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I have a 2015 Mazda 6 manual transmission that I drive about once per week. It was previously having issues starting up. I took it in to the Mazda dealer, and they agreed the battery needed to be replaced.

After getting a new battery, the car operated normally for a few weeks. This may be a coincidence, but I took the car to a school-sponsored car wash to support the kids. Afterwards, the car drove normally, and I parked it in my driveway where it sat for another week.

The next time I tried to start the car, the power came on, but the car does not attempt to start. The power appears normal. I am able to run the radio and briefly turn on the air conditioner.

When I press the clutch and brake, then press the power, the power button light turns amber. I then press the power again, and the power button turns green. It looks to be ready to start, and I can turn on various electrical features like the radio. Then I press the power button again, and the car turns off.

The brake is exceptionally firm and will not depress much at all. The parking brake light is on, but I cannot turn off the parking brake. I can put the manual transmission in neutral and move the clutch normally.

I am afraid to try popping the clutch based on articles I have read online. I do not think a clutch start would work anyway, because the parking brake would likely prevent the car from moving.

I have tried attaching our jumper battery. The jumper made no difference at all, though with the hood open, I could hear a faint rhythmic clicking sound every second or two when trying to start it.

Any ideas what the issue might be before I call a tow truck? Should I try pressing the incredibly stiff brake down hard, or might that damage it? Could it be a blown fuse?

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    If it's during cold weather, run a trickle charger if you are not going to drive the car much. Also, thanks for confirming that I should never get a car with an e brake.
    – findwindow
    Jun 29, 2022 at 17:36
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    How long did you leave the ‘jumper battery’ connected before trying to start the car? Try again leaving it connected for 30 minutes before starting. Make sure the jumper battery is fully charged first.
    – HandyHowie
    Jun 29, 2022 at 20:03
  • Is the "ticking" sound coming from the starter solenoid? (if so, usually described as more of a 'clicking' sound) This is usually an indication of a weak battery. But can also be a bad starter solenoid itself. Did you try bypassing the start solenoid?
    – Glen Yates
    Jun 30, 2022 at 16:06
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    Assuming, @findwindow, by "e brake" you mean "electronic brake", not "emergency brake", I agree 100%!
    – FreeMan
    Jun 30, 2022 at 18:17
  • Yea, electronic brake. I don't think I will ever drive any car made after ~2012. Everything is all electronic now.
    – findwindow
    Jul 1, 2022 at 16:02

1 Answer 1

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From your description it sure sounds like a dead battery. Even though you tried to jump-start it, it sounds like you didn't connect things properly.

You might also check your connections and cables to/from the battery.

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  • Thank you for your response! The Mazda dealer installed the battery for me, so I would hope that it was a good battery, and that they installed it correctly. As far as I can tell, the battery looks connected properly. I would certainly rely on the experts to be sure. My fix-it experience is with appliances and not cars. I did try to jump it two separate attempts, and that jumping technique had worked fine previously when the battery really was bad.
    – Paul Williams
    Jun 29, 2022 at 21:38

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