2009 Mazda CX-9 Owner's Manual - Page 233

Driving Your Mazda Switches and Controls Ø When the wiper lever is in the AUTO position and the ignition switch is in the ON position, the wipers may move automatically in the following cases: Ø If the windshield above the rain sensor is touched. Ø If the windshield above the rain sensor is wiped with a cloth. Ø If the windshield is struck with a hand or other object. Ø If the rain sensor is struck with a hand or other object from inside the vehicle. Keep hands and scrapers clear of the windshield when the ignition switch is in the ON position as fingers could be pinched or the wipers and wiper blades damaged when they activate automatically. If you are going to clean the windshield, be sure the wipers are turned off completely - this is particularly important when clearing ice and snow - when it is particularly tempting to leave the engine running. NOTE l l l l Switching the auto-wiper lever from the OFF to the AUTO position while driving at a vehicle speed of 4 km/h (2 mph) or higher (or after driving the vehicle) activates the windshield wipers once, after which they operate according to the rainfall amount. The auto-wiper control may not operate when the rain sensor temperature is about _10 °C (14 °F) or lower, or about 85 °C (185 °F) or higher. If the windshield is coated with water repellent, the rain sensor may not be able to sense the amount of rainfall correctly and auto-wiper control may not operate properly. If dirt or foreign matter (e.g. ice or matter containing salt water) adheres to the windshield above the rain sensor or if the windshield is iced, it could cause the wipers to move automatically. However, if the wipers cannot remove this ice, dirt or foreign matter, the auto-wiper control will stop operation. In this case, pull the wiper lever to the low speed or high speed position for manual operation, or remove the ice, dirt or foreign matter by hand to restore the auto-wiper operation. 5-67