Replacing CX5 OEM battery with a Group 35 AGM equivalent

[cz5gt]

That’s actually what my driving is like now, thanks to the Pandemic.

What AGM battery did you use and what tester is it?

X2 Power by Northstar group 35.
From Battery plus. Its probably overkill for cx5 but there were some nice discounts and rebate in the summer. The price came about 200 usd which was a bargain to me for that battery.

X2Power Premium AGM Battery for 2018 Mazda CX-5 L4 2.5L 540CCA Car and Truck - SLI35AGMDP at Batteries Plus Bulbs

X2Power group 35 AGM replacement battery designed for low maintenance and dependable engine starting power. Perfect replacement battery for Mazda, Nissan and more

www.batteriesplus.com

The Duracell Platinum AGM (made by East Penn) from the same site is also good battery with 4 yrs full warranty.

But as I mentioned any new battery is ok and better than an old battery

The tester is foxwell bt100 car battery tester from Amazon.
Topdon bt100 is also good and that one has cranking stats. Obviously both are chinese ones but do its job for home use

 

[cz5gt]

Side bar question: Has anyone used a portable lithium power charger to jump start their CX5? My battery now 2 years old and am thinking of buying one as preventative measure.

Cx5 petrol can start easily by anything. Its very 'light' 4 cyl engine.
So I am assuming it should work as long as it has the right juice available - i.e Amps

 

[hmw]

Side bar question: Has anyone used a portable lithium power charger to jump start their CX5? My battery now 2 years old and am thinking of buying one as preventative measure.

I use DBPower - it's cheap and on Amazon for $65~$80 depending on offers https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned).

There's also NOCO that many folks say is real good https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

 

[hmw]

The dealer tested the battery today after charging $100 for running diagnostics on the EPB and battery. Apparently the battery tested 140 SAE/CCA so it's one foot in the grave

They quoted $250 + labor for a new battery and cautioned me against doing it myself - saying that there's DTC codes that need to be cleared after the replacement else I'd have a dash full of malfunction lights. The hint was that coming to them after replacing the battery myself would be very costly.

With all the folks who have changed batteries - did anyone get these dashboard warnings? And if so, is it possible to clear them without going to a dealer?

 

[meow_man]

The dealer tested the battery today after charging $100 for running diagnostics on the EPB and battery. Apparently the battery tested 140 SAE/CCA so it's one foot in the grave

They quoted $250 + labor for a new battery and cautioned me against doing it myself - saying that there's DTC codes that need to be cleared after the replacement else I'd have a dash full of malfunction lights. The hint was that coming to them after replacing the battery myself would be very costly.

With all the folks who have changed batteries - did anyone get these dashboard warnings? And if so, is it possible to clear them without going to a dealer?

I'm not sure about the CX-5 but I swapped the battery in my son's 2016 Mazda 3 and everything was fine. No lights, no warnings. Around $175 for a Diehard AGM & 15 minutes of my time.

$250 + labor for a battery seems extremely steep.

 

[yrwei52]

The dealer tested the battery today after charging $100 for running diagnostics on the EPB and battery. Apparently the battery tested 140 SAE/CCA so it's one foot in the grave

They quoted $250 + labor for a new battery and cautioned me against doing it myself - saying that there's DTC codes that need to be cleared after the replacement else I'd have a dash full of malfunction lights. The hint was that coming to them after replacing the battery myself would be very costly.

With all the folks who have changed batteries - did anyone get these dashboard warnings? And if so, is it possible to clear them without going to a dealer?

You should have just spent $79 getting a new battery from Costco instead of paying $100 to the Mazda dealer for some “diagnostics” on such a simply “problem”. You can always read the code and test the battery for free at any auto parts stores like AutoZone.

Since you have a 2016 CX-5, your EPB could have dragging issue which may trigger the EPB warning light. There’s a TSB for it and the resolution is a pair of revised rear disk calipers.

TSB R052/16C: Noise from REAR BRAKE/Trace of Rear Brake Dragging

 

[korean_mazda]

Side bar question: Has anyone used a portable lithium power charger to jump start their CX5? My battery now 2 years old and am thinking of buying one as preventative measure.

I've used one especially this year due to Covid. I'm not driving my car much and I've had to jump it with a portable battery starter at least 3x. Worked perfectly. I got it as a gift but I think it's worth purchasing

 

[sm1ke]

The dealer tested the battery today after charging $100 for running diagnostics on the EPB and battery. Apparently the battery tested 140 SAE/CCA so it's one foot in the grave

They quoted $250 + labor for a new battery and cautioned me against doing it myself - saying that there's DTC codes that need to be cleared after the replacement else I'd have a dash full of malfunction lights. The hint was that coming to them after replacing the battery myself would be very costly.

With all the folks who have changed batteries - did anyone get these dashboard warnings? And if so, is it possible to clear them without going to a dealer?

As yrwei52 mentioned, you could have had the battery load-tested for free at an auto parts store.

I don't think there are any codes that are guaranteed to appear from a battery replacement. That dealership was just trying to scare you into paying for services you don't need. Avoid that dealership for any future service, if possible.

Buy a new battery from Costco and replace it yourself. Instructions for the 2.0L engine can be found here. The process should be similar for the 2.5L engine.

Codes can be cleared with an OBDII reader. Again, most auto parts stores can do this for you for free, or you can buy an ELM 327 OBDII bluetooth dongle online, then download a free app (Torque) to your phone and clear the codes yourself.

 

[xmnj]

Side bar question: Has anyone used a portable lithium power charger to jump start their CX5? My battery now 2 years old and am thinking of buying one as preventative measure.

I have, my battery died during quarantine, to point power locks did not function and no interior lights. Used the battery booster and started right up. Had battery checked and everything was good, this was back in May.

I have Noco Boost GB40. It has a safety function, so if you mix up the polarities or accidentally touch the boost cables together, you went get any surprises. One thing to be careful of is leaving the booster in your car, especially during hot summer months.

 

[CX-5um]

One thing to be careful of is leaving the booster in your car, especially during hot summer months.

Do they work? Yes. Should I store in car? No!!!!! Mine died while stored in car in the summer. Heat kills them.

Store it in your office, home, or other cool location.

 

[minnesotaart]

Ha! So since this post started I started to notice that my CX-5 was just a touch slower turning over than it has been. It got worse as the temps dropped. So I got out my tester today and tested my Duralast AGM, 4-year old (12/22/16) battery and yup, it's bad. Headed to Walmart to pick up an $89 EverStart Maxx battery. I've got my Solar Memory Holder cable and my Clore Automotive 12v battery pack ready to go for the exchange.

 

[DrElectron]

Replacement battery needs to support I-ELOOP:
https://rts.i-car.com/collision-repair-news/mazda-i-eloop-overview.html

The Costco Interstate Group 35 battery supports I-ELOOP.

 

[Aetherial]

Put a Kirkland battery in my 2016 when it was 2 years old. The OEM battery is utter crap. The Kirkland has been working great for 3 years. Our driving pattern is hard on batteries and we live in Ontario so winter can be tough. I had good luck with Wal-Mart batteries in a Rav4 a few years ago.

 

[CX5Nut]

Replacement battery needs to support I-ELOOP:
https://rts.i-car.com/collision-repair-news/mazda-i-eloop-overview.html

The Costco Interstate Group 35 battery supports I-ELOOP.

Which year CX5s have the i-eloop system and how do you know if a battery supports it?

 

[CX5_Driver]

Which year CX5s have the i-eloop system and how do you know if a battery supports it?

Did you read the link @DrElectron posted?

"Beginning model year 2014, Mazda has introduced a regenerative engine braking system called i-ELOOP, short for "Intelligent Energy Loop." In this system, a capacitor is used to store electrical energy generated during deceleration. In a conventional system when the vehicle slows or stops, energy is wasted. "
Now to be fair this is a broad statement across all Mazda models.

then you type "i-eloop" into the search function on this forum:

I-eloop

Has anyone heard of Mazda is planning on making the I-ELOOP available on the Cx-5 or Cx-9?? I know the 6 is their flagship but I would think they would want that feature on all of their vehicles?

www.mazdas247.com

and this:

Battery Suggestions

Hi All, Just returned from a long trip almost 2 months and my 2016 CX 5 GT AWD that was left at home in the Garage wouldn't start Let me rephrase that, it was completely dead. I tried to get any signs of life, but nothing, I even tried my Wife's Remote to just double check and nothing. I...

www.mazdas247.com

But I wasn't convinced.. so I asked google this "i-eloop mazda cx-5"

and found this article from 2013

Explained: Mazda's i-ELOOP recovery system | T W White & Sons Blog

Kinetic energy recovery from a vehicle used to help power on-board electronic systems is not a new idea. But Mazda’s approach to solving the problem is.

blog.twwhiteandsons.co.uk

and from Mazda:

MAZDA NEWSROOM｜Mazda ‘i-ELOOP’ Capacitor-Based Brake Energy Regeneration System｜NEWS RELEASES

Everything you need to know about what's going on. Includes up to date news releases, production and sales results and archives, or sign up for your own RSS news feed.

newsroom.mazda.com

"This means the i-ELOOP system goes hand-in-hand with Mazda’s i-stop technology, as launched on the Mazda CX5 crossover and all-new Mazda 6 saloon and estate variants."

---I think this was a global launch that North America didn't see

So does your CX-5 start/stop function to save fuel?
-----If No then stop decision tree you vehicle is NOT using a i-ELOOP battery
-----If yes proceed
-------Go to your Fuel Economy Monitor under Applications. The first two pages should be info regarding i-Stop and i-ELOOP
-------If Yes your vehicle uses a i_ELOOP battery
-------Verify by seeing the indicator in the instrument dash cluster


== how do you know if a battery supports it? Simple the battery manufacture will tell you

some examples:

2017 Mazda 6 L4 2.5L 520CCA ex. i-ELOOP Car and Truck Batteries at Batteries Plus Bulbs

Get your vehicle running with durable 2017 Mazda 6 L4 2.5L 520CCA ex. i-ELOOP Car and Truck Batteries auto batteries from Batteries Plus Bulbs. Buy car and truck batteries and get free installation at participating locations.

www.batteriesplus.com

https://www.interstatebatteries.com/product-search-results/2017-mazda-6-l425l-ex-i-eloop

 

[CX5Nut]

Ok great...Our 2018 cx5 does not have i-stop so no i-eloop. Thanks.

 

[frotasticben]

I put a Optima Red Top battery in my 2017 CX-5 Sport after a 2 week stint of not driving my car killed my battery (to the point that my keyless entry didn't even work). After changing out the battery I've had absolutely no issues, no warnings on the dash either.

 

[wlong01]

I'm taking my 19 into the dealer this week to replace the battery. My wife ran it down completely dead and I don't trust it anymore. It charged up OK but you never know. Don't want to get into a situation where we're in an isolated area and the car won't start. Last time it took Mazda roadside 8 hrs to find somebody to assist us.
Anyway, replacement battery is 150.00 and I have a 20.00 coupon. Plus I get the OEM guarantee.

 

[Ladd]

I put a Optima Red Top battery in my 2017 CX-5 Sport after a 2 week stint of not driving my car killed my battery (to the point that my keyless entry didn't even work). After changing out the battery I've had absolutely no issues, no warnings on the dash either.

Out of curiosity: Given that a RedTop35 Battery is 2.5 times as expensive as an Interstate Group 35 battery from Costco, can you offer reason/features as to why the battery is good value?

 

[hal2]

Out of curiosity: Given that a RedTop35 Battery is 2.5 times as expensive as an Interstate Group 35 battery from Costco, can you offer reason/features as to why the battery is good value?

Here in Phoenix heat kills a battery, and you can expect it to last 2-3 years tops, in general. And unlike cold climates where you may get a hard cold start as an early warning, here, literally middle of the day, you go to the grocery store and come out 30 minutes later and bamm, dead, nada, zilch, not even a click, click click.

So, you buy a battery with a non-prorated warranty, like Costo, then after 2.5 years when it test low, 25% life left, you go to Costco and get your replacememnt, or Auto Zone, but costo is like $75.00.

I'm sure there's differences, but in PHX it's going to die in less than 3 years anyway, so I'm not bothering with $200 when $75 works.

YMMV