Some vehicles really do have issues, also cheaper brand batteries seem to like to discharge quicker when connected.
I’d unplug the battery when not in use (though you may not be insured if your alarm system isn’t active) to avoid having to charge it again in the mean time.
On the plus side at least you have the charger now to keep the battery topped up when you can until you get things sorted.
I understand that any car or motorbike should charge up the
battery if it is running at 25% + of revs. I’d be looking at
starting the car and going for a 5 to 10 minute spirited drive
at higher revs. Motorways & dual carrageways are good!
If your car is currently not running, a Jump Sterter would
be a good idea.
I was looking at Battery jump Starters about five years ago.
They seemed a little hokey so I didn’t pursue. Then a couple
of months ago, I was looking at Project Farm doing a review
of Battery jump Starters and realised that the tech had come
a long way. It turned out that Hubby had been looking at Jump
Starters about a year ago, for occassions where the battery
voltage has dropped. But didn’t mention this!
A discussion. Then a Jump Starter from Amazon £50 & a Hard
Case from AliExpress £5 and we are all sorted!
Communial parking means that charging a flat battery requires
removing the battery. I envy garage owners!
If I ever have a flat battery, the jump starter, followed by
a ten minute drive down the local dual carrageway, means
it should be all sorted. If the battery voltage was then around
12 volts, there are problems, such as dying battery or
alternator, regulator/rectifier issues.
Personally, at this stage, I’d seek assistance from an auto electrician,
rather than yourAuto-Garage.
Auto electrician? Fair enough, I wasn’t aware of such people, will do a Google! Thanks for the insight.
When you tried it today what colour was the light on the start button?
Also, what codes did you clear?
The manual linked by Malc has tables and pages detailing the cause for the code and steps to resolve each code
For example (yes I have been down this road before too ) I got this:
And the following page details the troubleshooting steps for the top code:
I also found out all about various fail safes built in from that manual. For example, if there is an error signal received from BCM by the ESU when the ignition is switched ON (engine off or on), the headlights LO, TNS (parking lights), and panel light turn on and other exterior light controls are stopped. [Ref]
@ian.prossor flashing orange continuously. Unfortunately I don’t have an OBD2 reader/scanner, bloke from the garage does.
From what I recall, he mentioned “code 12” and starter relay.
I followed the pages related to the starter relay and checked all the fuses and relays in the fusebox, got to the point where I need to check the c-16 connector for corrosion and decided I would stop for the day.
Good point though, I’ll pick it up tomorrow and gove it another look.
Does anyone have a good recommendation for an OBD2 reader/scanner?
Cheers
I do have an oddly specific question: can you bump start it when in the broken state?
It might be worth checking the main fuse too, it is off the back of the positive terminal on the battery (black cover unclips) and you should see two ‘fuses’:
Service Manual page:
I blew mine and the car would work (turn on, bump start, etc.) but not actually start as the side going to the starter/alternator had blown when jumping the car.
If the above isn’t applicable then I would start on this page of the manual:
@ian.prossor Unsure about the bump start, but the ignition wont start so yeh, probably not.
Good note on the 200amp fuse, i’ll check
@ian.prossor 200amp fuse is good!
Update for you all: it’s all fixed, car fired up normally and dash light has gone. I don’t know how, best explanation the garage had is that the electrics threw a wobbly because of the bad battery and took it’s time to reset.
Disappointing conclusion to the fix, sorry all!
Now to deal with the hit and run!
Update: it’s broken again, done about 60 miles since my last post, but this morning it died on the driveway.
This is incredibly frustrating.
Cheers
Anyone able to recommend an OBD2 scanner that they use for the ND?
I’m no technical wizard but reading your thread I can feel your frustration and now you have the damage to sort out. So you have my moral support. Those who have contributed exemplify the true spirit of the Club’s community with their brilliant advice. Hope you get these issues sorted sooner rather than later.
@David-H Thank you for your kind words, and I very much appreciate all the help offered by the community and all the fantastic links to information that has been shared.
Yes, incredibly frustrated. I called Mazda Beechwood who said they would diagnose the issue at £160 per hour…so there is that option…
Is that Mazda Beechwood Derby?
I’ve got an older scanner OBD2 scanner, and a battery tester, in South Derbyshire.
Does the car start and drive?
If you plan on not going through insurance and need a reputable paint shop I know one in Derby.
You don’t have to inform your insurance company over cosmetic damage but yours could be more than that. The insurance will only log it as car damaged, heard they bring that into play though on renewal for some even though they haven’t had to pay out, beware. Basically it’s your car you can do whatever you want with re repairs/paint, so long as it’s not classed as a modification, change of colour then you have to tell them.
As a non-ND user, no - however these are the scan tools YouTube mechanic Scotty Kilmer recommends which may be of some help to you:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B071FSNL73/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B071FSNL73&linkCode=as2&tag=scottykilmerc-20&linkId=edd4788f6eebfb14804ad77b6881a211&th=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00652G4TS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=scottykilmerc-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00652G4TS&linkId=6356b096f0d82a654aea144c693cf5b4
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07PXQVKBY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=scottykilmerc-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07PXQVKBY&linkId=b8615e64cc829e7be6bc758a1eb032d2
Downside is two of them would be coming from America, upside is Amazon US purchases are quite quick.
On the plus side, you got 60 miles out of it so at least you know it can work when it wants to, that’s progress at least.
I’d be taking the battery out and plugging it in and seeing what your charger thinks of it (see if it’s under the 75% again).
@Skadgeer Thank you for all the notes, will have a look later on!!
Silver linings, it goes like the clappers, when it works
@MickAP It certainly is, apologies, I wasn’t being deliberately vague.
Not currently no, this morning the start/stop was flashing orange at me again and no sign of life beyond that.
I had to tell the insurance company due to the hit and run, no comment from them so far.
I have a quote from Bly and Son in Breaston to fix the bodywork and repaint, very reasonable, but thank you for the help, could you drop me the details of your paint shop?
Cheers
Car Cosmetics at West Meadows industrial Derby, by the Pentagon island. Just call in for a quote, no need to book.
My NC was scuffed in a car park, I had the whole of the front respayed for other cosmetic damage whilst they had it.
Error code from the car:
P0615 - Smart Start unit - Starter Relay (Failure Type 12).
Issue fixed when the code is cleared, until next restart of the car.