From Newsgroup: alt.home.repair

My daughter has a 2020 Mazda 3, with about 75k miles. Back on July 2, I
wrote about acceleration issues the car was having:

<XnsB31064D91C53FBorisinvalidinvalid@135.181.20.170>

A software update seems to have fixed the problem. A new battery was
also installed.

My daughter is now having more problems with her 2020 Mazda 3.

The problem is that every few days the car won't start, and she has to
use a charger for about 15 minutes to get it started. She carries the
charger with her. Then, it will be fine for a few more days, only to
have to repeat the procedure in another few days. Luckily, she's always
been at her house or my house where she can plug in the charger.

She dropped the car off at the dealer's today. I ususally go with her,
but I couldn't today. She said the service rep seemed very
knowledgeable, but some of the things he told her seemed very odd to me.

1) He said this is a common problem with newer cars when the owner takes
a lot of short trips, and these short trips don't allow the battery time
to charge. She does take a lot of short trips, but this seems nuts to
me. He sees this a lot with elderly owners who only drive to their
nearby store every day, and that it takes about 40 minutes of driving to
keep a battery charged. Also, on newer cars with all the computerization
and 'features', the battery is always being drained by something, even
when unoccupied. He says this is especially common with Mazdas and
Subarus. He suggested using a trickle charger to keep the battery
charged.

The dealer gave her a loaner, the same model but a 2025. If the above is true, this loaner will also at some point die on her. She's still
carrying the charger.

2) Something else he said about newer cars (which has nothing to do with
my daughter's car), is that the newer cars get used to how a driver
drives, and when another driver gets behind the wheel, the car wants to
drive like the first driver is in control. He says a husband and wife
will come in saying that the car has a mind of it's own. I can
understand a car automatically saving and applying things like seat and
mirror positions, and maybe climate control, but...

Anyone ever heard of any of the above?

Thanks.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.home.repair

Boris <Boris@invalid.invalid> wrote in news:XnsB3699EC29FF4BBorisinvalidinvalid@157.180.91.226:

My daughter has a 2020 Mazda 3, with about 75k miles. Back on July 2,
I wrote about acceleration issues the car was having:

<XnsB31064D91C53FBorisinvalidinvalid@135.181.20.170>

A software update seems to have fixed the problem. A new battery was
also installed.

My daughter is now having more problems with her 2020 Mazda 3.

The problem is that every few days the car won't start, and she has to
use a charger for about 15 minutes to get it started. She carries the charger with her. Then, it will be fine for a few more days, only to
have to repeat the procedure in another few days. Luckily, she's
always been at her house or my house where she can plug in the
charger.

She dropped the car off at the dealer's today. I ususally go with
her, but I couldn't today. She said the service rep seemed very knowledgeable, but some of the things he told her seemed very odd to
me.

1) He said this is a common problem with newer cars when the owner
takes a lot of short trips, and these short trips don't allow the
battery time to charge. She does take a lot of short trips, but this
seems nuts to me. He sees this a lot with elderly owners who only
drive to their nearby store every day, and that it takes about 40
minutes of driving to keep a battery charged. Also, on newer cars
with all the computerization and 'features', the battery is always
being drained by something, even when unoccupied. He says this is
especially common with Mazdas and Subarus. He suggested using a
trickle charger to keep the battery charged.

The dealer gave her a loaner, the same model but a 2025. If the above
is true, this loaner will also at some point die on her. She's still carrying the charger.

2) Something else he said about newer cars (which has nothing to do
with my daughter's car), is that the newer cars get used to how a
driver drives, and when another driver gets behind the wheel, the car
wants to drive like the first driver is in control. He says a husband
and wife will come in saying that the car has a mind of it's own. I
can understand a car automatically saving and applying things like
seat and mirror positions, and maybe climate control, but...

Anyone ever heard of any of the above?

Thanks.

Well, maybe the service rep is right about 1). I found 'AI Overview'
articles supporting his statements, and this one:

https://www.firestonecompleteautocare.com/blog/batteries/how-to-know-if- battery-or-alternator-is-bad/#
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.home.repair

Boris wrote:

My daughter has a 2020 Mazda 3, with about 75k miles. Back on July
2, I wrote about acceleration issues the car was having:

<XnsB31064D91C53FBorisinvalidinvalid@135.181.20.170>

A software update seems to have fixed the problem. A new battery was
also installed.

My daughter is now having more problems with her 2020 Mazda 3.

The problem is that every few days the car won't start, and she has
to use a charger for about 15 minutes to get it started. She carries
the charger with her. Then, it will be fine for a few more days,
only to have to repeat the procedure in another few days. Luckily,
she's always been at her house or my house where she can plug in the
charger.

She dropped the car off at the dealer's today. I ususally go with
her, but I couldn't today. She said the service rep seemed very knowledgeable, but some of the things he told her seemed very odd to
me.

1) He said this is a common problem with newer cars when the owner
takes a lot of short trips, and these short trips don't allow the
battery time to charge. She does take a lot of short trips, but this
seems nuts to me. He sees this a lot with elderly owners who only
drive to their nearby store every day, and that it takes about 40
minutes of driving to keep a battery charged. Also, on newer cars
with all the computerization and 'features', the battery is always
being drained by something, even when unoccupied. He says this is
especially common with Mazdas and Subarus. He suggested using a
trickle charger to keep the battery charged.

The dealer gave her a loaner, the same model but a 2025. If the
above is true, this loaner will also at some point die on her. She's
still carrying the charger.

2) Something else he said about newer cars (which has nothing to do
with my daughter's car), is that the newer cars get used to how a
driver drives, and when another driver gets behind the wheel, the car
wants to drive like the first driver is in control. He says a
husband and wife will come in saying that the car has a mind of it's
own. I can understand a car automatically saving and applying things
like seat and mirror positions, and maybe climate control, but...

Anyone ever heard of any of the above?

Thanks.

Yes but he's exaggurating it badly. It's short trips of 1-2 miles only
every 10 days that can cause problems. I have to remember to run mine
(in the driveway is fine) for 15 minutes or so a week if not making any
longer trips to avoid the problem.

Trickle charger will fix it. I just got one but haven't set it up yet.

<https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Portable-Waterproof-Maintainer-conversion/dp/B07JLWFPX6?>


That works well.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.home.repair

On 9/29/2025 6:36 PM, Boris wrote:

My daughter has a 2020 Mazda 3, with about 75k miles. Back on July 2, I wrote about acceleration issues the car was having:

<XnsB31064D91C53FBorisinvalidinvalid@135.181.20.170>

A software update seems to have fixed the problem. A new battery was
also installed.

My daughter is now having more problems with her 2020 Mazda 3.

The problem is that every few days the car won't start, and she has to
use a charger for about 15 minutes to get it started. She carries the charger with her. Then, it will be fine for a few more days, only to
have to repeat the procedure in another few days. Luckily, she's always
been at her house or my house where she can plug in the charger.

She dropped the car off at the dealer's today. I ususally go with her,
but I couldn't today. She said the service rep seemed very
knowledgeable, but some of the things he told her seemed very odd to me.

1) He said this is a common problem with newer cars when the owner takes
a lot of short trips, and these short trips don't allow the battery time
to charge. She does take a lot of short trips, but this seems nuts to
me. He sees this a lot with elderly owners who only drive to their
nearby store every day, and that it takes about 40 minutes of driving to
keep a battery charged. Also, on newer cars with all the computerization
and 'features', the battery is always being drained by something, even
when unoccupied. He says this is especially common with Mazdas and
Subarus. He suggested using a trickle charger to keep the battery
charged.

The dealer gave her a loaner, the same model but a 2025. If the above is true, this loaner will also at some point die on her. She's still
carrying the charger.

2) Something else he said about newer cars (which has nothing to do with
my daughter's car), is that the newer cars get used to how a driver
drives, and when another driver gets behind the wheel, the car wants to
drive like the first driver is in control. He says a husband and wife
will come in saying that the car has a mind of it's own. I can
understand a car automatically saving and applying things like seat and mirror positions, and maybe climate control, but...

Anyone ever heard of any of the above?

Thanks.

The short trip thing makes sense. New cars often have sensors running
for a period of time waiting for a signal to unlock, remote start, etc.
I know that my car will not remote start if not used in four days.

Never heard of the different driver things though.

Solution is simple. Get her a '68 Chevy that does nto have all the technology.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.home.repair

Ed P <esp@snet.n> wrote in news:10bfdr7$3ckr8$1@dont-email.me:

On 9/29/2025 6:36 PM, Boris wrote:

My daughter has a 2020 Mazda 3, with about 75k miles. Back on July 2,
I wrote about acceleration issues the car was having:

<XnsB31064D91C53FBorisinvalidinvalid@135.181.20.170>

A software update seems to have fixed the problem. A new battery was
also installed.

My daughter is now having more problems with her 2020 Mazda 3.

The problem is that every few days the car won't start, and she has to
use a charger for about 15 minutes to get it started. She carries the
charger with her. Then, it will be fine for a few more days, only to
have to repeat the procedure in another few days. Luckily, she's
always been at her house or my house where she can plug in the charger.

She dropped the car off at the dealer's today. I ususally go with her,
but I couldn't today. She said the service rep seemed very
knowledgeable, but some of the things he told her seemed very odd to
me.

1) He said this is a common problem with newer cars when the owner
takes a lot of short trips, and these short trips don't allow the
battery time to charge. She does take a lot of short trips, but this
seems nuts to me. He sees this a lot with elderly owners who only
drive to their nearby store every day, and that it takes about 40
minutes of driving to keep a battery charged. Also, on newer cars with
all the computerization and 'features', the battery is always being
drained by something, even when unoccupied. He says this is especially
common with Mazdas and Subarus. He suggested using a trickle charger
to keep the battery charged.

The dealer gave her a loaner, the same model but a 2025. If the above
is true, this loaner will also at some point die on her. She's still
carrying the charger.

2) Something else he said about newer cars (which has nothing to do
with my daughter's car), is that the newer cars get used to how a
driver drives, and when another driver gets behind the wheel, the car
wants to drive like the first driver is in control. He says a husband
and wife will come in saying that the car has a mind of it's own. I
can understand a car automatically saving and applying things like seat
and mirror positions, and maybe climate control, but...

Anyone ever heard of any of the above?

Thanks.

The short trip thing makes sense. New cars often have sensors running
for a period of time waiting for a signal to unlock, remote start, etc.
I know that my car will not remote start if not used in four days.

Never heard of the different driver things though.

Solution is simple. Get her a '68 Chevy that does nto have all the technology.

Good choice, but I'd have difficulty deciding between the body style of a
'67 or '68 Chevelle SS. And then there's the '67 GTO.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.home.repair

Boris <Boris@invalid.invalid> wrote:

My daughter has a 2020 Mazda 3, with about 75k miles. Back on July 2, I wrote about acceleration issues the car was having:

<XnsB31064D91C53FBorisinvalidinvalid@135.181.20.170>

A software update seems to have fixed the problem. A new battery was
also installed.

My daughter is now having more problems with her 2020 Mazda 3.

The problem is that every few days the car won't start, and she has to
use a charger for about 15 minutes to get it started. She carries the charger with her. Then, it will be fine for a few more days, only to
have to repeat the procedure in another few days. Luckily, she's always been at her house or my house where she can plug in the charger.

That is not normal and donrCOt let anyone tell you it is. To me, it sounds
like you have a BCM that isnrCOt going into sleep mode. The BCM, when active, consumes between 0.20-0.25 amps. When in sleep mode, it should drop to
0.015 amps, IOW, about 15 milliamperes. If the BCM is remaining in active
mode, it will drop the battery voltage to a level where the ECM wonrCOt allow the engine to crank. A BCM that wonrCOt enter sleep mode is a sign of a parasitic drain on the battery. You can check this by using an ammeter to
check the current draw when ignition is off and the car is locked. If the current draw remains at 0.20 amps or more, you can then test which circuit
is faulty by pulling fuses one by one and seeing if the current draw drops
to sleep mode. Note, only have one fuse out at a time. If that shows
nothing, you may have a faulty BCM. Either way, the car has an issue, its behaviour is not normal.

She dropped the car off at the dealer's today. I ususally go with her,
but I couldn't today. She said the service rep seemed very
knowledgeable, but some of the things he told her seemed very odd to me.

1) He said this is a common problem with newer cars when the owner takes
a lot of short trips, and these short trips don't allow the battery time
to charge. She does take a lot of short trips, but this seems nuts to
me. He sees this a lot with elderly owners who only drive to their
nearby store every day, and that it takes about 40 minutes of driving to keep a battery charged. Also, on newer cars with all the computerization

and 'features', the battery is always being drained by something, even
when unoccupied. He says this is especially common with Mazdas and
Subarus. He suggested using a trickle charger to keep the battery
charged.

Should not need to use a trickle charger if you use the car every few days. Even a Toyota Prius will still be able to start the engine after *2 months*
of no starting. 3 months and the Prius might complain. My wiferCOs Suzuki
Swift (2016) sat unused for 6 months and still started when I needed to use
it. It seems that electricals confuse todayrCOs mechanics and electronics confuse them more. DonrCOt be bluffed by bullshit from them. Is it still
under factory warranty? If it is, theyrCOll bluff you till itrCOs expired. Unwanted parasitic draw is a problem, the Mazda at the very least needs to
have that checked by a competent auto electrician who understand the
relevant concepts involved.

Point to note, the Mazda 3 with the start stop technology requires a robust (read:expensive) battery typically of the glass mat type. DonrCOt cheap out
on it else yourCOll be subject to a litany of subtle issues. A cheap battery will give the ECM incorrect (low) voltage readings and the ECM will refuse
to start the engine. Remember, that button on the dash doesnrCOt start the engine, it only alerts the ECM to the fact that you want it to start. If everything checks out to the ECUs satisfaction, inc battery voltage, the
*ECU* will start the engine. 15 minutes on a small charge wonrCOt add much to the batteryrCOs overall charge - but it will put a high voltage surface
charge into it that will fool the ECM into thinking the battery is better
than it really is. Remember, the ECM checks battery voltage.ThatrCOs why it starts after on 15 minutes on charge. Check the OEM recommended battery and ensure that it or a direct equivalent has been fitted. Just one of the many ways a cheap battery can dick you around.

Also note, both the starter and the alternator are under complete computer control, ensure those two items are up to snuff. Test the alternator under
a heavy load, should go to max output. Used to use a bank of headlight
globes back in the day to provide a load.

The dealer gave her a loaner, the same model but a 2025. If the above is true, this loaner will also at some point die on her. She's still
carrying the charger.

2) Something else he said about newer cars (which has nothing to do with
my daughter's car), is that the newer cars get used to how a driver
drives, and when another driver gets behind the wheel, the car wants to drive like the first driver is in control. He says a husband and wife
will come in saying that the car has a mind of it's own. I can
understand a car automatically saving and applying things like seat and mirror positions, and maybe climate control, but...

Anyone ever heard of any of the above?

Thanks.

Cars have built in learning ability in engines and transmissions for sure.
They are adaptive and the driver who drives the car most will determine the *style* it adapts to. The more sophisticated cars can adapt to multiple
drivers and, I presume, they determine the driver from the mass applied to
the driverrCOs seat.
--
Xeno
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.home.repair

On 09/29/2025 21:48, Carol wrote:

Yes but he's exaggurating it badly. It's short trips of 1-2 miles only
every 10 days that can cause problems. I have to remember to run mine
(in the driveway is fine) for 15 minutes or so a week if not making any longer trips to avoid the problem.

Idling your car for long periods is not healthy for the engine. Because
of modern fuel standards which the government has imposed on car
manufacturers, they use every possible method to reduce fuel consumption.

Your car idles at a lower RPM than older cars did and this has the
effect of not circulating the oil properly into the top end (head).
Also piston rings have much less tension so blow-by gasses and fuel get
past them into the crankcase oil. This causes oil dilution due to fuel
getting mixed with the oil. Newer Hondas are notorious for this.

Cars have to be driven up to operating temperature periodically to burn
off carbon in the combustion chamber and fuel in the oil. Idling does
not help the engine reach operating temperatures.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.home.repair

Xeno <xenolith@optusnet.com.au> wrote in
news:mk1cp9F9q5gU1@mid.individual.net:

Boris <Boris@invalid.invalid> wrote:

My daughter has a 2020 Mazda 3, with about 75k miles. Back on July 2,
I wrote about acceleration issues the car was having:

<XnsB31064D91C53FBorisinvalidinvalid@135.181.20.170>

A software update seems to have fixed the problem. A new battery was
also installed.

My daughter is now having more problems with her 2020 Mazda 3.

The problem is that every few days the car won't start, and she has to
use a charger for about 15 minutes to get it started. She carries the
charger with her. Then, it will be fine for a few more days, only to
have to repeat the procedure in another few days. Luckily, she's
always been at her house or my house where she can plug in the charger.

That is not normal and donrCOt let anyone tell you it is. To me, it
sounds like you have a BCM that isnrCOt going into sleep mode. The BCM,
when active, consumes between 0.20-0.25 amps. When in sleep mode, it
should drop to 0.015 amps, IOW, about 15 milliamperes. If the BCM is remaining in active mode, it will drop the battery voltage to a level
where the ECM wonrCOt allow the engine to crank. A BCM that wonrCOt
enter sleep mode is a sign of a parasitic drain on the battery. You can
check this by using an ammeter to check the current draw when ignition
is off and the car is locked. If the current draw remains at 0.20 amps
or more, you can then test which circuit is faulty by pulling fuses one
by one and seeing if the current draw drops to sleep mode. Note, only
have one fuse out at a time. If that shows nothing, you may have a
faulty BCM. Either way, the car has an issue, its behaviour is not
normal.

She dropped the car off at the dealer's today. I ususally go with her,
but I couldn't today. She said the service rep seemed very
knowledgeable, but some of the things he told her seemed very odd to
me.

1) He said this is a common problem with newer cars when the owner
takes a lot of short trips, and these short trips don't allow the
battery time to charge. She does take a lot of short trips, but this
seems nuts to me. He sees this a lot with elderly owners who only
drive to their nearby store every day, and that it takes about 40
minutes of driving to keep a battery charged. Also, on newer cars with
all the computerization

and 'features', the battery is always being drained by something, even
when unoccupied. He says this is especially common with Mazdas and
Subarus. He suggested using a trickle charger to keep the battery
charged.

Should not need to use a trickle charger if you use the car every few
days. Even a Toyota Prius will still be able to start the engine after
*2 months* of no starting. 3 months and the Prius might complain. My
wiferCOs Suzuki Swift (2016) sat unused for 6 months and still started
when I needed to use it. It seems that electricals confuse todayrCOs mechanics and electronics confuse them more. DonrCOt be bluffed by
bullshit from them. Is it still under factory warranty? If it is,
theyrCOll bluff you till itrCOs expired. Unwanted parasitic draw is a problem, the Mazda at the very least needs to have that checked by a competent auto electrician who understand the relevant concepts
involved.

Point to note, the Mazda 3 with the start stop technology requires a
robust (read:expensive) battery typically of the glass mat type. DonrCOt cheap out on it else yourCOll be subject to a litany of subtle issues. A cheap battery will give the ECM incorrect (low) voltage readings and the
ECM will refuse to start the engine. Remember, that button on the dash doesnrCOt start the engine, it only alerts the ECM to the fact that you
want it to start. If everything checks out to the ECUs satisfaction, inc battery voltage, the *ECU* will start the engine. 15 minutes on a small charge wonrCOt add much to the batteryrCOs overall charge - but it will
put a high voltage surface charge into it that will fool the ECM into thinking the battery is better than it really is. Remember, the ECM
checks battery voltage.ThatrCOs why it starts after on 15 minutes on
charge. Check the OEM recommended battery and ensure that it or a direct equivalent has been fitted. Just one of the many ways a cheap battery
can dick you around.

Also note, both the starter and the alternator are under complete
computer control, ensure those two items are up to snuff. Test the
alternator under a heavy load, should go to max output. Used to use a
bank of headlight globes back in the day to provide a load.

The dealer gave her a loaner, the same model but a 2025. If the above
is true, this loaner will also at some point die on her. She's still
carrying the charger.

2) Something else he said about newer cars (which has nothing to do
with my daughter's car), is that the newer cars get used to how a
driver drives, and when another driver gets behind the wheel, the car
wants to drive like the first driver is in control. He says a husband
and wife will come in saying that the car has a mind of it's own. I
can understand a car automatically saving and applying things like seat
and mirror positions, and maybe climate control, but...

Anyone ever heard of any of the above?

Thanks.

Cars have built in learning ability in engines and transmissions for
sure. They are adaptive and the driver who drives the car most will
determine the *style* it adapts to. The more sophisticated cars can
adapt to multiple drivers and, I presume, they determine the driver from
the mass applied to the driverrCOs seat.

Thanks for the reply.

I spoke with the service rep today, and he assured me that the BCM and ECM checked out fine, and insisted that the car just isn't driven enough, on a daily basis, to replenish the battery's charge. I told him that the drive
to bring the car from my daughter's home to his shop was a 50 minute
freeway drive. He said when the battery was tested upon arrival at his
shop, it was only 55% charged, because it was depleted from short trips
and the 50 minute drive was not enough to fully recharge the battery, but otherwise the battery was good. He said he has many older customers that
also drive very little with the same problem. He tells them to use a
trickle charger.

My daughter's car is a 2020, and the original battery lasted only three
years. The car wouldn't start and the battery wouldn't hold a charge. I installed a second, appropriate battery in 2023. In July of this year,
the second battery kept dying, and the dealer replaced it. So this is the third battery in five years, with similar problems.

I asked the parts man at my local NAPA supply store what he thought about
all of this. He also thinks the battery should not be going dead all the
time, regardless of driving habits, and suspects parasitic draining. If
the BCM is not turning off all of the accessories after 30 seconds or so,
pull every fuse, one at a time.

I found a shop that does electrical detective work, and will visit them
when I get a chance, but that won't be for a few weeks. When I do, I'll
report back here.

By the way, her Mazda does not have that auto stop/start, thank goodness.

Comment/rant: With all the creature comfort features, all the
computerization and sensors on new(er)cars these days, it's hard to
believe that engineers didn't compensate for the extra load on batteries.
Who wants to buy a new car and have to worry about keeping the battery
charged? Does an older, retired couple who drives five miles to the
grocery store once or twice a week know how or want to have to trickle
charge their car? I guess this is progress.

Thanks for reading this far.



--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.home.repair

On 09/29/2025 18:36, Boris wrote:

My daughter has a 2020 Mazda 3, with about 75k miles. Back on July 2, I wrote about acceleration issues the car was having:

<XnsB31064D91C53FBorisinvalidinvalid@135.181.20.170>

A software update seems to have fixed the problem. A new battery was
also installed.

My daughter is now having more problems with her 2020 Mazda 3.

The problem is that every few days the car won't start, and she has to
use a charger for about 15 minutes to get it started. She carries the charger with her. Then, it will be fine for a few more days, only to
have to repeat the procedure in another few days. Luckily, she's always been at her house or my house where she can plug in the charger.

She dropped the car off at the dealer's today. I ususally go with her,
but I couldn't today. She said the service rep seemed very
knowledgeable, but some of the things he told her seemed very odd to me.

1) He said this is a common problem with newer cars when the owner takes
a lot of short trips, and these short trips don't allow the battery time
to charge. She does take a lot of short trips, but this seems nuts to
me. He sees this a lot with elderly owners who only drive to their
nearby store every day, and that it takes about 40 minutes of driving to keep a battery charged. Also, on newer cars with all the computerization and 'features', the battery is always being drained by something, even
when unoccupied. He says this is especially common with Mazdas and
Subarus. He suggested using a trickle charger to keep the battery
charged.

The dealer gave her a loaner, the same model but a 2025. If the above is true, this loaner will also at some point die on her. She's still
carrying the charger.

2) Something else he said about newer cars (which has nothing to do with
my daughter's car), is that the newer cars get used to how a driver
drives, and when another driver gets behind the wheel, the car wants to drive like the first driver is in control. He says a husband and wife
will come in saying that the car has a mind of it's own. I can
understand a car automatically saving and applying things like seat and mirror positions, and maybe climate control, but...

Anyone ever heard of any of the above?

Thanks.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2022/MC-10218723-0001.pdf

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.home.repair

On 10/1/2025 1:01 PM, Boris wrote:

1) He said this is a common problem with newer cars when the owner
takes a lot of short trips, and these short trips don't allow the
battery time to charge. hank goodness.

Comment/rant: With all the creature comfort features, all the
computerization and sensors on new(er)cars these days, it's hard to
believe that engineers didn't compensate for the extra load on batteries.
Who wants to buy a new car and have to worry about keeping the battery charged? Does an older, retired couple who drives five miles to the
grocery store once or twice a week know how or want to have to trickle
charge their car? I guess this is progress.

Thanks for reading this far.

I participate in a couple of car forums. This is a too common situation
for cars not used often. My car, for example, has built in
communications and it is always looking for a signal to do something,
such as remote start. After 4 days, it shuts down. I've not tried it,
but allegedly it can go over a week and start OK.

Battery tender seems to be the key for those of limited use. Easy
enough if you park in the garage, not so much on the street. May be
something you should look into. A Battery Tender is more sophisticated
than a trickle charger.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.home.repair

On 1 Oct 2025 at 19:08:05 BST, Ed P wrote:

On 10/1/2025 1:01 PM, Boris wrote:

1) He said this is a common problem with newer cars when the owner
takes a lot of short trips, and these short trips don't allow the
battery time to charge. hank goodness.

Comment/rant: With all the creature comfort features, all the
computerization and sensors on new(er)cars these days, it's hard to
believe that engineers didn't compensate for the extra load on batteries.
Who wants to buy a new car and have to worry about keeping the battery
charged? Does an older, retired couple who drives five miles to the
grocery store once or twice a week know how or want to have to trickle
charge their car? I guess this is progress.

Thanks for reading this far.

I participate in a couple of car forums. This is a too common situation
for cars not used often. My car, for example, has built in
communications and it is always looking for a signal to do something,
such as remote start. After 4 days, it shuts down. I've not tried it,
but allegedly it can go over a week and start OK.

FWIW, my 2015 diesel Citroen Berlingo is used once a week for a 10 mile round trip, and maybe three times a year for 300 mile round trips. No more than 2000 miles a year for the past 5 years of my ownership. Never failed to start. Replaced the original 10 year old battery a few months ago as a precaution.
--
Cheers, Rob, Sheffield UK
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.home.repair

Ed P <esp@snet.n> wrote in news:10bjqm5$h5r8$1@dont-email.me:

On 10/1/2025 1:01 PM, Boris wrote:

1) He said this is a common problem with newer cars when the owner
takes a lot of short trips, and these short trips don't allow the
battery time to charge. hank goodness.

Comment/rant: With all the creature comfort features, all the
computerization and sensors on new(er)cars these days, it's hard to
believe that engineers didn't compensate for the extra load on
batteries. Who wants to buy a new car and have to worry about keeping
the battery charged? Does an older, retired couple who drives five
miles to the grocery store once or twice a week know how or want to
have to trickle charge their car? I guess this is progress.

Thanks for reading this far.

I participate in a couple of car forums. This is a too common situation
for cars not used often. My car, for example, has built in
communications and it is always looking for a signal to do something,
such as remote start. After 4 days, it shuts down. I've not tried it,
but allegedly it can go over a week and start OK.

Battery tender seems to be the key for those of limited use. Easy
enough if you park in the garage, not so much on the street. May be something you should look into. A Battery Tender is more sophisticated
than a trickle charger.

I ordered and received today, a Battery Tender. She'll use it until we
get this cleared up.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.home.repair

RJH <patchmoney@gmx.com> wrote in news:10bjri1$hlnm$1@dont-email.me:

On 1 Oct 2025 at 19:08:05 BST, Ed P wrote:

On 10/1/2025 1:01 PM, Boris wrote:

1) He said this is a common problem with newer cars when the owner
takes a lot of short trips, and these short trips don't allow the
battery time to charge. hank goodness.

Comment/rant: With all the creature comfort features, all the
computerization and sensors on new(er)cars these days, it's hard to
believe that engineers didn't compensate for the extra load on
batteries. Who wants to buy a new car and have to worry about keeping
the battery charged? Does an older, retired couple who drives five
miles to the grocery store once or twice a week know how or want to
have to trickle charge their car? I guess this is progress.

Thanks for reading this far.

I participate in a couple of car forums. This is a too common
situation for cars not used often. My car, for example, has built in
communications and it is always looking for a signal to do something,
such as remote start. After 4 days, it shuts down. I've not tried it,
but allegedly it can go over a week and start OK.

FWIW, my 2015 diesel Citroen Berlingo is used once a week for a 10 mile
round trip, and maybe three times a year for 300 mile round trips. No
more than 2000 miles a year for the past 5 years of my ownership. Never failed to start. Replaced the original 10 year old battery a few months
ago as a precaution.

I guess the older the vehicle, the fewer 'gadgets', the less continuous
draw on the battery.

My 2013 Mazda CX9, 150k miles, often sits for weeks, last year for three
weeks, and starts right up. It's on its second battery.

My 2013 Dodge Charger, 33k miles, rarely driven, can sit for months and
still start. Still has original battery.

My 2010 Ford Escape, 100k miles, also sits for weeks and starts fine.
It's on its second battery.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.home.repair

badgolferman <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote in news:10bjogj$gldq$1@dont-email.me:

On 09/29/2025 18:36, Boris wrote:

My daughter has a 2020 Mazda 3, with about 75k miles. Back on July 2,
I wrote about acceleration issues the car was having:

<XnsB31064D91C53FBorisinvalidinvalid@135.181.20.170>

A software update seems to have fixed the problem. A new battery was
also installed.

My daughter is now having more problems with her 2020 Mazda 3.

The problem is that every few days the car won't start, and she has to
use a charger for about 15 minutes to get it started. She carries the
charger with her. Then, it will be fine for a few more days, only to
have to repeat the procedure in another few days. Luckily, she's
always been at her house or my house where she can plug in the charger.

She dropped the car off at the dealer's today. I ususally go with her,
but I couldn't today. She said the service rep seemed very
knowledgeable, but some of the things he told her seemed very odd to
me.

1) He said this is a common problem with newer cars when the owner
takes a lot of short trips, and these short trips don't allow the
battery time to charge. She does take a lot of short trips, but this
seems nuts to me. He sees this a lot with elderly owners who only
drive to their nearby store every day, and that it takes about 40
minutes of driving to keep a battery charged. Also, on newer cars with
all the computerization and 'features', the battery is always being
drained by something, even when unoccupied. He says this is especially
common with Mazdas and Subarus. He suggested using a trickle charger
to keep the battery charged.

The dealer gave her a loaner, the same model but a 2025. If the above
is true, this loaner will also at some point die on her. She's still
carrying the charger.

2) Something else he said about newer cars (which has nothing to do
with my daughter's car), is that the newer cars get used to how a
driver drives, and when another driver gets behind the wheel, the car
wants to drive like the first driver is in control. He says a husband
and wife will come in saying that the car has a mind of it's own. I
can understand a car automatically saving and applying things like seat
and mirror positions, and maybe climate control, but...

Anyone ever heard of any of the above?

Thanks.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2022/MC-10218723-0001.pdf

Thank you. When my daughter comes home with the dealer invoice, I'll
check to see if they referred to that bulletin. But, usually the invoices
are not very informative.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.home.repair

On 10/01/2025 15:49, Boris wrote:

badgolferman <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote in news:10bjogj$gldq$1@dont-email.me:

On 09/29/2025 18:36, Boris wrote:

My daughter has a 2020 Mazda 3, with about 75k miles. Back on July 2,
I wrote about acceleration issues the car was having:

<XnsB31064D91C53FBorisinvalidinvalid@135.181.20.170>

A software update seems to have fixed the problem. A new battery was
also installed.

My daughter is now having more problems with her 2020 Mazda 3.

The problem is that every few days the car won't start, and she has to
use a charger for about 15 minutes to get it started. She carries the
charger with her. Then, it will be fine for a few more days, only to
have to repeat the procedure in another few days. Luckily, she's
always been at her house or my house where she can plug in the charger.

She dropped the car off at the dealer's today. I ususally go with her,
but I couldn't today. She said the service rep seemed very
knowledgeable, but some of the things he told her seemed very odd to
me.

1) He said this is a common problem with newer cars when the owner
takes a lot of short trips, and these short trips don't allow the
battery time to charge. She does take a lot of short trips, but this
seems nuts to me. He sees this a lot with elderly owners who only
drive to their nearby store every day, and that it takes about 40
minutes of driving to keep a battery charged. Also, on newer cars with
all the computerization and 'features', the battery is always being
drained by something, even when unoccupied. He says this is especially
common with Mazdas and Subarus. He suggested using a trickle charger
to keep the battery charged.

The dealer gave her a loaner, the same model but a 2025. If the above
is true, this loaner will also at some point die on her. She's still
carrying the charger.

2) Something else he said about newer cars (which has nothing to do
with my daughter's car), is that the newer cars get used to how a
driver drives, and when another driver gets behind the wheel, the car
wants to drive like the first driver is in control. He says a husband
and wife will come in saying that the car has a mind of it's own. I
can understand a car automatically saving and applying things like seat
and mirror positions, and maybe climate control, but...

Anyone ever heard of any of the above?

Thanks.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2022/MC-10218723-0001.pdf

Thank you. When my daughter comes home with the dealer invoice, I'll
check to see if they referred to that bulletin. But, usually the invoices are not very informative.

My 2002 Honda Goldwing motorcycle was having a problem where sometimes
it just wouldn't start. The starter would crank and the battery was
fine. Sometimes after repeated cranking for long periods it would
finally begrudgingly fire up.

I took it to the local authorized Honda Powersports service repair shop
where I get all my maintenance done. They told me they couldn't find
anything wrong and that it started up just fine for them. No ECU codes.
Bring it back when it's broken. The problem is it breaks down when I'm
away from home.

I called the authorized Honda Powersports service repair shop in the
next city over and talked to the service guy who's been there for 40
years. He said he knows exactly what it is and has fixed many of them.
The crankshaft position sensor, aka pulse generator. Apparently it's
used for timing of the spark plugs and fuel injectors. I took it there
and a few days later he called me back and said come get it. It was a
$50 part and $800 labor to tear the bike apart and put it back together.
So far there has been no issue. I'm hoping it stays that way since I'm
going on a six day trip with my gang next week.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.home.repair

On Wed, 1 Oct 2025 19:49:11 -0000 (UTC), Boris <Boris@invalid.invalid>
wrote:

badgolferman <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote in >news:10bjogj$gldq$1@dont-email.me:

On 09/29/2025 18:36, Boris wrote:

My daughter has a 2020 Mazda 3, with about 75k miles. Back on July 2,
I wrote about acceleration issues the car was having:

<XnsB31064D91C53FBorisinvalidinvalid@135.181.20.170>

A software update seems to have fixed the problem. A new battery was
also installed.

My daughter is now having more problems with her 2020 Mazda 3.

The problem is that every few days the car won't start, and she has to
use a charger for about 15 minutes to get it started. She carries the
charger with her. Then, it will be fine for a few more days, only to
have to repeat the procedure in another few days. Luckily, she's
always been at her house or my house where she can plug in the charger.

She dropped the car off at the dealer's today. I ususally go with her,
but I couldn't today. She said the service rep seemed very
knowledgeable, but some of the things he told her seemed very odd to
me.

1) He said this is a common problem with newer cars when the owner
takes a lot of short trips, and these short trips don't allow the
battery time to charge. She does take a lot of short trips, but this
seems nuts to me. He sees this a lot with elderly owners who only
drive to their nearby store every day, and that it takes about 40
minutes of driving to keep a battery charged. Also, on newer cars with
all the computerization and 'features', the battery is always being
drained by something, even when unoccupied. He says this is especially
common with Mazdas and Subarus. He suggested using a trickle charger
to keep the battery charged.

The dealer gave her a loaner, the same model but a 2025. If the above
is true, this loaner will also at some point die on her. She's still
carrying the charger.

2) Something else he said about newer cars (which has nothing to do
with my daughter's car), is that the newer cars get used to how a
driver drives, and when another driver gets behind the wheel, the car
wants to drive like the first driver is in control. He says a husband
and wife will come in saying that the car has a mind of it's own. I
can understand a car automatically saving and applying things like seat
and mirror positions, and maybe climate control, but...

Anyone ever heard of any of the above?

Thanks.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2022/MC-10218723-0001.pdf

Thank you. When my daughter comes home with the dealer invoice, I'll
check to see if they referred to that bulletin. But, usually the invoices >are not very informative.

ZOOM ZOOM. It's a Mazda - - - -
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2