LED Headlights annoying other drivers?

[stickerbush]

I was driving home this evening and my wife was following me in our 2024 CX5. I found the LED headlights of the CX5 to be very annoying because the light transitioned from being OK to being intensely bright and changing colors, white to bluish.

At times it seemed like the brights were flashing me. Lights were OK when road was flat but when road went up or down and the angle between the two vehicles changed, the lights flashed, flickered colors, very distracting. I've seen this with other cars but this is the most annoying instance I've experienced.

 

[sm1ke]

Yes that can happen, it's the "cutoff" from the projector housing. If you stop behind another car or park in front of a wall with your headlights on, you'll see the cutoff clearly. The reason it appeared to be flashing/flickering is because the cutoff happened to be right in line with your side mirrors and/or your rear view mirror. When I happen to be in the same situation with a car behind me, usually creating more distance between the car helps to reduce the effect.

Often this happens because the lights are adjusted a bit too high, so if you don't want your CX-5 to do this with other cars, you can adjust the lights to aim a bit lower, which would then lower the cutoff. Just don't lower it too much or you'll have issues with visibility at night.

Here is a thread with some links at the bottom explaining how to adjust the headlights.

N

Thread '2018 CX-5 GT Headlight Adjustment'

Dec 11, 2023

I recently just bought a 2018 CX-5 GT and drove across Iowa last night and it was scary with just the low beams as they are way too low and don't project out far enough. Can the low beam headlights be adjusted up and if so, how do you raise them? Thanks!

• Nick_M
• Replies: 5
• Forum: CX-5 General

• 

 

[MrViking]

CarCareNut did a review on the CX-5 and loved it. His one complaint was that it was "bouncy". (I think that was the term he used) He explained that the short wheelbase and suspension made the car "bouncy" causing the headlights to bounce and down. It's very evident when driving on a straight road, even a smooth one as you will see the headlight beam down the road bob up and down. This motion is what causes the driver in front of you to experience the "flashing" and color shifts.

 

[N7turbo]

I've felt this way from day 1 of my 2017 with the new headlights. I asked if the dealer could lower them and they had no idea what I was talking about. Hopefully my 2" lowering springs helps a little.

 

[elementCX5]

I lowered mine just a tad bit. I was getting flashed. Now I am not. I think mine were adjusted slightly too high from the factory. It's easy with a 10mm deepsocket there's a plastic nut that's white behind the headlights under the hood. Is on top of each light. You can turn these clockwise or counter clockwise to aim them up and down. (Do not use the screwdriver method or it can damage the adjustment gearing).

A few things to note:
How full your tank is will affect headlight level.
Cargo and passenger seats occupied will affect headlight level.
I have a base S-Select. My headlights seem to adjust every time I start the car and turn on the lights. I think the car tries to level them. This may affect the adjustment but not sure.
The beam pattern is not perfect. It looks like __‐‐‐‐. I don't think there is a way to make them perfectly even. This is to not blind oncoming traffic.
It took 3 or 4 times adjusting them before I found the perfect level I liked and could still see at night.

Like others have said, a very sharp light beam cutoff, plus a bouncy suspension makes it seem like your flashing drivers in front of you if they aren't familiar with LED headlights. Usually it's older vehicles that are more susceptible to this phenomenon as their trunk, windows, and mirrors are lower.

 

[hsdejong]

How full your tank is will affect headlight level.
Cargo and passenger seats occupied will affect headlight level.
I have a base S-Select. My headlights seem to adjust every time I start the car and turn on the lights. I think the car tries to level them. This may affect the adjustment but not sure.

The angle of the headlight beams to the road should be independent of the load of the car.
On the rear wheel there is a load "sensor" to adjust the headlights.

 

[elementCX5]

The angle of the headlight beams to the road should be independent of the load of the car.
On the rear wheel there is a load "sensor" to adjust the headlights.

Does this sensor work after you start the car and a passenger gets in? I've noticed if my wife gets in the passenger seat and we are the only 2 people in the car the lights seem a tad lower than if she gets in the back seat.
Basically I'm asking if the sensor is scanning all the time, or just at startup? It's neat that there is a sensor at all. I had no idea.

 

[hsdejong]

Both when the vehicle is parked or moving at a certain minimum speed.
You can find information at this link:

Mazda CX-5 Service & Repair Manual - Headlight Auto Leveling System - Exterior

www.mcx5.org

 

[elementCX5]

Both when the vehicle is parked or moving at a certain minimum speed.
You can find information at this link:

Mazda CX-5 Service & Repair Manual - Headlight Auto Leveling System - Exterior

www.mcx5.org

Very interesting. Thanks for the info!
I attached a pdf of different lighting options. Appears the only model with truly manual leveling is the base S. At least for the 2023 MY. I'm assuming this is the same thing as the AFS is used for? Or is my assumption incorrect?

 

[sm1ke]

Another note on the beam pattern. The "step" from the low line on the left to the high line on the right is to help with traffic sign illumination at night without blinding oncoming traffic.

 

[dunhillmc]

CX5 and CX30 LED headlights have really bad glare for oncoming drivers. Even the DRLs do it during the day. It's something about the reflector that makes the beam have a 'dazzle' effect

 

[cz5gt]

Recently I had to drive at night in a small sedan in front of a cx30 and can confirm it was terrible even on a flat road.

 

[sm1ke]

Your not alone. I've had this issue with my 2018 CX-5 and now with the 2024. Other cars are constantly flashing there lights at me. As mentioned by the moderator, it's the cut off plate at fault. In order to correct this, the headlight would need to be opened. Once in there, the cut off plate would need to be filed, to remove any burrs. I had to do this on my other vehicle that I had retrofit projector's.

To be fair, that's not quite what I said. None of those modifications really need to be done, because the issue is not with the shield in the projector housing. The shield blocks the light that would otherwise blind oncoming traffic. The projector/headlights just need to be adjusted slightly so that the beam is aimed a tiny bit lower.

 

[hsdejong]

I had Adaptive Led Headlights (ALH and not AFS) in my previous CX-3 and have them now also in my CX-5 (the ones with the automatic switchable led arrays).

https://owners-manual.mazda.com/gen/en/cx-5/cx-5_8fy4ee17e/contents/05280400.html

With both cars, oncoming traffic never flashed at me. Not while I'm driving with the low beams and not with the high beams. With these bright lights, it is important that the height (vertical angle) for the low beams is set correctly.

These headlights are very complicated and have no parts that require adjustment or maintenance. I highly recommend to keep them closed.

 

[jadmt]

I meet a lot of newer cx5's as there a lot in my area and today I met one and even in the day light it looks like they are flashing their headlights...last year there were 3 CX5 that traveled together on a family reunion and it always seemed like the cars behind were flashing their lights for some reason and when I was behind it was the same they were like why are you flashing your lights? This was all in the day light.

 

[hsdejong]

Maybe because the CX-5 uses the low beams at reduced intensity as RDLs?

 

[sm1ke]

Maybe because the CX-5 uses the low beams at reduced intensity as RDLs?

Yeah that's probably what it is. If the headlight isn't aimed properly, in configurations like that, both low beams and DRLs will be affected since the only difference between the two is the intensity.

 

[Mazdiod2]

Maybe because the CX-5 uses the low beams at reduced intensity as RDLs?

I pretty sure on mine, 16.5, the high beams are reduced.

 

[cz5gt]

I meet a lot of newer cx5's as there a lot in my area and today I met one and even in the day light it looks like they are flashing their headlights...last year there were 3 CX5 that traveled together on a family reunion and it always seemed like the cars behind were flashing their lights for some reason and when I was behind it was the same they were like why are you flashing your lights? This was all in the day light.

Yeah. Its because the cx5 has short wheelbase and the ride is on the bumpy side (hard suspension plus 19"). the drl on 2017- utilize the headlights. Any bump or even cracks on the road shakes the car and the light streams up and down.

 

[cz5gt]

I pretty sure on mine, 16.5, the high beams are reduced.

up to 2017 its different. From 2017- its one projector lens for both high and low. Thats in US.

In Europe they have the ALH which is totally different setup. Europe also gets extra/seaparate bulb in the headlight which acts as drl only.
Then US models have a blank cap on its place.
Why Mazda did it that way no idea.