[luvmyzoom]

My Mazda 6 Sportwagon is an '05 and I have only had the car for about a year. Love this car, but the last month we have had problems getting it to start in the mornings or after it has been sitting for a long period of time like over night. When we turn the ignition on you just hear a clicking sound. Most often than not it will start up after 3 or 4 tries. Originally we thought it was the battery dieing and got it jumped a few times and it starts up no problem. We tested the battery and it seems OK. Now I don't have to do that but if the car is being stubborn and won't start after many tries we get it jumped and it starts right away. Not sure what is causing the problem but here are some thoughts: 1) Battery connectors have corrosion. 2) Battery too weak to hold a charge. 3) Solenoid in starter.

Anyone had any similar problems to this or any help thoughts or suggestions to help us figure out what needs to be fixed? It's under an extended warranty but I have an extremely tight budget right now and even the deductible is hard to pay. Thanks!

 

[aztrojans12]

You said you tested the battery, how did you test it? I would take the battery to somewhere near you, maybe Walmart, and have them test the battery to rule out the battery.

 

[tuckNroll]

Cables?

your cables are more than likely corroded. This happened on my 1993 f150. I changed the cables and treated the ending terminals with anti-corrosive paint, and never had the problem again.
Be sure to check the cables at the battery, the starter, and the fusebox, making sure none of them have build up.
If they are not corroded, then try using a volt meter to check the coltage at the battery, and the starter. You should be getting around 12v to 14v. Moreless. if you're getting less, then you got a short somewhere

 

[luvmyzoom]

You said you tested the battery, how did you test it? I would take the battery to somewhere near you, maybe Walmart, and have them test the battery to rule out the battery.

We took it to Kragen's and they said it looked fine and was holding a charge still.

 

[luvmyzoom]

I think it's the cables too, but my dad and neighbor think it's the solenoid in the starter. We did have a lot of corrosion on the battery when the problems first started and we cleaned it all off pretty well with just baking soda and water and that's when we didn't need the car jumped any more to get it started. I don't know much about cars so I don't want to get ripped off by the dealer when and if I have to take it in for the problem to get solved. I already had to pay $50 for a headlight and labor because it was too complicated to replace myself! And that was just a bulb!!

 

[aztrojans12]

That is what puzzles me. If it is the starter, I don't know why jumping the car would make it start easier. That would make me lean more towards your cables. You said you cleaned the battery terminals and then you didn't have to jump the car anymore. So are you saying the problem went away after you cleaned the battery, and now it has come back?

 

[aztrojans12]

By the way, what state do you live in?

 

[luvmyzoom]

That is what puzzles me. If it is the starter, I don't know why jumping the car would make it start easier. That would make me lean more towards your cables. You said you cleaned the battery terminals and then you didn't have to jump the car anymore. So are you saying the problem went away after you cleaned the battery, and now it has come back?

The problem is intermittent. Most days it takes 3 or 4 tries before the car turns on without getting it jumped. Since we cleaned the corrosion off the battery terminals we rarely have to jump it for it to start now. But if we are using the car frequently throughout the day it starts up fine everytime during the day, it's just that first time you start it up after sitting for several hours. Someone told me I can get the cables at Wal-Mart or some where for pretty cheap, or should I get them from the dealer? I don't even know if I can replace the cables myself since everything else with Mazda's seem to be pretty complex.

 

[luvmyzoom]

I live in Nevada.

 

[aztrojans12]

Well the battery cables are going to run you some $ if you buy them from a dealer. I would imagine $100+ from the dealer. I would suggest you just buy new terminals from your nearest auto store, which may run you $10 or so, and try replacing those first. When you put the new terminals on, coat the terminals with vasoline, to help prevent future corroding. You can do this yourself, as long as you can unhook a battery. You may have more corrosion going on in the cables themselves, but that would take further investigating. That would be the cheapest thing to try and possibly fix the problem.

 

[aztrojans12]

You can also identify the grounding points for the cables, and clean those really well.

 

[luvmyzoom]

I'm gonna buy some new cables first

Well the battery cables are going to run you some $ if you buy them from a dealer. I would imagine $100+ from the dealer. I would suggest you just buy new terminals from your nearest auto store, which may run you $10 or so, and try replacing those first. When you put the new terminals on, coat the terminals with vasoline, to help prevent future corroding. You can do this yourself, as long as you can unhook a battery. You may have more corrosion going on in the cables themselves, but that would take further investigating. That would be the cheapest thing to try and possibly fix the problem.

Thanks! I think I will go buy some new cables this weekend and have my dad help me replace them. I'll post an update next week.