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Mazda5 Electrical Problems

troopernewbietroopernewbie Member Posts: 60
in Mazda
When my headlights are on, the lights on the radio cut in and out when I move the steering wheel back and forth very slowly. Seems like the strain of the electric power steering is to blame. Not a big deal, but will have it checked out when my 5 is in for its first oil change.
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    dcdingodcdingo Member Posts: 21
    Has anyone gone in yet to the rear lamp assembly? I'm curious which side the main wiring harness arrives at... in case I'm tempted to connect trailer lights.
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    wreineckewreinecke Member Posts: 13
    I plan to get in there later this week.
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    mazda5lovermazda5lover Member Posts: 29
    I would like to know where a good grounding point for an amplifier is in the back of the car. I would like to place it towards the right side in the trunk. Please if you have any info it would be greatly appreciated.

    David - :P Mazda5Lover :P
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    blynmazda5blynmazda5 Member Posts: 20
    When my headlights are on, the lights on the radio flicker on and off when I turn the steering wheel back and forth very slowly.

    Has anyone else had this happen? Any suggestions on how to fix it?

    Thanks.

    Gideon
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    sandiegoguysandiegoguy Member Posts: 27
    When I turn my steering wheel everything dims. Hasn't caused any problem I know of yet.
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    nslimmnslimm Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2006 Mazda5 GT, 5 speed manual. I have two major issues that the dealership cannot fix. The first is the headlights turn on and off on their own. It usually happens when the vehicle is warm but I drove thru the mountains and on my last trip the lights turned on and off 34 times. I have had this reported to the dealership for the last 70 000km, and they have looked at it 5-6 times.
    The second problem is the e-brake does not work every time. At first the e-brake worked great then when winter hit the brake would only catch 4 out of 5 times. When it did not catch the lever would go right up to the top, so it was easy to recognize that the brakes were not engaged, but not the dealership has adjusted them 7 times and I have found that only one wheel is locked 80% of the time.
    Mazda Canada told me I don't really need an e-brake! and to just park the van against the curb or sidewalk and crank the wheels.
    I live outside the city and I don't have a sidewalk, but I do have a long steep driveway, and three boys under 6 years of age... and no street lights.
    I have left the vehicle at the dealership until it is road worthy and safe to drive again, I will also be starting an arbitration process against Mazda...
    Any comments or helpful hints
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    coolmazda5coolmazda5 Member Posts: 525
    My only suggestion is to look for another Mazda dealer or, if it's out of warranty (3yrs in Canada for 06 models I believe, right?), to investigate for a good import workshop in your area. Mazda5s are relatively "straight forward" cars mechanically and electrically (adding that they are based on the Mazda3, widely popular in Canada)

    I know this might not be the answer you are looking for, but I think you may not have been lucky with your existing dealer and with the Mazda Canada contacts.

    Or another final idea, if you have very good evidence of course, is trying to drop and e-mail or give a call to Mazda North American Operations MNAO (they take care of CAN, US and Mexico, based in Irvine California and Detroit Michigan) or Mazda Global, who knows!

    www.mazda.com
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    athenasiusathenasius Member Posts: 118
    The GT has both daytime running lights and auto lights. As the hand break when applied, normal lights not the day time fronts only lights, will turn off the main beam. I would do this myself, as the dealers for the most part a) do not really care and b) tend to just be kids (not saying kids are not smart but you get what you pay for) supervised by someone, I would open up the area where the hand break is to see if the switch or the connection to the hand break switched has an issue ie not connected properly and or misaligned. If you are not comfortable with this maybe try parking on different inclines and with wife outside tap with various impacts on the cover for the hand break area and see if they turn off. That is my first thing I would try. if it does not seem to be that let us know.
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    nissmazlovernissmazlover Member Posts: 162
    Had the weirdest thing happen in my 08 GT on Sunday morning. I was going out for a morning coffee run. Had the radio on all the while, parked the car @ DD's and when I got back and turned my 5 back on, the radio didn't work! Bluetooth didn't work, even though it had the little phone sign on display. It didn't greet me with the customary "Hello", either. And the beeping sound we hear when pressing buttons for radio or climate control was gone, too! I was so upset.

    I figured if I just park the car and leave it alone for a while in my driveway, then, maybe, when I use it again it'll be back to working order. Lo and behold, when I turned it back on again a little later, everything was fine. Everything worked perfectly: radio, bluetooth, beeping sound, "Hello!" greeting and all. Strange!

    The worst part of it all - the most traumatizing - was that the last song I heard on the radio before the radio stopped working was "Circus" by Britney Spears! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The agony! It was TORTURE having that song stuck in my head!

    So, anyway, has this happened to anyone before? (The whole radio thing, not the Britney Spears song thing - lol) What do you think it could be?
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    kivokivo Member Posts: 64
    I have an 08 Touring and my radio stopped once when the car was only a few weeks old. Same thing happened, It worked when I started the car the next time. I never found out what it was, but it never happened again.
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    5_more5_more Member Posts: 43
    Four times in the last six months, my radio has lost track of the fact that there are CDs in the changer, and for that matter playing before the engine was shut off. Each time, the CD's are recognized only after two on-off cycles of the ignition.

    The dealer is uninterested in working on the problem.
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    nissmazlovernissmazlover Member Posts: 162
    Tinuninu tinuninu tinuninu (twilight zone music). Strange. Well, if it doesn't happen again, then I'll be fine. But, if it does, then I will be taking it to the dealer.
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    vg33e powervg33e power Member Posts: 314
    Hey nissmazlover my radio stopped working as well this morning. I got into my MZ5 to go to work turned it on and the radio greet it me like always...HELLO, then my iPod was playing because I can see on the display the timer going on track #85 but no sound was coming out the speakers, I then tried to switch to AM/FM and it would not do anything, so the last move was to turn it off and It did turn off. Only problem was that the radio would not turn on again, nothing, nada, zilch! So I quickly remembered your post and I turned off the vehicle completely, let it sit for 30 seconds or so and turned the vehicle back on, but.....nothing still, dead. Needless to say I commuted to work with no stereo... that SUCKED! I got to work parked and went into work. I just came out after two hours of my MZ5 being parked and turned off to check again and what do you know...VOILA! the radio works. Weird, but I guess that makes two of us. BTW mine is a 2006 MZ5 Touring Auto with the 6CD in dash and auto temp A/C.
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    sykopatsykopat Member Posts: 1
    I've got a 2009 Mazda5 GT, about 3 months old. Radio stopped working a couple of weeks ago. I had to shutdown the engine to make it work again. Today, happened to me again. Tried to shut it down for more than 5min, but this time, nothing. I tried about 4 times.

    I'm hoping it's gonna come back cause I can't live with no music at all. At least give me the radio! ;-)

    I'll take it to the dealer if it still doesnt work tomorrow.

    Anyone who had this issue got it fixed? By the way, any of you guys having any mods? I've got HIDs and I was worried if it could cause an electrical issue of some sort...
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    bexter1bexter1 Member Posts: 3
    I own a 2007 Mazda 5 Furano and yesterday my dashboard lights decided to flash on and off randomly along with the "beep" to tell me my seat belt wasn't on when it was. The most curious thing though was all dials kept flicking up to max, for example the speedo said I was doing 140mph when I was actually only doing about 20, including petrol gauge, then flicking back to zero then righting themselves.
    This happened over 20 times (i got fed up counting) over a short distance of about 8 miles.
    None of the external lights seem affected, there is no problem with the power steering or power assisted brakes and the radio, windscreen wipers and heater all work fine. The indicators were a bit confused though, even though on the outside of the car they were indicating right, inside the car they were indicating left, then right, then left again.

    It only seems to happen when accelerating from standstill to about 30mph and happens more frequently when the car is warmed up.

    I have taken the car to the dealer who are clueless (not sure if this is the normal state for them or just because of this problem as I haven't tested them out before).

    Any Ideas????
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    vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    The needles behavior indicates low voltage in the dash. It happened to me twice in a Mazda when the battery was drained. All gages would go up and down.

    I hope this clue helps.
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    bexter1bexter1 Member Posts: 3
    That sounds possible, the garage haven't come up with a solution yet and they have had my car for 5 days, no joy.
    I will mention this to them tomorrow.
    Did you manage to sort the problem out?
    Thanks for the respose by the way :-)
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    vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    Oh yeah! I fugured it out! I stoped leaving the lights on at night! :)
    I was just pointing out that the needles go up and down when there is low voltage in the dash. The cause in my case was a dead (almost) battery - user error.

    In your case there could be a bad ground connection, a defective voltage regulator that suplies current to the instrument cluster or something else that lowers the tenssion.
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    bexter1bexter1 Member Posts: 3
    Got my car back today!!

    One of the black covered wires to the dash (from underneath the manifold) had been cut somehow and was only allowing power through when the engine was in neutral or higher gears when it had less vibration. In lower gears the engine vibration was separating the two ends of the wire and causing the needles on the dash to go weird.

    The guy at the garage (Simon) was made up that he had found the problem.
    I was pretty stoked too :-)

    Thanks for your help, the garage said it gave them the idea for looking at the wires.
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    vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    HURRAY!
    I have a question of my own. I have a brand new 5. On the lower pannel over the left leg, driver side, very near the hood release, there is a small black... cube screwd on the plasric. There is a wire going from it in the back of the pannel. This seems to be added in hurry, like an after thought. It's not the ODB connector. Anybody knows what this is?
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    aubie53aubie53 Member Posts: 1
    This week I replace the battery in my 2006 Mazda 5 ( 3 1/2 Year Old Battery). First of all location of battery was in the wrong place and difficult to get to in order to replace. However, now the battery light stays on and the battery apparently is discharging. Before the battery light was not on. When I charge the battery back up will go for 3 to 4 days but then dash panel lights start to flicker, ABS , fluid level light and other dash board lights flicker or stay on. Lose the function of power steering. Gears shift hard. Has anyone had this problem and if so what was the solution.

    Thanks
    Aubie53
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    vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    I have not seen this, but it sounds like you have a bad connection to the battery, or a bad battery or maybe you connected the battery wrong? Like + to the - (chasis) terminal?
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    kivokivo Member Posts: 64
    Why don't you take it to the gas station? They can fix it much faster than anyone here can!
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    maxcat5maxcat5 Member Posts: 2
    edited May 2010
    I've had this problem with my 2008 Mazda 5 GT. It's happened 4 times now. Each time it has taken longer to get the stereo system back on. Blue tooth goes out also, although the phone icon shows. Has anyone found a fix?
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    ravenly98ravenly98 Member Posts: 3
    I am actually taking my '08 Mazda5 in tomorrow to have this issue looked at. I haven't had a problem with the radio, but the cd player decides to not exist every so often. I can actually use all my other options (radio, etc.) but if I select CD it just stays on my other option like the "CD" button doesn't really exist. I also had my power steering decide to not come on one day. Everything was fine until I turned off my car in a parking lot. When I started it back up again, the power steering didn't work. I actually had to call a tow truck because I was stuck in a curb-side parking spot and crank the wheel enough to back out. While waiting for a tow, I decided to turn the car back on (some 40 minutes later) and magically the power steering came back. I should mention that in the waiting time, we checked the PS fluids and tried to turn the car off and on at least 3 times.
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    mbarilmbaril Member Posts: 2
    My wife drove our 06 Mazda5 to work and it died as she pulled up - power steering, brakes and total battery/electrical failure...

    This morning I boosted it and within a minute it died again. I checked and all fuses are fine. Is this an alternator problem?

    I called a local garage and he has alternators for Mazda3s and 6s but is unfamiliar with the 5 -- are these alternators interchangeable with the 5?!? As I would have to have the car towed to the garage I want to make sure I can get it fixed properly.

    Please any insights or suggestions would be great!

    Cheers,
    Mat
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    qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,949
    edited September 2010
    Yes, certainly sounds like the alternator.

    And, yes, the alternator is most likely the same for any mazda with the 2.3 liter engine.

    Edit: I looked on frugalmechanic, and they do show the same part number for at least 1 manufacturer for the mazda3 and mazda5 alternator.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

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    vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    Hi guys,
    This not an actual electrical problem - more mechanical, I think...
    I plugged a cell phone car charger into the 12 volt power plug in the front and after awhile, I could not take it out. It would jiggle but not come out. So I crushed it, thinking the blades must of came out and "hooked". But I saw that the way it was designed made that assumption impossible. Oh well.... I bought another car charger, plugged it in and made sure it comes out (just like with the first). After a few days, the charger, again, does not want to come out. I actually pulled so hard on it that the whole cigarette lighter assembly was coming out.
    Any ideas?
    Tnx!
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    athenasiusathenasius Member Posts: 118
    the 12v is funny I would just buy a splitter or extension for it and then plug your charger into it, I am sure will sort you out. failing that either buy a new phone or new car hehe
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    guido32guido32 Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a 2010 Mazda5 about a year ago. I am having the same issue with the cd player not working intermittently. I took it to the dealership and they said they couldn't figure out what was causing the problem and suggested I come back at a time when it is currently doing it. Did your dealership figure out the problem? I cannot just take the car in when it is doing it if I am in the middle of something! Thanks

    Andrew
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    ravenly98ravenly98 Member Posts: 3
    They never figured out what was wrong. They replaced the unit 2 or 3 times. The last time was last Summer (I think?) and I was under the same instructions: bring it in when it was malefunctioning. When it happened, I was running late to a meeting and on empty (the gas light was on.) I called the service dept. on my way to prepare them since you can't turn your car off (because that will fix the issue.) When I got there, they had no clue what I was talking about and the guy told me twice to turn off the car. I made him sit in my seat and turn the cd player off and on. To which he actually stating that he can't test it because it wouldn't turn on. I told him again that was the problem and they ordered another replacement. They started teetering on the "out of warranty" edge, but I shut them down on that. So far, so good. But no explanation so I'm sure I'll see them again. Good luck. :/
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    staypuftstaypuft Member Posts: 6
    The CD player has disappeared a few times on my '09. I figured it was due to my custom CD's created on a PC, or maybe dirty disks. Every once and a while the system will spit out a disk it doesn't like, only to have it work fine for months after reinserting.

    Twice, the entire display has failed to work and doesn't greet with 'Hello'. In every case the fix is to turn car off and on again.
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    yuryyury Member Posts: 146
    Hi,

    My front wipers are acting funny sometimes. When they are in the delay mode sometimes they don't stop at the down position but go past it and up an inch or two and then stop. Usually happens when cold or raining. The specific mode doesn't matter, usually I have them on auto, but it also happens if I swipe once.
    Even during rain it happens sporadically....probably half of the time or so.

    This is a canadian 2010 that I bought new in 2011. Very low mileage and wear (I work from home). I don't think it was doing it when it.was new.

    So...anyone had this problem and what can it be? Wiper motor going south? I guess it wouldn't be a big deal to replace since there's a lot of used ones for sale.
    Or can it be just a matter of gunked up electrical connection somewhere.

    Thanks.
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