I haven't posted in a while, and hope everyone here is doing well.
I've now had my 8 for 8 years & 9 months, and besides routine maintenance (oil/filter changes, two coolant flush & fills, coils & plugs, rear diff fluid swap), I still have not had any issues with my 6MT (battery was replaced in year 3 along with TSB upgraded starter by dealership on Mazda's dime - that's it).
So anyways, I just had my 2nd battery die (first battery lasted 3 years, and 2nd one lasted for 5+). But this story gets weird.
I went into the garage to start my car and "click-click-click."
I'm not thinking battery, but rather starter, because all lights, radio, headlights are working.
So I go into house to naturally search this forum and some other sites, and lo & behold, I come across a weird (to me) mention of a procedure whereby one turns the key into accessory mode for 5 seconds, then taps the brakes repeatedly for a dozen plus times until there's little to no power in the brakes.
It sounds odd, but what is there to lose?
I head to the garage, do this procedure, and boom, the car starts. I am amazed at this point.
I proceed to drive for a good 25 miles and then get my battery tested by a buddy, and sure enough, it's technically dead (though my car does restart).
I head to Costco and buy a Group 35 (made by Johnson Controls, I believe, but who cares, because Optima quality is crap now, and 3 companies essentially make all car/truck batteries, and I am getting the famous Costco warranty) and all is now right with the world - fires up in a nanosecond and idles very smoothly.
So did I miss the memo on yet another very awesome reserve type battery power in-case-of-emergency system that the 8 possesses?
Anyways, my car now has 127,000 miles, runs like new, is tight as a drum, and has been the most reliable vehicle I've owned in a dead heat draw with a 1994 Civic EX 5MT way back when.
Oh, and I still can't find anything under the 40ish thousand price point that I would replace it with, after test driving or renting no less than 20+ vehicles over the last 4 years (the closest contender would be a Lexus GS350, but the options push the price of it very high, very quickly).
BMW, with the exception of the 1 series (which is a pretty badass car when properly equipped, but the back seat is too small for daily driver duties), is dead to me now (BMW is the new Buick).
I've now had my 8 for 8 years & 9 months, and besides routine maintenance (oil/filter changes, two coolant flush & fills, coils & plugs, rear diff fluid swap), I still have not had any issues with my 6MT (battery was replaced in year 3 along with TSB upgraded starter by dealership on Mazda's dime - that's it).
So anyways, I just had my 2nd battery die (first battery lasted 3 years, and 2nd one lasted for 5+). But this story gets weird.
I went into the garage to start my car and "click-click-click."
I'm not thinking battery, but rather starter, because all lights, radio, headlights are working.
So I go into house to naturally search this forum and some other sites, and lo & behold, I come across a weird (to me) mention of a procedure whereby one turns the key into accessory mode for 5 seconds, then taps the brakes repeatedly for a dozen plus times until there's little to no power in the brakes.
It sounds odd, but what is there to lose?
I head to the garage, do this procedure, and boom, the car starts. I am amazed at this point.
I proceed to drive for a good 25 miles and then get my battery tested by a buddy, and sure enough, it's technically dead (though my car does restart).
I head to Costco and buy a Group 35 (made by Johnson Controls, I believe, but who cares, because Optima quality is crap now, and 3 companies essentially make all car/truck batteries, and I am getting the famous Costco warranty) and all is now right with the world - fires up in a nanosecond and idles very smoothly.
So did I miss the memo on yet another very awesome reserve type battery power in-case-of-emergency system that the 8 possesses?
Anyways, my car now has 127,000 miles, runs like new, is tight as a drum, and has been the most reliable vehicle I've owned in a dead heat draw with a 1994 Civic EX 5MT way back when.
Oh, and I still can't find anything under the 40ish thousand price point that I would replace it with, after test driving or renting no less than 20+ vehicles over the last 4 years (the closest contender would be a Lexus GS350, but the options push the price of it very high, very quickly).
BMW, with the exception of the 1 series (which is a pretty badass car when properly equipped, but the back seat is too small for daily driver duties), is dead to me now (BMW is the new Buick).
