16.5 CX5 GT- front defrost doesn't work well

Unobtanium said:

My rear defrost worked, but the Aero of the car kills it. It's been hours since I got home, and there is STILL snow obscuring 100% of the rear vision on it. The defroster simply cannot out-do the snow when you're in motion. It sworls, sticks, and obscures. No dice. So use the side mirrors, because your RVM and rear window are DONE.

This is how it looked when I pulled over. As you can see, the aero sucks the snow against the glass, and the defroster (I doubt any defroster on the planet, to be fair...) cannot deal.

It handled those roads at 55-60mph like a boss. Very good traction logic in this car. I could idiot-slam the brakes and it would allow me to safely steer wherever I wanted without the back end getting wiggly, to boot! The only thing was sharp corners and hard stops (stop signs). It would still slide, as you can't cheat physics at the limit of actual traction, but it managed what it HAD beautifully.

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Oh yeah, I see what you're saying about the wind sucking the snow onto the back window.
I haven't experienced that yet, but assume I will at some point this winter.


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Unobtanium said:

It also has a pH of 2.2-2.4


I'm no paint Nazi, over a CX-5, but I'd really like to see some of the cars on this forum! ROFL!

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PH level 2.2-2.4?

Perhaps some research is needed for Mazda's or anyone else's windshield wiper fluid PH levels. I'm not an expert or know if there's various kinds of PH levels but I tried googling and found these sources saying wipe fluid to be aprox. 3x the PH level of vinegar. Also too is you could dilute the vinegar with water.


http://www.sinteza.ro/fise_tehnice/en/SINOCLAR WINTER(-20).pdf

http://www.advancepetro.com/windshieldcleaner.htm

Unobtanium said:

It also has a pH of 2.2-2.4


I'm no paint Nazi, over a CX-5, but I'd really like to see some of the cars on this forum! ROFL!

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You mean from all the alcohol and vinegar on their paint?


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I always spiked my Walmart washer fluid (down to -20, so it says on the bottle) with dry gas. Been doing it for decades. Never had a problem.

I've driven thru a handful of snowstorms and ice storms over the past year and a half... never had anything close to what Unobtanium experienced on the rear window. Yeah the rear wiper will get a bit iced up making things a bit streaky, but between the defroster and keeping the wiper on intermitttent you still have rear view vision.

I still think some high quality winter blades are her best bet for the front.

My biggest problem was the headlights. They just don't generate enough heat to melt anything off.

madar said:

My biggest problem was the headlights. They just don't generate enough heat to melt anything off.

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I actually didn't have this issue, but it only got down to 13*F, and it may well be an issue if it gets colder. What temps did you discover this at?

Upper teens. Was doing my 25 mile trek to home from work during a bad storm at night and noticed the lights were dimming, thought one went out. Checked on it and they were both covered with snow! Had to clean them a few times.

madar said:

Upper teens. Was doing my 25 mile trek to home from work during a bad storm at night and noticed the lights were dimming, thought one went out. Checked on it and they were both covered with snow! Had to clean them a few times.

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Are yours LED or HID? Mine are just Halogen, I believe.

Unobtanium said:

Are yours LED or HID? Mine are just Halogen, I believe.

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halogen

Unobtanium said:

None of the CX-5's work for crap at de-frosting. The rear doesn't work, either, FYI. Ultimately, the rear window WILL just ice over.

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This also makes me notice that the "heated" feature of my outside rearview mirrors seems not functioning. The ice on side mirrors had never melted during 30-minute drive yesterday afternoon when I turned the rear window defogger on. I inderstand the heating function will be off automatically after 15 minutes and I reset it a couple of times. This never happened to our VW and BMW. There's an optional setting to override the 15-minute limit if the ambient temperature is low but that change has to be made by Mazda dealer.

Many people, including my wife, also complain the "heated" leather seat is not quick and warm enough comparing to other vehicles. In addition to this thread, there's another thread right now complaining frozen windows. I feel Mazda simply failed to provide good design and adequate heating to prepare owners for very cold weather!

This sums it up all for rear window "defogger" from our CX-5 owner's manual:

"This defogger is not designed for melting snow. If there is an accumulation of snow on the rear window, remove it before using the defogger."

yrwei52 said:

This also makes me notice that the "heated" feature of my outside rearview mirrors seems not functioning. The ice on side mirrors had never melted during 30-minute drive yesterday afternoon when I turned the rear window defogger on. I inderstand the heating function will be off automatically after 15 minutes and I reset it a couple of times. This never happened to our VW and BMW. There's an optional setting to override the 15-minute limit if the ambient temperature is low but that change has to be made by Mazda dealer.

Many people, including my wife, also complain the "heated" leather seat is not quick and warm enough comparing to other vehicles. In addition to this thread, there's another thread right now complaining frozen windows. I feel Mazda simply failed to provide good design and adequate heating to prepare owners for very cold weather!

This sums it up all for rear window "defogger" from our CX-5 owner's manual:

"This defogger is not designed for melting snow. If there is an accumulation of snow on the rear window, remove it before using the defogger."

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Apparently not getting the heated mirrors and seats wasn't a big minus for me then, rofl! That does suck to hear though. This is the most stripped down vehicle I've owned since I was in highschool, and I was kindof annoyed by that, but it seems the "luxury" items would have only added cost, not value.

Unobtanium said:

My rear defrost worked, but the Aero of the car kills it. It's been hours since I got home, and there is STILL snow obscuring 100% of the rear vision on it. The defroster simply cannot out-do the snow when you're in motion. It sworls, sticks, and obscures. No dice. So use the side mirrors, because your RVM and rear window are DONE.

This is how it looked when I pulled over. As you can see, the aero sucks the snow against the glass, and the defroster (I doubt any defroster on the planet, to be fair...) cannot deal.

It handled those roads at 55-60mph like a boss. Very good traction logic in this car. I could idiot-slam the brakes and it would allow me to safely steer wherever I wanted without the back end getting wiggly, to boot! The only thing was sharp corners and hard stops (stop signs). It would still slide, as you can't cheat physics at the limit of actual traction, but it managed what it HAD beautifully.

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That's some interesting ground effects you have on the rear end there.

Conrad 16.5 said:

That's some interesting ground effects you have on the rear end there.

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Kindof neat to see how the snow adheres due to aerodynamics of the vehicle.

I used to think driving in that stuff was fun, now it's just expensive, lol.

yrwei52 said:

This also makes me notice that the "heated" feature of my outside rearview mirrors seems not functioning. The ice on side mirrors had never melted during 30-minute drive yesterday afternoon when I turned the rear window defogger on. I inderstand the heating function will be off automatically after 15 minutes and I reset it a couple of times. This never happened to our VW and BMW. There's an optional setting to override the 15-minute limit if the ambient temperature is low but that change has to be made by Mazda dealer.

Many people, including my wife, also complain the "heated" leather seat is not quick and warm enough comparing to other vehicles. In addition to this thread, there's another thread right now complaining frozen windows. I feel Mazda simply failed to provide good design and adequate heating to prepare owners for very cold weather!

This sums it up all for rear window "defogger" from our CX-5 owner's manual:

"This defogger is not designed for melting snow. If there is an accumulation of snow on the rear window, remove it before using the defogger."

Click to expand...

The heated seats work too well in mine, after about 10 minutes on high I have to set it back to low or my bottom is On Fire!
Also, heated outside rear view mirrors? I don't know if mine has that... I had an Isuzu Rodeo with that feature and it was really nice.
The rear defrost on my CX5 works like a charm. I've never used the rear defroster in any of my cars over the years to remove snow completely, I don't think it's meant to remove snow or ice without assistance. It's meant to keep it clear once you've cleared it yourself. I turn it on when I start the car whilst it's warming up and it helps with melting it all, but I always use a scraper to get everything off before I drive. But, once I'm driving of course I use it to keep it cleared.
All my other heating features work really well, so it seems like different people are having different issues.


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NorgeBluEyes said:

The heated seats work too well in mine, after about 10 minutes on high I have to set it back to low or my bottom is On Fire!
Also, heated outside rear view mirrors? I don't know if mine has that... I had an Isuzu Rodeo with that feature and it was really nice.
The rear defrost on my CX5 works like a charm. I've never used the rear defroster in any of my cars over the years to remove snow completely, I don't think it's meant to remove snow or ice without assistance. It's meant to keep it clear once you've cleared it yourself. I turn it on when I start the car whilst it's warming up and it helps with melting it all, but I always use a scraper to get everything off before I drive. But, once I'm driving of course I use it to keep it cleared.
All my other heating features work really well, so it seems like different people are having different issues.


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All new GTs come with heated side mirrors. They're supposed to work with the rear window defogger switch.

madar said:

I used to think driving in that stuff was fun, now it's just expensive, lol.

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I just view it as necessary. Kindof like lifting weights. I mean yeah, I don't hate it, but I do it because it's part of the process of necessity, not for some over-reaching joy, etc.

NorgeBluEyes said:

The heated seats work too well in mine, after about 10 minutes on high I have to set it back to low or my bottom is On Fire!
Also, heated outside rear view mirrors? I don't know if mine has that... I had an Isuzu Rodeo with that feature and it was really nice.
The rear defrost on my CX5 works like a charm. I've never used the rear defroster in any of my cars over the years to remove snow completely, I don't think it's meant to remove snow or ice without assistance. It's meant to keep it clear once you've cleared it yourself. I turn it on when I start the car whilst it's warming up and it helps with melting it all, but I always use a scraper to get everything off before I drive. But, once I'm driving of course I use it to keep it cleared.
All my other heating features work really well, so it seems like different people are having different issues.


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Thing is, started out with ZERO ICE OR SNOW, and it built up WHILE DRIVING and obscured my view even still today on the way home from work. It's not like I used it to get the car out of a snow-bank. I just wanted to safely drive home from a no-snow, through a snow-storm, and back into a no-snow environment. It failed me miserably.

As a winter driver in Minnesota (recently voted to have the worst winters in the USA), I am somewhat amused by all of these comments. Unobtanium, you did not say/specify whether or not you used the rear wiper while driving in the snow. Yes, on almost any vehicle with a near vertical rear window the snow will compact. But the use of the rear defroster in conjunction with the wiper WILL keep the swept area clean. Folks that drive in this kind of crap on a regular basis know this. Also, sometimes a judicious shot of washer fluid (the kind designed for winter use, not the summer crap) will assist in keeping the window clean as well. As far as the front defroster goes, as I've stated before, since my 2014 has thinner glass than the 2016+'s, mine works fine. And I have driven in winter temps approaching -30F. Use the same approach to the front windshield as for the rear window; keep the wipers moving, keep the defroster blowing and use the occasional squirt of the appropriate washer fluid. And the side mirror defrosters work well too, but don't expect instantaneous results (yrwei52, sounds like yours need to be checked out by the dealer). As for the headlights, I use Rain-X on them when I prepare the vehicle for winter. Combined with heat from the HID's (in my opinion, the best headlights ever offered on the CX-5, bar none), I've never had a problem with the headlights being obscured by snow/ice. My headlight lenses look just as good today as the day I picked up my CX-5; crystal clear. Oh, and if you don't want those giant snow boogers building up behind the tires, install mud flaps and your boogers will be much smaller. And be sure to kick 'em off next time you are stopped somewhere to keep your CX-5's clean lines looking good (but not in your garage; bad ju-ju)! The heated seats are adequate; if they're not, you aren't dressed appropriately for the weather you are encountering outside the vehicle. It's not a living room, it's a transportation device. And as always, practice safe driving by ALWAYS cleaning the snow off your vehicle before you start to drive it, even if it's still snowing.