Screen wash warning.

[st3v3cx-3]

You have not got a fault on your car. A warning light for low-level screen wash has never been available on UK and possibly for the majority of Euroepan countries. Mazda, like probably all manufacturers, produce an Owner's Manual for a whole region - e.g. Europe in our case - with all the possible options described. Those not common to all variants sold in a region will be marked up in some way - in Mazdas case, with an * after the item and narrative at the bottom of the page saying "* Some models". This is shown on page 7-45.

Yes I saw that. I think it is a bit misleading. If it said "Some Countries" then that would make sense, but "Some models" indicates to me that some models in the range have it whilst others don't. e.g. entry levels may not have but would expect top of the range to have it. Especially for twenty four grand and in 2017.

To me it is a basic safety feature, (now I know it doesn't exist I will check the level before setting out) after all you can have lane departure, blind spot, reversing camera plus sensors etc. but nothing to warn you that you may be looking through a dirty windscreen that you cannot clear.

There is precious little storage space in a CX-3 anyway, let alone having to carry bottled water, just in case.

My situation was made worse as it ran out on the motoring at night some way before the next service area and I was left with what was less than a perfectly clear windscreen.

I agree with what you said - * Some Countries would be far more relevant if the feature isn't available throught the range.

[tyrfelin]

Oh dear. I remember cars with no washers in the Sixties!! ☺

[DaveG]

Oh dear. I remember cars with no washers in the Sixties!! ☺

So do I they used to sell kits which you could fit, a knob for the dash which you had to pump, a washer jet and container.
You must also remember the stick on rear window demisters as well,and six volt battery's and starting handles for when the battery was low.

[tyrfelin]

[Beachman]

the merc I drive in work has a warning light
so must be top of range cars have these fitted.

[zoylander]

Oh dear. I remember cars with no washers in the Sixties!! ☺

Yes, and some cars which did have washers used a glass reservoir before plastic became the norm. I remember one morning in the hard winter of 1963 when we discovered that the water in my father's car washer reservoir had frozen, leaving a small pile of broken glass under the bonnet.

In the early 1970's I ran a rear engined Hillman Imp. It had a plastic bag as a washer reservoir mounted at the front, so in freezing weather it had no engine heat to thaw it out, rendering the washers useless.

Washers first appeared in the 1930's, pumping water from the radiator head tank. It may have been dirty but at least it was warm!

[tyrfelin]

Great to hear your memories on this!

[Handy Andy]

...and when heaters and seat belts were optional.

[Strangways]

What about the windscreen wipers that worked on a vacuum system. The faster you drove the slower the wipers worked.

[DaveG]

Had cable brakes on my old hillman, spent hours fiddling with them, and the points and timing.