keep in mind.

I did the exact same thing one day this summer. Since then I've just turned that light to off and only turn it on if I need it because it seems my kids have some difficulty making sure the rear hatch is closed.