CX-5 Headlight Stalk Choices

[Freedom55]

Like I said, you can test these things if you want. Or you can just move to the old standard "on" setting which works 100% of the time, conveniently enough. That requires the modest exercise of one's wrist.

This is what I use. I don't like the auto setting as I can't use my high beams if the light sensor sees some light. I prefer to have full control of my headlights and I never blind incoming drivers as I pay attention!

 

[Cooter Boy]

I've pulled my '23 in front of my big glass doors in the middle of the day and went through all the settings. I didn't see any difference whatsoever in any of them. The lights were always on, same brightness, no DRLs that I could see.

The only way to shut them off is to shut the car off.

 

[181962]

I believe it’s from old habit that in the old days you don’t want to turn on the headlights unless it’s really needed to prolong the service life of the “expensive” sealed-beam headlight which is usually short-lived. And it can save some electricity (gas) from battery too.

Oh, right, like my daily driver Studebaker.

 

[yrwei52]

I've pulled my '23 in front of my big glass doors in the middle of the day and went through all the settings. I didn't see any difference whatsoever in any of them. The lights were always on, same brightness, no DRLs that I could see.

The only way to shut them off is to shut the car off.

So if your light switch is off, parked your 2023 CX-5 in front of a glass door with engine running, and the low beam headlights are still on? How about shift the gear into the reverse?

In both cases your low beam headlight DRLs should be off.

 

[youri]

I believe the “parking lights” used for parking in Europe actually is different. You park on the left side of the road in UK, switch turn-signal to the right with light stalk in parking light position, then turn off the engine. Only the right side of “parking lights” is on. If you leave the turn signal to the left with engine off, only the left side of parking lights is on if you park the car on the right side of the road. The theory is all trying to save the electricity in addition to safety.

Interesting, i never tried the left or right stalk in combination with it, but i was only in europe for a year.

 

[Cohappy]

The only thing I would question about that approach is that AUTO purportedly turns the headlights off altogether if ambient light is sufficient. One would probably want to test that feature to see how well it works at dawn, dusk or in the rain.

I say "purportedly" because I have not tested it. It it happens to be as inconsistent as some features (rain sensing wipers and lane keeping) it might not do its on-off thing to one's satisfaction.

Of course you could just skip the overthinking and move the stalk to the bottom old standard "on" position in dim ambient light. My, oh, my, how did we ever live before automatic headlights.

I have no issue dusk or dawn with headlights on auto, on my 22 there is a setting for how dark for auto headlights to come on.

 

[ADS-B]

I understand the "Auto" feature and how convenient it is. However, I recommend everybody to get into the habit of turning the lights on manually, rather than relying on the Auto function. Take back the total control of your car!

 

[jofo67]

I’m a big fan of auto feature. It takes the human element, and its inherent errors out of the equation. I see so many people at dusk and dawn without any lights at all! Talk about accidents waiting to happen. I want to tell these people that it’s not so much about how well you can see, but much more about being seen! Nothing like getting t-boned by something out of the darkness, when something as simple as having lights on could have prevented it.

 

[ruthrj]

Not a law in my state as far as I know, but if my windshield wipers are on, so are my headlights.

So many drivers don't get this. There are other conditions as well, but I do not need Auto to tell me when to have them on.

That’s what I came here to comment. I use Auto on my vehicle, but usually flip the stalk selector to On in the rain. During the day in my area there’s a 50/50 chance it’s still bright enough during rain to where the standard lights won’t come on automatically. Same law, wipers on lights on.

 

[erobbins2r]

I actually know the answer to this so I'm replying even though its late.

When your stalk is set to auto and you push it forward that is how your auto on off brights come on.

When the stalk is on the regular headlight it's headlights on and when you push the stalk foreward you will not have auto brights. You will have to move the stalk back and forth to turn them on and off.

When you have the two lights facing in and you are stopped you will have really dim lights. But as soon as you move your DRLS will turn on.

MOST IMPORTANTLY. If the stalk is on off. Your headlights will be off if stopped but as soon as you move the DRLs come one. YOU WILL NOT HAVE TAIL LIGHTS. They will trick you because they're bright enough to make you think they are headlights. But your steering wheel buttons and some of the AC controls won't be lit up but the dash will be still so it's not super obvious

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE GREEN HEADLIGHT SYMBOL ON THE DASH YOU DO NOT HAVE TAIL LIGHTS. They changed the way cars work it used to be if you had any front lights at all you had tail lights. You DO NOT have tail lights with DRLs only. So the green light is basically your tail light indicator.


However on the 24 Mazda 3 loaner I have they have fixed this issue by making the switch spring loaded so when you flip it to off the lights will be off while sitting still but the switch pops back to auto so there's no way the DLRs can trick you into driving without tail lights. I'm wondering if I can just switch the stalk to one from the newer one but the auto brights worked different it's a button at the end instead. I don't know if that will automatically just work or what. But I'm thinking about trying.

You can disable your DLRs by pulling the specific DLR fuse or by following a series of instructions in the image provided. I've heard of people having to do it as many as 8 times to actually get it to work. Apparently it's not super easy to get right the first time.