How modern Mazdas use special nipples for a superior wipe

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The Mazda CX-30 and Mazda3 Sport GT are the two latest Mazdas to pass in front of my cameras. After testing this pair over the span of a combined 3,100 kilometers around Northern Ontario in all manner of winter driving, one feature common to both of these machines stuck out the most: their nipples.

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Washer fluid nipples, specifically.

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How modern Mazdas use special nipples for a superior wipe Back to video

Like us humans, cars all come from the factory with nipples installed. Cars use these nipples to apply a pressurized stream of washer juice to the windshield.

Usually, that works by blasting a messy stream of fluid in several directions at once, most of which lands on the windshield and gets cleaned away by the wipers. Still, some of the washer juice hits your hood, the roof, or simply gets sucked away into the air as you drive along. This is wasteful,  but Mazda’s engineers and designers are experts at efficiency.

That’s why you commonly hear Mazda associated with the word ‘SKYACTIV’ – a term that refers to a wide-reaching array of engineering and design touches that intend to make the modern Mazda fun to drive, less thirsty, and more responsive. More fun, using less fuel. More, from less. More efficient.

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It’s all to give the shopper maximum bang for their gasoline bucks. Efficiency sells cars, after all, and it’s trendier than ever.

And while SKYACTIV technology doesn’t deal with windshield wipers, I imagine the simple but effective design of the wiper washer system came from the same efficiency-based mindset.

This is the part about the nipples.

Instead of placing them on the hood surface or in the windshield cowl, they’re instead fixed to the centre of each wiper arm, pointed straight down towards the glass an inch beneath. Each nipple’s top and sides are protected from direct snow and ice by a metal shield, while each nipple’s four individual jets fire streams of fluid from one end of their wiper to the other, from just above the blade.

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The way the nipples are positioned and protected is simple, but it works nicely to fend off snow and ice buildup if your car sits overnight in the snow.

Every drop of washer fluid goes straight onto the windscreen, every time. The brief pre-spray lag ensures the blades are moistened edge-to-edge before movement begins, which reduces smearing and extends wiper blade life by eliminating dry wiping. Remember: when it comes to cleaning your windscreen, dry wiping is bad. A smooth, moist wipe works best.

For even more MPG’s from your jug of washer fluid, the nipples only spray fluid on the upward stroke, pausing their streams as the blade travels downwards.

So, virtually every opportunity to waste washer fluid has been eliminated from the system. End result? Clean glass faster, less wiping, and not a drop of fluid wasted. That means less time refilling the washer fluid tank when it’s cold, longer blade life, and less plastic waste, too.

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Have you ever sprayed your washers at 30 below to see the fluid freeze up as if Sub-Zero was doing a finishing move on your windshield? I prefer Rain-X De-Icer fluid (the yellow stuff) in winter, because it doesn’t do that.

With a top-notch fluid like this, and a washer system that’s expert at dispensing it, a crystal-clean windshield in a modern Mazda is always just a single finger pull and about 3 seconds away. Equally as cool? None of that five-bucks-a-jug RAIN-X winds up misting the car behind you on Highway 69.

Mazda isn’t the first automaker to use this sort of nipple position, and manufacturers like Volvo and Mercedes have had advanced wiper systems for years. Still, my two recent Mazda test-drives marked the first time I’ve encountered this approach in an affordable car or crossover from a mainstream brand. I’m a fan of the setup, and if you’re an active wintertime driver, I think you will be, too.

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Clever nipples, making for a delightful wipe in any weather. Who knew?

But in all seriousness, this is a super-useful touch you’ll appreciate on the daily. It’s also one of several things Mazda’s done to ensure their drivers enjoy maximum visibility and confidence in any weather – two vital parts of safe winter driving.

To the high-efficiency wipers, these Mazdas support their driver with a competent AWD system, and powerful steerable LED lighting. Add a proper set of winter tires and some high-quality washer fluid, and you can expect to feel generously supported in sticking it to Mother Nature’s worst winter conditions with a smile on your face.

LISTEN: Who says you can’t go for long drives in short-range EVs?.

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