Speedometer alert I don't understand

Pitter

Pitter
Contributor
:
2020 CX-5 Signature Azul Metalico
This morning I had to leave home in semi darkness. Before long an alert appeared on the speedometer saying something to the effect "System disabled because exterior camera can't see well" Not exact of course but something like that. It would flash on the speedometer screen periodically then turns n off and reappear again. Above the statement a red headlight icon appeared and something else I couldn't see well. I had the headlights set to auto and I wonder if the message is related to that in some way. Is there anywhere that all the speedometer warning images are listed/shown?
 
I had that recently when there were gallons of condensation on the inside of the windshield and the camera couldn't see. It remained on for the longest time and reset itself as I was driving once the condensation dissipated. I kinda figured it was due to the condensation, but had there been a less obvious blockage, I'm not certain I would have understood exactly what the problem was.

These functions are affected by the blocked visibility, should not be relied upon and may trigger warning lights:
>High Beam Control System (HBC)
>Lane-keep Assist System (LAS) & Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS)
>Traffic Sign Recognition System (TSR)
>Advanced Smart City Brake Support (Advanced SCBS)
>Smart City Brake Support (SCBS)
>Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Stop & Go function (MRCC with Stop & Go function)
>Smart Brake Support (SBS)

There is that warning on the speedometer display, and warning lights for the above features may turn on. I can't find the specific speedometer warning verbiage in the manual.

There's another one I saw for the first time the other day: "Please Keep Your Hands On The Steering Wheel." Nag, nag, nag.

Oh. To answer your specific question. The Warning Lights Reference in the USA Manual begins on Page 4-25. I can find no comprehensive list of Warning Messages in the multi-function display. The manual merely lists "Warning Messages" as one of the items shown on the Display. As I said, when discussing camera obstructions, the manual merely says you will "see a warning message" if the camera is blocked for any reason.

I can find nothing on the web. I've never seen any discussion of this in any video or review I've watched/read.
 
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Thanks for for your efforts investigating that. I'm wondering, from the red headlight icon if it had to do with automatic high beam operation. I've never had the high beams come on when set to auto but maybe have[t met the criteria i.e. going fast enough on a dark road. It would be nice if Mazda published some where a full list of these temporary warning messages.
 
There's another one I saw for the first time the other day: "Please Keep Your Hands On The Steering Wheel." Nag, nag, nag.

Yep, if you keep both hands off the steering wheel for 10 seconds you get that message and loud beep.
 
There's another one I saw for the first time the other day: "Please Keep Your Hands On The Steering Wheel." Nag, nag, nag.

Yep, if you keep both hands off the steering wheel for 10 seconds you get that message and loud beep.

It was strange, I got no beep. I fully expected one when I saw that message, although I was unaware that was a monitored data point. Note to self: You cannot floss and drive when in a Mazda.

I'll tell you a slightly embarrassing story on unrecognized warnings. I gave a friend a ride to the doctor today. We're leaving, and I'm driving up the road and hear "Ding Ding Ding Ding." I'm looking at the dash and I'm looking at the HUD and I see nothing. I'm about ready to pull over and restart the car (hoping that will fix it) when she says "I don't have my seat belt on." I look above the HVAC controls and there's that red message.

DOH!
 
Thanks for for your efforts investigating that. I'm wondering, from the red headlight icon if it had to do with automatic high beam operation. I've never had the high beams come on when set to auto but maybe have[t met the criteria i.e. going fast enough on a dark road. It would be nice if Mazda published some where a full list of these temporary warning messages.

I had that issue with my auto high beams when driving down my right-of-way. You do have to be going fast enough for the function to kick in.

Regarding these messages: This is frustrating. My Google-Foo is failing me. Every variation on guides and manuals generically refers to "warning messages" with no details or examples. I can find no videos on this, either.

Maybe someone with better skills than I can ferret this info out.
 
I got a similar warning message the first and only time that I had to use the windshield defogger. I pulled into a parking lot to try and figure out what the issue was. When I restarted the car the warning went away. I did not have my headlights on. It apparently has something to do with one of the sensors being blocked or covered with condensation or other substances temporarily.
 
It apparently has something to do with one of the sensors being blocked or covered with condensation or other substances temporarily.

It's the camera that's obscured. The manual says that a dirty windshield can do it.

As Piter alludes (and some of us seem to have found out), the warning message is cryptic at best, and there's no translation guide published.
 
There's another one I saw for the first time the other day: "Please Keep Your Hands On The Steering Wheel." Nag, nag, nag.

Yep, if you keep both hands off the steering wheel for 10 seconds you get that message and loud beep.

Both hands? (uhm)

Does it do that if you drive one handed? I often drive, especially on straight roads with just my left hand on the wheel, and my right arm resting on the center console. That would annoy the hell out of me.
 
Both hands? (uhm)

Does it do that if you drive one handed? I often drive, especially on straight roads with just my left hand on the wheel, and my right arm resting on the center console. That would annoy the hell out of me.

Here's what the manual says:

If the driver takes his or her hands off the steering wheel (not holding the steering wheel), the warning sound is activated and an alert is indicated in the multi-information display or the active driving display.

If the steering wheel is held lightly, or depending on the road conditions, the system may detect that you have released the steering wheel (not holding the steering wheel) even if you are holding it, and display a message in the multi-information display or the active driving display.

I've got close to 6,000 miles on the car and 8 months of driving and have only seen this message once, and that was when I had both hands off the wheel for a few seconds. I always drive with both hands on the wheel in this car (my truck has more room to spread out, and I've driven as you describe with one hands on the wheel and the other on the console). I don't know if this senses a light squeeze or if it has some type of body capacitance sensor (like a touch lamp).

This is all described in the Lane-keep Assist System (LAS) & Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) section of the manual, starting on Pg 4-156. I don't use Lane Keep Assist...my warning appeared with Lane Departure Warning System engaged.
 
Both hands? (uhm)

Does it do that if you drive one handed? I often drive, especially on straight roads with just my left hand on the wheel, and my right arm resting on the center console. That would annoy the hell out of me.

Wouldn't that be insane! It's just looking for some haptic feedback to know you're driving and not trying to pretend the car is "self-driving".
 

Reminiscent of the early days of cruise control and the urban legends of van drivers walking to the back of their vehicles to mix a drink.
 
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When I first read in the manual that there was a warning for keeping both hands on the steering wheel I thought, *come on Mazda, people aren*t that stupid* but then there is at least one person feels they are being nagged at! OK, here*s the thing with this warning, it only applies to vehicles with Lane Departure Warning System. The reason is obvious I suppose because some will inevitably try seeing if it is good enough to achieve autonomous driving which it is not - not even Tesla can get that right yet. You can de sensitise the LDWS and the amount of *pull back* it gives in the settings menu and if you turn it off with the master switch on the dash, you will also get rid of that *hold the steering wheel with both hands* warning. Just remember that when you are on your way in the back of an ambulance to A&E and picking bits of pine needles out of your gums, you have to be responsible for some of your own actions at times. That system is operated by the same strain gauge in the steering column that operates your electric power steering. A light input to one side will get a similar amount of assistance from the power steering motor which increase the more you pull on the steering wheel. It is so sensitive that it knows you will need the tiniest input to keep the car straight on a straight road and after a couple of seconds of letting go, those inputs are missing and you get a warning. Try it at your own risk - remember it only works if you have LDWS and it is switched on.

Now regarding those foggy window warnings, there is a TSB explanation for why those don*t work when mist on the window and you will see those warnings frequently in the cold months. I*ll see if I can find it.
 
Foggy window warnings
 

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  • Lighting Adaptive LED headlight warning light illuminates due to poor visibility.pdf
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Heres another one for the camera and a list of all the conditions it wont work. Because the interior of modern cars are virtually airtight and well insulated from the outside, you will get temperature differentials across the glass and you will get condensation inside the camera housing and until every particle of it has evaporated, the camera cant work reliably. Look at it this way, you never had any such devices in your first car so having them now is a luxury. You could use aircraft technology but you wouldnt like the price so be patient with it.
 

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  • Forward sensing Camera.pdf
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Mazda should insult everyone's intelligence or no one's intelligence.
Everyone should always have their hands on the wheel, not just those who may have a specific reason to believe otherwise.

I can only imagine the messages using the seat ventilator under "certain circumstances" might yield.
 
I got the "hands on the steering wheel" message once when I first got the car and was playing around with it.
I also had the cruise on at the time when I let go of the wheel.
Not only does the message come up to grab the wheel, but it cancelled the cruise control as well, which surprised me.
I guess they don't want you driving hands free with the cruise activated.
Haven't tried it since.
 
I got the "hands on the steering wheel" message once when I first got the car and was playing around with it.
I also had the cruise on at the time when I let go of the wheel.
Not only does the message come up to grab the wheel, but it cancelled the cruise control as well, which surprised me.
I guess they don't want you driving hands free with the cruise activated.
Haven't tried it since.

That's weird.

I can find nothing in the manual indicating that should happen. There are other conditions that will either prevent MRCC from turning on, or that will cause it to cancel, but that's not on the list. In fact, the only time I had the warning appear, my cruise was on and it did not turn off.

Maybe the Canadian model's different.
 
I had a similar situation today. I had my rear bumper cover replaced and the body shop washed my vehicle inside and out. Because it's quite cold today, the windows were foggy then a message appear. I saw condensation on the inside of the windshield just in front of the camera; I stopped to do some errands and when I came back, the condensation was gone and no more error message!

It happened only once before and I thought it was caused by the front radar as the emblem got scratched by a flying object. Now I'll know next time I see the error message! It was hard to figure out when it happened...
 
If the message appears again, I'll try to be smarter and take a pic with my phone so I can remember the exact words...;)
 
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