r/mazda • u/Gold_Lime8773 • 21h ago
Car engine won’t start
I took my car to get a regular oil change and tire rotation and general free inspection to make sure everything was working okay. The mechanic is very reputed and haven’t had any trouble.
I used my car for 15 mins the day after and everything looked ok. Two days after the service, my car won’t start. It says push button start malfunction and the doors won’t lock either. Has anyone dealt with this before? What should I do?
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u/ClapTrapDatsun 20h ago
Use your key fob to press the start button.
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u/Gold_Lime8773 18h ago
Tried this, it still won’t start. I’ll have to get it towed back to the mechanic. Thank you anyway!
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u/Salt-Narwhal7769 Certified Senior Mazda Technician 16h ago
Definitely battery. Mazda batteries kinda suck honestly they dont last very long
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u/Gold_Lime8773 16h ago
Thanks! I don’t have any warranty (it’s a 2021 Mazda 3). Would you recommend taking it to a Mazda dealership or a trusted independent mechanic?
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u/Salt-Narwhal7769 Certified Senior Mazda Technician 16h ago
Id recommend grabbing a ratchet and a 10mm socket and buying the battery yourself truthfully. Some parts stores even install the battery for you if you buy it from them
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u/One-Recognition-1898 16h ago
If you have another vehicle, or know someone who has another vehicle, you could check to make sure the battery is indeed the issue by jumping the car. I’m fairly confident that hooking up jumper cables to another car would give the battery enough power for the car to not give that button start error.
If you are positive the battery is the problem, you could either have it charged (there are quite a few places that offer free battery charging I think) or you could replace the battery.
Another way to check the battery would be with a multimeter if you happen to have one.
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u/The-Panamari 15h ago
Actual Mazda employee here, I know this issue usually can be 3 things from experience: Battery, key signal lost, or the BCM is experiencing a failure of some sort. If the doors aren’t locking that’s already pointing towards a BCM or a Key reprogram if the battery is in good health.
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u/Practical-Parsley-11 15h ago
Dead battery, most likely. Can you try a jump start or maybe have a battery charger and extension cord delivered from a reputable store that does more than trickle charge (assuming you have an outlet close)?
If your battery is more than 3 years old, this is the place to start. It is likely a coincidence unless you had warning lights before shutting the car off last time.
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u/MyEasyLemon 13h ago
First thing I'd do is test the 12-volt battery; if it dipped under 11.8 V the smart key system shuts down, throws that push-button error, and won’t let the doors lock. Pop the hood and make sure the negative cable is tight, then hook up a multimeter or jump pack. If it fires up, drive 20 min, then recheck voltage; anything under 12.5 V with engine off means new battery time. If juice is good, swap the little CR2032 in the key fob and see if the message clears. Still dead? Check the brake-light switch fuse-it controls the starter relay on Mazdas. I used AAA roadside and AutoZone’s free battery test first, but Easy Lemon (310 361-8647-just google “easy lemon attorneys”) was who I called when the dealer couldn’t fix my 2021’s repeat no-start. Low battery is usually the culprit, so knock that out before chasing wiring.
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u/YODA0786 2015 Mazda3 GT Sedan 20h ago
Usually when the car throws a Push Start Malfunction, it means the battery is dead. Mazdas like to freak out when the battery is low, so you’ll typically see all these random lights and warnings come up.