Mazda3 Lighting & Electrical Questions

mccorma

Just took delivery of a new GT on Saturday. The salesman told me that it has DRL. I can't find that it does and the only reference in the owners manual is that Canadian models have them.

I have not had a chance to contact the dealer again but was wondering if anyone here knew anything or if it is something that can be configured by the dealer. My BMW had DRL but it had to be configured by the dealer through the vehicle computer somehow.

Thanks and love the new ride!

stallionre

You are right, My DRL does not work either. I wonder why? I thought these were for all GT's. It states that I have it, but how does this work? Does anyone know how the DRL work? I will try to figure this out.

I love my ride too!! Awesome Zoom-Zoom.

stallionre

I just bought the 2007 M3S Grand Touring model last week and I have the DRL auto. I am located in the USA. I had to turn the light switch on the steering wheel to auto and it worked. You know the light control handle, turn that all the way forward in the auto position. Also the fog lights are on the same control knob. It worked for me. Hope this helps.

stallionre

This was posted from me, before I could figure the DRL out. Now that I got it to work, please see my latest post. Thanks.

bigfur

Does the DRL run thru the HID headlights or thru the foglights? If it runs the the HID i personally would shut them off to save the life of the HID being they are so expensive.

stallionre

I am not sure about how they run. I thought that they were spearate the fog and the HID lights, However, same control knob. I would agree with you about turning them off. I wouldn't want to burn them out so fast.

nifty56

I live in Canada and all the Mazda3s have DRL, it's the law here in Canada that all cars sold here need them. If they are working or equiped all you need to do is turn the ignition to the start position and they should come on. No need for the light switch to be in any postion they will still come on no matter what postion the switch is in.

bigfur

do they run off the HID lights or some other light on the front of the car?

stallionre

I turned my lights off by not using the auto feature on the knob. I realize that you can't use the fog lights without the head lights in the on position. I now realize that I don't have the day time light running feature on my car, only the auto dusk feature. I can save on the usage of the bulbs. These Xenon bulbs are very expensive.

PF_Flyer

Since we don't have a central place for Mazda3 lighting & electrical questions, I'm going to rename this discussion to use it as the start of one. That way we'll have all the electrical/lighting questions and answers in one spot, making the info easier to find and more useful.

mccorma

Nifty56, glad to hear from someone north of the border. So which lights do the Canadian versions use for the DRL? I've seen some cars here use the high or low beams but dimmed to 75%, or sometimes even the parking lights. I can't imagine you guys have unique headlight configurations there just for DRL. I wish they would make them mandatory in the US, they are a great safety feature.

In doing some research I found a Miata thread where some owners of US models from the mid to late '90s were purchasing the Canadian DRL module for their vehicle and installing it. It would be great if someone here could provide some guidance, Nifty56 if you can tell us which lights are used it would be a great start as I am sure the module can be bought and installed fairly easily, provided the Xenon bulbs are not used for the DRL.

Stallionre, the salesman told me the same thing you mention - to turn the knob to "auto" and this was the running lights. I pointed out to him all that does is make the headlights come on at dusk. I think sometimes people are confused about what DRL is.

stallionre

Yeah, I hear that. I think that the sales people make the car buyer confused about some options that are on the car. I researched this last night about my car, and know that I do not have DRL. I only have the feature that turns on the lights at dusk, even though the salesman told me that I have DRL. Strange how we can confuse the two. However, I heard that all cars that are sold in Canada need to have DRL. Am I wrong about that?

Making them mandatory in the US would be great, however, it would wear out the Xenon bulb faster and as high price as they are, I wouldn't want to buy them every two years.

markb3

I live in Canada and if you have DRL you'll know has soon has you start your car. "you'll have lights On". Note! these lights are not the same has your regular night time lights has they are a less intense bulb. What I'm trying to say is, if we here in Canada have our lights set at Auto on our Mazda3s the lights that come on after dusk are much brighter. DRL has been law in Canada since 1990 and is a great idea.

stallionre

I see what you mean about the DRL. In the USA, there are no laws about having DRL yet in most states, however the car companies are making DRL on cars to be active. I can see where DRL might use a different bulb, since you don't need the expensive Xenon's for the day time.

fshkpr1

The horn on my '07 3 Hatchback is so weak that when I had to use it the other driver could not hear it. Last time the truck in front of me rolled back at a red light and actually tapped my front end. I saw at least 1 owner wrote about that.

I looked into the wiring diagram of a '05 model( not available for '07 models yet) and found only a single horn unit( many cars have dual horns). This should be a safety concern and if this is the case for every "3", then Mazda should upgrade it.......

regularguybob

My horn on my 90 323 sticks on when the horn is connected. Where do I look on the car to fix the problem,

zante64

I drive a '07 3 Sport hatch w/manual tranny. Absolutely love the car! Only wish it had DRL's. (I'm in California.) I've seen posts for various other makes which allows you to make lighting modifications pretty easily. What I'm hoping to do, is to make the foglights on my "3" act as DRL's.
Anyone have a suggestion?
Thanks

rhjackson

My 2006 Mazda3 Grand Touring Sedan is almost two years old. The radio/heater/trip computer display has failed. The service manager told me that he replaces two or three of these displays a month, and that he now has one on back order in addition to mine. I assume this will be covered under warranty, but is this as common a failure as my service manager suggests?

zlg42

My headlights will not go off. The only way I can get them off is to take out the 2 fuses in the panel under the glove box. I checked all the realays under the hood, none were bad. Even took it to the dealer for diagnosis, no luck. They claimed I needed to replace the entire electrical panel under the glove box. Has anyone else ever had this issue?

Thanks,

okmazda3owner

I have a 2007 Mazda 3. The display locks with all the numbers, letters and symbols in the on position. My local dealer has replaced the unit and the following day it locked up again. I am also having trouble with the auto headlights. The headlights turn on in the middle of the day and make the speedo hard to see. So far my local dealer has not been able to fix that either.

malibu3142

My back right window stopped even working same with the automatic door locks. I think there is no electricity to that whole door. What could be wrong? Also My horn and right side of my steering wheel buttons arent working either. Can anyone help me!?!!?? :confuse:
i drive a 2003 Mazda 6

autonomous

Have you checked the fuses?

malibu3142

No which fuses should i check??

autonomous

which fuses
Check the manual.

hal18

Hello - I have '05 Mazda 3, purchased new 3 years ago - never any problem 'til today - my driving lights did not turn off - now 8 hours later, battery is drained.

Please advise what you learned about your problem

mixwell

I have a 2008.5 M3 and would really like to upgrade the lighting (for both performance and style). I was thinking about using halo lights (like a BMW) for the low beams and xenon for the fog lights. Any ideas/suggestions on this? Thanks!

nzpe72

Has anyone had an issue with their headlights not being on but the car still thinks the lights are on and will not let you lock the doors. If so how did you correct it?

fee3

Hello! I bought a brand-new 2008 Mazda3 four months ago. It's already been in the shop three times regarding a battery drain that leaves the car deader than dead after it sits for a few days. (No after-market parts, nothing left on, tests show there's nothing "unusual.") Won't even take a jump. The shop has no clue. Battery has been replaced. Since I'm on the verge of pursuing lemon law action, I'm just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience. Please advise!

autonomous

brand-new 2008 Mazda3 four months ago ... been in the shop three times regarding a battery drain that leaves the car deader than dead after it sits for a few days. ... tests show there's nothing "unusual.")

What does the Mazda dealer suggest you do? Have you thought of taking it to another Mazda dealer?

Won't even take a jump. The shop has no clue. Battery has been replaced
If it won't take a jump, does that mean you need a new battery each time it gets drained?!

redmazda3

My parents bought a 2008 Avalon which the battery was constantly drained and the car would not start. The first dealer said nothing was wrong according to their instruments and my parents just were not driving the car enough to keep the battery charged. The second dealer said he didn't believe the first dealer and kept on looking at all aspects of the car. They finally determined the auto dimming mirror had been put on at the port when the car was delivered to America. After taking the mirror off, they found it had been wired backwards. After correctly wiring the mirror, the battery has no gone dead since and my parents drive the same miles they have always done. Your problem may be somewhere along this line. Hope this helps.

mariong

We left our brand new Mazda 3 at an airport parking lot for two weeks and the battery was dead when we got back. Our dealer's explanation is that the 3 computers are talking to each other and you can expect a dead battery after leaving it just a week. Not what you want to hear about a new car.
mariong

autonomous

brand new Mazda 3 at an airport parking lot for two weeks and the battery was dead when we got back. Our dealer's explanation is that the 3 computers are talking to each other and you can expect a dead battery after leaving it just a week.

I find that that statement by the dealer representative not only surprising but disturbing. You may want to write to MazdaUSA and inform them of the situation and see what they say. How old was the battery and in what condition was it? Also, it may be difficult to prove that the battery did not discharge for another reason (e.g. accidentally leaving on the overhead light switch).

jeffyscott

Yeah, that sounds nuts. I've left an old minvan with an old battery sit for two weeks in winter and had no problem with the battery having enough power to start the car. If it is true that Mazda designed this car to have a dead battery if it is not used for a week that is pretty pathetic.

redmazda3

My parents had purchased a 2008 Toyota Avalon that would go dead after a couple of days of non use. The first dealer told them they just were not driving it enough to keep the battery charged. They were told the story of the multiple computers always draining the battery. We didn't buy that story. The second dealer took the time to get all the paper work on the car and found that the auto dimming mirror was put on at the port of entrance. He took it apart and found that it was wired backwards which caused a short and a serious power drain. After correcting the wiring their car works now as expected. They sometimes do not drive the car for four or five days and it always cranks now. Hope this helps.

autonomous

If it is true that Mazda designed this car to have a dead battery if it is not used for a week that is pretty pathetic.

I don't think Mazda or any other car company would try that, it would qualify as a form of hari kari. Batteries are one of those items in the car that you know you have to replace; but not after two weeks sitting around. The dealer representative was being disingenous and not offering a helpful answer. There are lots of reasons for a battery draining. The good news is that a battery is cheap to replace.

jeffyscott

I've never understood what a dealers motivation would be for doing that sort of thing. Why tell someone that a problem is not a problem, rather than charge them (or Mazda) to fix the problem. :confuse:

roadburner

I find that that statement by the dealer representative not only surprising but disturbing.

I agree; I leave my Mazdaspeed 3 in the garage for weeks at a time and when I finally have to drive it it has never failed to start.

dudehau

Got a 2009 Mazda Speed3 2 months ago and having issue with battery draining within 24hr period.

It started with the "Engine" light indicator coming on. Took it to the dealer and they couldn't figure out the problem. They concluded that it was a glitch and reset the code. The next week, I left the car sitting no more than 2 days and the battery was drained. Took it in and they replaced the battery, concluding that the battery had a faulty cell.

Again, I left the car sitting for about 1 1/2 day while going out of town. Once again the battery was drained and I had to jumpstarted. My conclusion is that it is not the battery and the dealer have no clues what the issue is. Something is obviously being left on and is draining the battery.

I'm taking the car in again and will give an update soon.

roadburner

My conclusion is that it is not the battery and the dealer have no clues what the issue is.

Has the dealer measured the current draw when everything is shut down(key out, all doors closed)? It shouldn't be hard to isolate the problem; it takes a lot to drain a battery in 24-36 hours. Simply just start pulling fuses and relays until the current draw disappears. My son left the door open on my MS3 one night and 12 hours later it fired right up.

dudehau

I've taken the car to the Houston Jeff Haas dealer 3 or 4 times already. Each time they hook the battery up to some kind of machine to track any draw from it and each time they tell the me the same thing which is there is no draw they can detect. They can't find the source of the drain and so they conclude it's a bad battery. I'm on my third battery with a car that only have 3000 miles on it. They try to tell me that the new battery they put in my car didn't have enough time to charge itselft because I only drove the car for 45mins and let it sit for 2 days. Sounds like BS. A new battery should not drain in 2 days.

I've been patient but after the third battery and the problem is still there, I have to escalate the issue. I'm no auto genius but I new from the start it was not the battery. I didn't want to be a difficult customer, so I went along with their BS diagnostics. They were very relunctant about giving me a loaner car too.

I decided to take my car to the Clearlake Mazda dealer and give them a chance to resolve the issue. I explained the history of the problem and my frustration with Jeff Haas Mazda. I told them quit focusing on the battery as the culprit and put the focus elsewhere. Basically do something different then just replace my battery.

The rep. from the Clearlake dealer was very understanding and accomodating to my needs. She took the car in and offer me a loaner without any hesitations. They let the car sit for 2 days and they confirmed that it would not start.

Initially, they thought maybe it was because my doors was not shutting tightly because of the Thule roof rack I installed. They make sure the doors were shut tightly and let the car sit at the dealer for 2 more days. Again the car would not start.

They finally narrow down the culprit to the junction box. It was explained to me that the Mazda 3 will go into a sleep mode after you shut off the engine for some set amount of time and my car was not doing that. They order and replace the junction box and let the car sit for 2 days. This time the car started. Problem solved. Thanks Phyllis and Clearlake Mazda.

I'm glad I bought my car at the Clearlake Mazda dealer and not Jeff Haas.

Peace,

joeduppa

HELP!!! second time this has happened. Dealer fixed it the first time. Maybe it's something I can do on my own. My digital readout of the instrument display (clock,temp,audio etc) has gone haywire. All I see are numbers continously looping. Does anyone know how to fix?

roadburner

Now you know the difference between a true automotive technician and someone who just throws parts at the problem...

dudehau

After 3 new batteries and a new electrical junction box, they figured the problem to be the radio. They sent a Mazda engineer out and found that the radio was coming on and drainning the battery. It took about six trips to the dealer for them to finally figure it out.

speed7

I left my car in the garage for 3 weeks mainly cause I had some surgery and couldnt drive so I decided to start it and get it warmed up and it wouldnt start. The radio was flashing orange and the dash lights were going haywire too. I called Mazda and they said to get a boost cause the battery was bieng drained from the radio and other components. I found that explanation wierd. Why should this happen so soon after leaving the car off?
I am going to follow up with the service manager again to find out why wont they test the electrical signals to see where this is really coming from and fix it! I can see this happening if you havent used your car for a month or two but not after 2 to 3 weeks? Obusurd.

autonomous

left my car in the garage for 3 weeks ... and it wouldnt start ... I can see this happening if you havent used your car for a month or two but not after 2 to 3 weeks?

Actually, this may not be unrealistic depending on a few conditions. If your battery is older (e.g. more than a year) and you typically drive short distances (e.g. mainly city and not highway trips) and you have not driven the car for an extended period of time (e.g. three weeks), I can see the battery draining and going "haywire". A battery recharger might be a good idea to avoid this in the future.

roadburner

My MS3 hasn't left the garage since 12/21/09, I've just assumed that I'll have to jump the battery when I finally have to drive it.

jeffyscott

Maybe newer cars suck a lot more out of the battery when not operating? My son had a no-start problem with his 2001 Focus. He drove it on Dec 14 and it would not start on Dec 15. After several starting attempts, it was only cranking weakly so we charged it up and gave it one more try with no luck. Dec 23 got it to start in the garage and it idled badly for maybe 15-20 minutes. Over the next 3-1/2 weeks, until it was finally towed on Jan 18, he tried to start it several times and it never got going for more than maybe a minute or two. But over all this time of not just sitting in the cold WI winter weather, but also using batter power to crank the engine unsuccessfully many times, the battery never needed recharging.

autonomous

so we charged it up and gave it one more try with no luck .... tried to start it several times and it never got going for more than maybe a minute or two. But over all this time of not just sitting in the cold WI winter weather, but also using batter power to crank the engine unsuccessfully many times, the battery never needed recharging
I'm not sure I understand, are you saying that the battery was charged up and failed or not? Also, how old is the battery? The bright side of the story is a failed battery is not as bad as a failed alternator (although one can lead to another).

jeffyscott

Yeah, I can see how that is confusing...

Battery was fine, no idea how old it is as the car was bought used. The battery was recharged once because it had been run down from cranking the engine. What I meant where I said it failed to start was it cranked fine, but the engine did not start (the problem ended up being fuel pump and filter).

So the battery was fully charged, the car ran for 15-20 minutes, the car then sat for nearly 4 weeks (Dec 23 - Jan 18) without running for more than perhaps a minute at any time and the battery had the additional drain of cranking the engine a number of times, yet the battery still seemed to have plenty of cranking power at the end of all of that...in the final attempt to start before calling for tow.

Hope that is clearer .

autonomous

Hope that is clearer
Yes!

roadburner

I needed to move my ZTR mower out of the garage so I was forced to start the MS3. Even though I hadn't touched the thing since 12/21/09 it fired right up. I let it idle for about five minutes, got the mower out, and pulled the heap back into the garage.