Skyactive i-Stop engined cars - ALTERNATIVE BATTERIES.

[Fozzie Bear]

I thought I'd start this thread due to my unbelievably difficult task trying to find a suitable alternative battery for the i-Stop engines.

firstly....I live in Palawan, so its practically impossible for me just to drive to a Mazda dealer for any servicing or warranty issues.
So when My battery started to fail and I discovered that my ONLY local battery supplier Motolite could NOT supply a battery for my CX5, I realised I had a BIG problem.

So after hours and hours of trawling through countless forums and websites and then checking with various suppliers, I managed to discover that some Mazda i-Stop owners had had success using a AMARON Pro 90D23L (1SMF) battery, available on Lazada with nationwide delivery!
This was the ONLY option I discovered!

If anyone else has discovered other option which are AVAILABLE IN PHILIPPINES perhaps you can help others by posting them here!

Happy motoring.

[travajante]

Use the proper spec'd EFB or AGM Batts for Start/Stop vehicles. Johnson Controls has Delkor here in Ph. Nippon brands,Panasonic & GS Yuasa(what MazdaPh uses), also have EFBs locally. They're now more affordable.
Once your new batt is hooked, extend its life by plugging a CTEK CT5 Start/Stop batt conditioner everytime the car is garaged. You can separately buy the ComfortConnect plugNplay harness for other cars you own. CC makes it convenient for them to take turns w/ that CT5. Just plug/unplug.[emoji106]
CTEK CT5 & ComfortConnect. Grab em from Blade or Lazada


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[MrDeckard]

Question: can the ct5 be used to other non istop batteries as well?


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[travajante]

Question: can the ct5 be used to other non istop batteries as well?


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Yes, sir...
CT5 START/STOP

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[ecport]

I thought I'd start this thread due to my unbelievably difficult task trying to find a suitable alternative battery for the i-Stop engines.

firstly....I live in Palawan, so its practically impossible for me just to drive to a Mazda dealer for any servicing or warranty issues.
So when My battery started to fail and I discovered that my ONLY local battery supplier Motolite could NOT supply a battery for my CX5, I realised I had a BIG problem.

So after hours and hours of trawling through countless forums and websites and then checking with various suppliers, I managed to discover that some Mazda i-Stop owners had had success using a AMARON Pro 90D23L (1SMF) battery, available on Lazada with nationwide delivery!
This was the ONLY option I discovered!

If anyone else has discovered other option which are AVAILABLE IN PHILIPPINES perhaps you can help others by posting them here!

Happy motoring.

Sorry to hear about your logistics challenge. I have a Mazda 6 and recently replaced the Motolite EFB battery which lasted about 20 months. No, don't get another Motolite EFB! I have had 3 of them and they are terrible. One lasted 12 months, replaced under warranty and lasted around 14 months, the 3rd lasted 20 months because I started turning off I-Stop every time I used the car. My new battery is a Yellow Top AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat). Instead of fluid, it has gel inside. I read good reviews on it and I hope it lasts longer. Even if it just adds another year, it would already be cheaper. It costs PHP 2,000 more than the EFB batteries Mazda dealers sell. Mazda dealers have stopped selling Motolite EFBs because of bad feedback and now sell Yuasa instead. Dealers charge PHP 14,500 plus PHP 1,000 for installation. I almost bought an Amaron as I have switched our other non-I-Stop cars from Motolite to Amaron. Purchase the Q85 model Amaron for I-stop engines. Last time I checked it cost approximately PHP 11,500.00. All the best.

[travajante]

Sorry to hear about your logistics challenge. I have a Mazda 6 and recently replaced the Motolite EFB battery which lasted about 20 months. No, don't get another Motolite EFB! I have had 3 of them and they are terrible. One lasted 12 months, replaced under warranty and lasted around 14 months, the 3rd lasted 20 months because I started turning off I-Stop every time I used the car. My new battery is a Yellow Top AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat). Instead of fluid, it has gel inside. I read good reviews on it and I hope it lasts longer. Even if it just adds another year, it would already be cheaper. It costs PHP 2,000 more than the EFB batteries Mazda dealers sell. Mazda dealers have stopped selling Motolite EFBs because of bad feedback and now sell Yuasa instead. Dealers charge PHP 14,500 plus PHP 1,000 for installation. I almost bought an Amaron as I have switched our other non-I-Stop cars from Motolite to Amaron. Purchase the Q85 model Amaron for I-stop engines. Last time I checked it cost approximately PHP 11,500.00. All the best.

Optima YellowTop is another Johnson Controls brand. A very good AGM, a superior option.[emoji106] Hope you can share its size equivalent to Q85s, sir. Try extending its service life even further w/ a CTek...for the archives.
Thanks for sharing, sir.[emoji106]

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[oj88]

Spend a ton to save a few drops of fuel at a stop?

That's just a rhetorical question. I'm curious if the i-Stop feature can be turned off.

[Archerfish]

Spend a ton to save a few drops of fuel at a stop?

That's just a rhetorical question. I'm curious if the i-Stop feature can be turned off.

Yes, it can be turned off. I don't use it and I only use it when I forget to turn it OFF.

[travajante]

Spend a ton to save a few drops of fuel at a stop?

That's just a rhetorical question. I'm curious if the i-Stop feature can be turned off.

It's a feature to help us be kinder to momma earth, good sir. Were we not taught to be her good stewards growing up?[emoji4]The few drops saved you mentioned? Just some magnified bullcarp sales pitch for those who belong to the "1 born every minute" group.[emoji13]

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[ecport]

Spend a ton to save a few drops of fuel at a stop?

That's just a rhetorical question. I'm curious if the i-Stop feature can be turned off.

If there is a lesson here, don't buy cars with i-Stop! Not worth the hassle. I will never buy a car with this feature again, as long as I drive in Manila. Batteries are expensive and do not last that long, and with our traffic, it's not practical. You don't want your car starting and restarting in bumper to bumper traffic. I wish I could permanently turn it off.

[travajante]

If there is a lesson here, don't buy cars with i-Stop! Not worth the hassle. I will never buy a car with this feature again, as long as I drive in Manila. Batteries are expensive and do not last that long, and with our traffic, it's not practical. You don't want your car starting and restarting in bumper to bumper traffic. I wish I could permanently turn it off.

You can permanently turn it off, sir. Just flip the bonnet latch switch to fool the system into thinking 'open'. The trick is reversible.[emoji4]


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[togmolodon]

If there is a lesson here, don't buy cars with i-Stop! Not worth the hassle. I will never buy a car with this feature again, as long as I drive in Manila. Batteries are expensive and do not last that long, and with our traffic, it's not practical. You don't want your car starting and restarting in bumper to bumper traffic. I wish I could permanently turn it off.

In my experience, I need not turn off i-Stop because this shortened battery life even more. Whenever I make a full stop e.g., stop light or intersection, I don't step on the break too hard so as not to trigger i-Stop. When stuck in traffic, I just turn the wheel and wait for the i-Stop green light indicator to go away, put it in neutral, and pull the hand break, this way I can relax because I need not step on the break the whole time.

YMMV.

[ecport]

Optima YellowTop is another Johnson Controls brand. A very good AGM, a superior option.[emoji106] Hope you can share its size equivalent to Q85s, sir. Try extending its service life even further w/ a CTek...for the archives.
Thanks for sharing, sir.[emoji106]

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It's a Yellow Top D35. I sourced it from Absolute Autworks, at Banawe, 24 months warranty. I certainly hope it lasts longer.

[travajante]

It's a Yellow Top D35. I sourced it from Absolute Autworks, at Banawe, 24 months warranty. I certainly hope it lasts longer.

It should...& if you invest in a CTEK...It really will.[emoji4]

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[Archerfish]

I'm on my 2nd year with the stock battery. Let's see how CTEK will be able to extend its battery life.

[newbie0703]

Will changing the battery outside the dealer void the warranty? i still have 6 months under yojin but my i-stop have already stopped working due to failing battery.

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[travajante]

Will changing the battery outside the dealer void the warranty? i still have 6 months under yojin but my i-stop have already stopped working due to failing battery.

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What's keeping you from swapping in a new proper EFB/AGM & investing in a CTEK to squeeze the worth out of that pricey batt? The iStop Relearning is DIYable, if you wanna skip the dealership.

Try this procedure post-swap:

1. Warm the engine up. Turn everything electrical off that you can - radio, A/C, lights, chargers, etc. Bring it close to electrical load.

2. Switch the ignition off.

3. Switch ignition to on but dont start engine. Long-press the i-stop OFF switch for 3 s within 5 s after switching the ignition ON.

4. Start the engine.

5. Press the i-stop OFF switch. Verify that the i-stop indicator light (green) flashes and stays flashing. If it does not flash, go back to Step 3.

6. Allow the engine to idle for 10 minutes, or until the i-stop indicator light (green) turns off. Mine didnt stop flashing so after 10 minutes or so i just went to step 7.

7. Switch the engine off. Wait a minute or two.

8. Start the engine. Go for a drive, and check that the i-stop system operates normally. Those with i-stop will know that you may need to drive a mile or two until it activates. Remember that i-stop will not operate when (a) for diesels...when engines are in DPF regen mode, and (b) in those other conditions stated in the manual. Also, if a new battery was fitted, it may take some time for the new battery to fully charge up before i-stop will start working. Go for a decent drive so it gets fully charged.

9. If i-stop operates as normal, relearning is done.


Note: Should iStop become faulty & the car is found to be using a regular nonEFB/AGM batt, don't count on warranty to bail it out.
Cheap batteries costing drivers with stop-start cars - Green Flag

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[Walter]

You really don't save enough to recover the cost of a new battery and you're not really saving mother earth by using start-stop technology ... It's just so vehicle companies can claim lesser consumption for government classification and tax advantages ...

Engine stop-start Vs idling in traffic: How much can you save? | Auto Expert John Cadogan - YouTube

[travajante]

You really don't save enough to recover the cost of a new battery and you're not really saving mother earth by using start-stop technology ... It's just so vehicle companies can claim lesser consumption for government classification and tax advantages ...

Engine stop-start Vs idling in traffic: How much can you save? | Auto Expert John Cadogan - YouTube

I'm not sure there's any owner out there who bought the car because of the feature. You're right, it won't save earth. The damage we've done is far irreversible....But it's there to not add up to pollution while it's on.[emoji4] Think of it as an insincere act of contrition...imagined by manufacturers for end users to feel good about.[emoji13]
Oh well, more tech=more dealership dependence...all boils down to $$$$[emoji2957]


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[Dr.Kamiya]

I hate any kind of start-stop tech on conventional engines. I don't believe anyone feels good about it, the manufacturers just put it there because it improves their theoretical fleet emissions numbers and keeps them compliant for whatever Euro or CARB regulation, but they also know people mostly disable it.

If the car has even a mild hybrid system start-stop works much better.