Hello! I am in the waiting room of AAA Auto Care because my 2020 CX-9 with 45,000 miles was sluggish to start. When I got here the beep sound when using the phob to lock it was lower in pitch and wimpy in volume. There is an icon on the driver display ... a P! The Manual states this is "Electric Parking Brake Warning Light". I think I just need a new battery? Is 45,000 miles a bit early for a 2020 CX 9 battery to die?
New battery at 45,000 miles? 2020 CX-9
- Thread starter SteveBrickNJ
- Start date
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- Canada
I think it's less about the mileage, and more about how long your commutes are, your climate, and the age of the battery. Also, battery maintenance and care plays a role.
Short commutes result in the car not running long enough to recharge the battery. Hot weather can also contribute to a shorter battery life. And in general, despite best practices, a new battery may be needed every 4-6 years as the battery's ability to hold charge diminishes over time.
I had to replace my OEM battery after only 2 years, but that was just because I had used it to jump start a few too many other cars, discharged it completely a few times, and didn't keep track of the battery's electrolyte levels.
Hopefully all you need is a new battery. Typically I'd recommend Costco, but their warranty isn't as good as it is in Canada currently, so it might be a good idea to check out the options at WalMart.
Short commutes result in the car not running long enough to recharge the battery. Hot weather can also contribute to a shorter battery life. And in general, despite best practices, a new battery may be needed every 4-6 years as the battery's ability to hold charge diminishes over time.
I had to replace my OEM battery after only 2 years, but that was just because I had used it to jump start a few too many other cars, discharged it completely a few times, and didn't keep track of the battery's electrolyte levels.
Hopefully all you need is a new battery. Typically I'd recommend Costco, but their warranty isn't as good as it is in Canada currently, so it might be a good idea to check out the options at WalMart.
You are smart. I only have a 5 minute drive to work so my car on many days of the year is not getting the 30 minutes of non stop driving. The AAA Battery with a 3 year warranty was a competitive price so I authorized it. $221 plus tax.
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- CX9
Car batteries are a funny thing. I had my 2019 CX-9 GT battery replaced under warranty after 3 years and 15,512 miles. Now I'm seeing some corrosion around the negative terminal I'm going to clean off and I'm at 27,500 miles.
My previous vehicle was a 2013 Toyota Venza which I traded in for the CX-9 with the OEM factory installed original battery still going strong. The worst car I every had for batteries was a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP which would kill a battery in two years; no warning just dead. It was so bad that I just automatically had a new one put in every two years over the ten years I kept that car.
Now I always carry a NOCO GB 40 in my trunk just in case.
My previous vehicle was a 2013 Toyota Venza which I traded in for the CX-9 with the OEM factory installed original battery still going strong. The worst car I every had for batteries was a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP which would kill a battery in two years; no warning just dead. It was so bad that I just automatically had a new one put in every two years over the ten years I kept that car.
Now I always carry a NOCO GB 40 in my trunk just in case.
Corrosion at a battery post indicates acid leaking past the seal in the case around the post. You can clean it, put on one of those colored felt corrosion reducing circular protectors, spray with a corrosion reducing product for battery posts. Keep it clean. You do not want the corrosion to damage the clamp on the end of the cable. The acid will eat up the felt thing; those are not forever.
Many auto shops and parts stores have a battery tester and will test it for no charge. Get it tested before you buy a new battery. If your situation is like Steve's, putting a charger on that battery every couple of weeks or so may have added a couple of years to its life. My current favorite charger is the NOCO 10 amp model.
Many auto shops and parts stores have a battery tester and will test it for no charge. Get it tested before you buy a new battery. If your situation is like Steve's, putting a charger on that battery every couple of weeks or so may have added a couple of years to its life. My current favorite charger is the NOCO 10 amp model.
N7turbo
2023 CX-5 2.5T ... 2024 MX-5 RF GT
When it comes time to replace my battery, it won't be with the same one. It will be an upgrade, probably lithium and with more power.
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- CX9
Great advice, thank you. I'm trading this car in next February so am pretty sure it will make it 'til then. I wondered about the those pads and will pick some up after reading your suggestion.
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I have done mine at 40K (due to weak starts) and then again at 60K (due to leaking/corrosion). First two batteries were OEM/Mazda. Mazda dealer would not cover the leaking, two year old battery so I went to Costco and bought an Interstate (I changed it in the parking lot with simple hand tools).
Where do you live? I bought my CX9 new in Palm Springs, CA and would only get 12-18 months out of a battery. I think parking outside contribued to the problem. Every summer we'd see temps approach 120F. Once I left the desert and went to Midwest I suddenly get years out of a battery - seems the extreme heat is harder on the battery than the somewhat cold winters here.
Outside of New York City.
I have a 2018 VW GTI with the original battery. No signs of weakness just yet. Go figure.
I have a battery maintainer (NOCO Genius 1) that I use to 'top off' the cars a few times per year. I also 'plug in' the cars when they are not in use (e.g. if we are traveling for a week or more).
The battery on my CX-5 2022 was completely drained due to electronics not shutting down. I thought I would get it replaced under warranty. After some arm twisting the local dealer confessed that the batteries are Interstate brand and then maybe rebadged. So you are not getting real Mazda OEM Panasonic in the US. I checked the internal resistance of the battery after it was recharged and it was nearly the same as the unabused identical battery on my CX-9 that is exactly the same age down to the month, so I have not changed it. I have a trickle charger in my garage and I connect one of the two cars most nights.
When I drive short distances, I will sit in the car and rev it at 2-3k rpm until the coolant temp has reached 90C (or 100C for the CX-5). Or I let it idle unattended, which is risky depending on where you live!
When I drive short distances, I will sit in the car and rev it at 2-3k rpm until the coolant temp has reached 90C (or 100C for the CX-5). Or I let it idle unattended, which is risky depending on where you live!
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- CX-9
Here in South Florida if you get 4 years out of a battery it's a miracle. Has nothing to do with the miles, it's all about time. Heat cycles are brutal.
72% of batteries in the USA are made by Johnson Controls. Lots of different stickers, Die Hard, Duralast, Walmart, etc. but they are basically the same. Unless you do like an Optima or Lithium that's not the standard mill battery. Talking box store batteries.
72% of batteries in the USA are made by Johnson Controls. Lots of different stickers, Die Hard, Duralast, Walmart, etc. but they are basically the same. Unless you do like an Optima or Lithium that's not the standard mill battery. Talking box store batteries.
Johnson Controls sold their battery operation; the name of the new outfit is Clarios. Yep, many labels including Interstate. East Penn/DEKA is another U.S. battery maker; I've seen these in O'Reilly & NAPA. Exide Technologies is another. Both these also have several labels on the batteries they make. Retailers may switch from one maker to another and keep their own label. NAPA used to sell Exide batteries with the NAPA label. Now some (all?) are made by DEKA with the NAPA label. All seem to be about equal quality for their top line batteries. My most recent purchase is a Clarios/Interstate/Costco battery in one car and an ACDelco AGM in another car. (Check summitracing.com for good AGM prices.)
Agree with jp, the heat in the southern states kills batteries. Mileage does not matter.
Agree with jp, the heat in the southern states kills batteries. Mileage does not matter.
I had both a CX-5 and a CX-9 in Fiji 2018-22. Fiji has a worse climate than S. Florida. 4 years for the latter and just over 3 for the former. Both low mileage with very low mileage for the CX-5 and many short trips. Batteries were fine when I left. But these cars were imported from Australia where they have/had start/stop and commensurate much larger batteries. I disabled the start/stop annoyance, which saves the battery life.
I believe that Clarios has 33% market share globally across OEM and aftermarket. Interstate, which Mazda appears to use in the US for replacement, has used both Clarios and Exide, and others according to Wikipedia. DieHard, which many Americans think is great and pay a premium, was involved in a scandal where collusion between Sears and Exide supplied used batteries (how? why?) and sold them as new. DieHard is now a brand of Advance Autoparts, as Sears dissolved and sold off its brands.
I believe that Clarios has 33% market share globally across OEM and aftermarket. Interstate, which Mazda appears to use in the US for replacement, has used both Clarios and Exide, and others according to Wikipedia. DieHard, which many Americans think is great and pay a premium, was involved in a scandal where collusion between Sears and Exide supplied used batteries (how? why?) and sold them as new. DieHard is now a brand of Advance Autoparts, as Sears dissolved and sold off its brands.
