Windshield wipers and washer

To use the wipers, the ignition switch must be in the ON position.

WARNING

Fill the reservoir only with windshield washer fluid or clean water: Using engine coolant as washer fluid is a safety hazard. If it is sprayed onto the windshield, it will leave a film that reduces visibility and may cause an accident.

In low ambient temperatures, use winter washer fluid: Using windshield washer fluid that may freeze at low temperatures is a safety hazard. The washer fluid may freeze on the windshield and reduce visibility, which may cause an accident. In addition, make sure the windshield is sufficiently warm before using the washer.

CAUTION

Because ice and snow impede wiper operation, the wiper motor is protected from failure and overheating by a circuit breaker. This mechanism automatically stops overloaded wipers for about 5 minutes.

In this situation, turn off the wipers, pull over to the shoulder, and then remove the snow or ice from the windshield.

After 5 minutes, turn the wipers on.

They should operate normally. If they do not, consult a qualified service workshop as soon as possible. We recommend a Mazda Authorized Service Center. Pull off the road and park on the shoulder. Wait until the weather improves before driving with malfunctioning wipers.

Switches and Controls While Driving

Front wiper

Turn the wipers on by moving the lever up or down.

Intermittent wiping

Variable wiping frequency

Set the lever to the intermittent position and select the length of the interval by turning the dial.

With automatic control

Automatic wiper control

When the windshield wiper lever is in the, the rain sensor
detects the amount of water on the windshield and switches the wipers on or off automatically (OFF – intermittent – low speed – high speed).

The rain sensor sensitivity can be adjusted with the dial on the wiper switch lever.

Turn the dial down from the center (normal) position to increase sensitivity (faster response), or turn the dial up to decrease sensitivity (slower response).

CAUTION

Do not block the rain sensor by attaching stickers or labels to the windshield. The rain sensor will not operate correctly.

When the windshield wiper lever is in the position and the
ignition switch is in the ON position, the wipers may start automatically in the following cases:

• When the windshield is touched or wiped with a cloth above the rain sensor.
• When the windshield is struck by a hand or other object from the outside or inside.

Do not touch the windshield with your hand or use a scraper when the ignition switch is in the ON position and the wiper control lever is in the position,
because automatically started wipers may cause finger injuries or be damaged.

If you intend to clean the windshield, make sure the wipers are completely turned off while the engine is running. This is especially important when removing ice or snow.

CAUTION

• Moving the wiper switch lever from the position to the
  position while driving activates single wipe cycle of the windshield wipers. Subsequent wiping cycles depend on the intensity of the rain.

• Automatic wiper control may not operate when the rain sensor temperature is below -10°C or above 85°C.

• If the windshield is covered with a water repellent agent, the rain sensor may not detect rain properly, and automatic wiper control may not operate correctly.

• Dirt or foreign matter (e.g. ice or a substance containing salt water) on the windshield above the rain sensor, or ice on the windshield, may activate automatic wiper operation. However, if the wipers do not remove the dirt, foreign matter or ice from above the sensor, wiper operation will be stopped. In this case, set the wiper switch lever to low or high speed in manual mode, or manually remove the ice, dirt and foreign matter to restore automatic wiper control.

• When the wiper lever is in the position,
  the wipers may turn on by themselves due to strong sunlight, electromagnetic interference or infrared radiation, because the rain sensor is an optical sensor. We recommend setting the wiper lever to the position when it is not raining.

• The automatic wiper control function can be turned off.

  See the "Customizable Features" section on page 9-13.

Windshield Washer

Pull the wiper switch lever toward you and hold it to spray washer fluid onto the windshield.

CAUTION

When the wiper switch lever is in the or INT/ position, the wipers will operate continuously during washer operation until the lever is released.

If the washer does not operate, check the washer fluid level (page 6-32). If the fluid level is sufficient, consult a specialist workshop. We recommend an Authorized Mazda Dealer.

CAUTION

(With headlight washers) When the headlights are on, the headlight washers operate automatically once for every five windshield washer operations.

See "Headlight Washer" on page 4-78.