Hi guys! Next door neighbor stopped me as I walked my dog yesterday . . his almost new Mazda 3 (a 2004 4 cylinder fuel injected 4 door with just under 35k won’t start. I went into his garage and tried it, battery sounds a bit low . .said he didn’t start it in over a week. I tried the key, heard the fuel pump come on, starter motor turns . . . just cranks and cranks, definite smell of gas from the tailpipe afterwards. I figure, no spark . . gotta be electrical. With these kind of miles (low) and this new a car(2005), should he have it towed to the dealer and allow them to diagnose it? Rocketman
Yes, certainly, assuming it is still on the warranty. You’ve been posting here long enough to know about the dealer vs. independent garage situation. But it definitely needs to be towed to a shop.
If this were your own car and you were in a DIY mood we could rally round and give you troubleshooting advice. But it’s not yours, and there is no simple or obvious cure. Advise your neighbor to let the professionals handle it.