I left the car at the airport for a week, something I've done before but this time, the battery was so low that the remote entry keyfob couldn't unlock the doors. It's possible that it did unlock the trunk. Either that, or I left the trunklid slightly ajar for the entire week. Not likely, but it would possibly explain the dead battery.

Okay, to the chase. They jumped my car with a portable 12 volt gizmo and it immediately cranked. I got in and had a "DSC Off" message on the dash and figured I bumped that switch when I was fumbling around looking for the hood latch. I hit the DSC switch and the verbiage went away. However, the icon, the yellow light shaped like a car sliding all over hell, remains on.

I seem to remember something specific to jumping the RX8 but didn't have the manual with me. Any comments on whether something it screwed up (something serious I mean, since it's obvious that SOMETHING's screwed up). Oh for the record, the radio never lost its settings but the clock sorta did. It set itself to 6:05 --- I have no idea why, it was actually about 6:20 and I had set the thing to the minute about 2 weeks ago or less. Anyway point being that the stuff that usually goes bonkers when a batter dies seems to have done okay.

Any ideas on how to get the swervy car icon to go away? If I take this to Mazda, would you figure it's an under-warranty thing or did I just truly screw up when i had the airport parking people jump the car?

 

It is normal....It just basically telling you to reset the system. Turn the key to acc (don't start), turn your wheels all the way to the left and then all the way to the right and shut the car off. Then go ahead and start it up...should go away. This happened when I installed my Optima Battery.

 

wow- that's a screwed up reset system

good to know- I'd never think of that

 

hey THANKS!!! Worked like a charm. I'm still curious about why the battery ran down in the first place but that's probably outside the scope of this post. The icon's gone.

 

This procedure resets the electric steering...that's why it's more involved.

 

Was that in the manual? I don't remember reading about it....

 

Yes it's in the manual....... You might want to check to make sure the trunk light is not staying on when you think the trunk is closed. There have been some that have "bad" latches...causing the batt to drain. Just remove the pass thru in the back and look in the trunk... If no light then you might just want to replace the batt anyway....they aren't the best things mazda could have put in.

 

I'd imagine that the car lost battery life at 6:05. And when it regained power, it just started back up at the last time it remembered.

-Rupes

 

For the key fob not to work sounds like something was draining the system that shouldn't have been on, like a map light. I'd give it careful thought.

 

no the clock seems to try to set it self.. when i took apart my car this week for the Video install I connected and disconnectd the battery like 5 times. After i got all finished it set the clock about 20 mins slow. I check the GPS clock and reset the car clock..

Odd. I to have the same week battery issues .. just get a new battery and check your trunck switch.