Simplest Mod for Your 2016 CX-5 Front Turn Signals with LED Lightings

[yrwei52]

Standard disclaimer applies: This write-up describes how I modified the front turn signal bulb for US/NA version CX-5 only with LED Lightings. Other models may vary, your experience may vary. This is simply a chronicle of how I completed this task. If you choose to do the same, the responsibility for your actions lie with you alone.

Since there is no good solution so far for LED turn-signals without creating hyper-flash unless you're willing to add serial resistors, and no one seems to be able to find the flasher relay, here is one simple mod you can do so that you no longer have "ugly" amber parking lights (in some people's opinion) in the night. The white LED DRLs serve as the parking/side-marker lights well and they'll look exactly the same as a Euro CX-5! They do look cleaner with front amber parking/side-marker lights disabled but that is not the reason I did this mod. I like front amber turn signal which looks more distinctive in the dark with bright-off-bright-off pattern when front amber parking light is disabled, instead of bright-dim-bright-dim pattern when parking light is on. In fact, this is mandatory in Europe as you can't have front parking lights and turn signals at the same location for safety reason. The same for DRLs as you'll notice European cars will turn off DRL on the same side when the turn signal is on. These're all safety regulations in EU.

On CX-5 with LED lightings we have LED DRLs wrapping around to corners, they can serve as not only the parking lights but also the US-only side-markers too. We still have amber side marker reflector hence this mod is totally legal with US front side-marker requirements. In fact, the old CX-9's and some of new Mazda3's have similar setup - the amber turn signals are independent from front parking lights. The old CX-9 even keeps the "city lights" in high-beam reflectors only seen in Europe which serve as front parking lights.

Here are Euro version CX-5 I saw in Taipei with LED headlights without front amber parking lights, side-markers and side amber reflectors:

Here are my LED headlights without front amber parking lights and side markers:

On 2016 CX-5 with LED lightings, the front turn-signal/parking/side-marker lights use 7444NA amber dual-filament incandescent bulb. The rear turn-signal lights use 7440NA amber single-filament incandescent bulb. Be aware that the spec in our owner's manual for rear turn signal lights is wrong as it says 7443NA; and 7443 is a dual-filament bulb!

I started with getting some cheap Wagner 7440NA's as the base of all 744X bulbs looks the same. But I couldn't plug the 7440NA into the front turn-signal/parking/side-marker bulb socket. After further inspection, I found 7444NA socket has additional tabs, which prevent 7440NA bulb to be fully seated. Now I had to modify the 7444NA to make it becoming a single-filament bulb.

7444NA is pretty new and it's hard to find. You can only find unknown brand 7444NA at Amazon. Dealer price is outrageous and it requires special order. I then found the Philips 7444NA at local PepBoys. I simply cut the wire contact for parking/side-marker at the bulb base with electrical wire cutter. Now I could plug in the modified single-filament 7444NA bulb which only works for turn signal.

Those 744X series bulbs are very cleverly designed. They can be single or dual filament without worrying the orientation. You can plug them in either way and they'll work. You can take the 7440NA and compare, cutting two wire contacts on 7444NA, pointed by blue arrow in picture, which don't exist on 7440NA. Or you can trace the wire contacts to thinner filament with less wattage which located at front of the two filaments in the bulb, and cut these two. Or you can try to tape over one of the wire contacts you believe they are the two to cut, plug in and try it out before you actually cut them. Cutting one of two wire contacts is sufficient but I cut both anyway.

Make sure to follow the instruction on page 6-48 of Owner's Manual for how to remove front turn-signal/parking/side-marker light bulb.

For halogen headlights, or any non-LED DRL setups on CX-5, the front turn-signal/parking/side-marker lights use 1157NA amber dual-filament incandescent bulb. The only way to disable the parking/side-marker filament without cutting factory wiring harness, is to tape over the round contact at the base of the bulb. You won't have any lighting serves as parking lights and side markers because the DRLs are in the high-beam. This is something I definitely won't do if I don't have LED DRLs.

 

[Perpetual Nomad]

Any ideas as to why these are enabled as such for the US market and disabled for the EU markets? Neat research

 

[CX5_QC]

Did my research and cheapest i can find them in Canada is 11$ US for a pack of 2

 

[CX-5um]

Will this do? Its $1.99 here https://www.lightbulbs.com/product/...tRBOTpHEIZv1XKKjUaaFRSaA_YhkvH2DcAaAgz38P8HAQ

 

[CX5_QC]

Yup!

 

[yrwei52]

Any ideas as to why these are enabled as such for the US market and disabled for the EU markets? Neat research

Side markers are only required in the US with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 since 1968. Of course it's intended to improve safety. But EU has its own safety standards, side markers are not one of them. Car manufactures have to design different lighting system according local regulations for the market. In the US we have 7444NA dual-filament bulb but in other markets it has 7440NA single-filament bulb at front turn-signal location with LED headlights. The wiring harness and bulb sockets are different for different markets.

 

[yrwei52]

I paid $5.99 plus tax for two Philips 7444NA bulbs at PepBoys.

 

[banjos-n-beer]

It seems to me the Audis and Dodge products I've seen on the road in the US stick with the European wiring design... the DRLs turn off when the amber turn signals are on. I was rather surprised that Mazda, being a smaller company with less financial resources, would design the US market CX5 with a different wiring system than those for other countries. Unless I'm missing/overlooking something....

 

[CX5_QC]

Since you can plug the 7444NA bulb either way and it works, does it really matter which filament u cut ? If so, can we put the bulb with the writting upwards and cut the filament pointed by the blue arrow ?

 

[yrwei52]

Since you can plug the 7444NA bulb either way and it works, does it really matter which filament u cut ? If so, can we put the bulb with the writting upwards and cut the filament pointed by the blue arrow ?

7444NA is a dual-filament, 28W/8W bulb. So you want to make sure to cut the wiring contacts for thinner 8W filament, used for parking/side-marker, which sticks out in front of thicker 28W filament used for front turn signal. Looking at the picture, the 8W filament wiring contact pointed by blue arrow is positioned more inside (or center), whereas the 28W filament contact on the right is positioned more outside. Your cut the inner one, then flip the bulb over, the contact at the same left and inner position is for 8W filament again, and you cut this one too. Make sure bend the wiring contact carefully straight out of the bulb glass, then cut it cleanly to prevent accidental short to the bulb socket's contacts! The bulb is made of glass, so be careful and use your common sense. Use electronic needle nose plier to bend the wiring contact, but try not to put any force to the glass base itself. And use electronic wire cutter to cut the contact.

Those bulbs are see-through, and you can trace the wiring to identify the 8W filament easily. You can cut one contact, but I cut both to make sure. Not like LEDs, these incandescent bulbs have no electric polarity, so you can plug in the bulbs either way. I still make sure the modified 7444NA bulbs oriented the same way while seating, the arched frame supporting the useless 8W filament towards inside, so that I can see the "Philips 7444NA" imprint on the bulb from outside after the mod. The bulbs in picture are OEM Stanley bulb, so the brand and model imprints are on the opposite side of bulb comparing to Philips'.

I also cleaned all finger prints on the bulb with alcohol and carefully re-seated the bulb socket. The space is tight and I practiced a couple of times before the final seating with clean bulb without touching any surroundings.

These pictures of our CX-5 were taken just one day before it got hit by large hail...

 

[CX5_QC]

7444NA is a dual-filament, 28W/8W bulb. So you want to make sure to cut the wiring contacts for thinner 8W filament, used for parking/side-marker, which sticks out in front of thicker 28W filament used for front turn signal. Looking at the picture, the 8W filament wiring contact pointed by blue arrow is positioned more inside (or center), whereas the 28W filament contact on the right is positioned more outside. Your cut the inner one, then flip the bulb over, the contact at the same left and inner position is for 8W filament again, and you cut this one too. Make sure bend the wiring contact carefully straight out of the bulb glass, then cut it cleanly to prevent accidental short to the bulb socket's contacts! The bulb is made of glass, so be careful and use your common sense. Use electronic needle nose plier to bend the wiring contact, but try not to put any force to the glass base itself. And use electronic wire cutter to cut the contact.

Those bulbs are see-through, and you can trace the wiring to identify the 8W filament easily. You can cut one contact, but I cut both to make sure. Not like LEDs, these incandescent bulbs have no electric polarity, so you can plug in the bulbs either way. I still make sure the modified 7444NA bulbs oriented the same way while seating, the arched frame supporting the useless 8W filament towards inside, so that I can see the "Philips 7444NA" imprint on the bulb from outside after the mod. The bulbs in picture are OEM Stanley bulb, so the brand and model imprints are on the opposite side of bulb comparing to Philips'.

I also cleaned all finger prints on the bulb with alcohol and carefully re-seated the bulb socket. The space is tight and I practiced a couple of times before the final seating with clean bulb without touching any surroundings.

These pictures of our CX-5 were taken just one day before it got hit by large hail...

Can you use one of the picture above and clearly show what to cut ?

I read you but it sounds like chinese to me!

The way i had understood it was to simplu cut the 2 wires pointed out bu the blue arrow -_-'

 

[yrwei52]

Can you use one of the picture above and clearly show what to cut ?
I read you but it sounds like chinese to me!
The way i had understood it was to simplu cut the 2 wires pointed out bu the blue arrow -_-'

Sometimes too much information would confuse me too. Basically like you said, cut two wires pointed by the blue arrow. The green arrow is the cutting point. You cut wiring contact one side, flip over, cut the wire at the same position on the other side. Both sides of bulb on wiring contacts are symmetrical and look the same.

 

[CX5_QC]

Sometimes too much information would confuse me too. Basically like you said, cut two wires pointed by the blue arrow. The green arrow is the cutting point. You cut wiring contact one side, flip over, cut the wire at the same position on the other side. Both side of bulb on wiring contacts are symmetrical and look the same.

lol thanks for the dummy down version for ppl like me

I basically cut only the inside wire on both sides, correct ?

 

[yrwei52]

lol thanks for the dummy down version for ppl like me
I basically cut only the inside wire on both sides, correct ?

They say there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers. If you actually have your 7444NA bulb in your hand, you'll understand what I was talking about. Yeah, you basically cut only the inside wire on both sides.

 

[CX5_QC]

How the F did you manage to change thoses bulbs ?! I tried reaching for them and omg! They seem impossible to reach, especially on the driver side

 

[Mondo]

Thanks, I like easy/subtle mods like you've done... have you seen this bulb: daylight it's white, turn signal yellow? Not quite as simple, need the resister kit though

http://www.diodedynamics.com/store/...-mazda-cx5-front-turn-signal-leds/category/4/

 

[yrwei52]

How the F did you manage to change thoses bulbs ?! I tried reaching for them and omg! They seem impossible to reach, especially on the driver side

Now you should appreciate those auto mechanic who is fixing your car. Hey, Mazda engineers are truly smart and they can do nothing wrong (not my opinion)! Many things look easy to do by somebody else. But when you do it by yourself, you'll find they're not so easy as you could imagine. Yeah the space is a little tight but it's doable. It was hard to make the bulb sockets turn at first. Once you loose it, it'll be easy. But you do need a small hand AND strong fingers to loose these bulbs.

Don't forget to clean the bulbs before you put them back in.

 

[yrwei52]

Thanks, I like easy/subtle mods like you've done... have you seen this bulb: daylight it's white, turn signal yellow? Not quite as simple, need the resister kit though
http://www.diodedynamics.com/store/...-mazda-cx5-front-turn-signal-leds/category/4/

I had considered "switchback" turn-signal LEDs. But for one I don't like cutting factory wiring harness to add serial resistors. Secondly, on 2016 GT with LED headlights, we have a very nice and bright white LED DRLs which serve as parking lights very well in other countries. So I don't need a second white LED parking lights with "switchback" turn-signal LEDs. Besides, I prefer amber turn signal in more distinctive and contrastable bright-off-bright-off pattern instead of amber-white-amber-white pattern with dual-color effect in the dark.

 

[Anonymous MD]

I had considered "switchback" turn-signal LEDs. But for one I don't like cutting factory wiring harness to add serial resistors. Secondly, on 2016 GT with LED headlights, we have a very nice and bright white LED DRLs which serve as parking lights very well in other countries. So I don't need a second white LED parking lights with "switchback" turn-signal LEDs. Besides, I prefer amber turn signal in more distinctive and contrastable bright-off-bright-off pattern instead of amber-white-amber-white pattern with dual-color effect in the dark.

i did switchbacks on 2016 tec . and i never do reisters cuz i dont mind hyper flash . i haven't noticed any problems doing this in any of my cars . i would think people would notice it better if anything cuz its not the same as every other car . mine blink yellow off yellow off and are plenty bright .

 

[yrwei52]

i did switchbacks on 2016 tec . and i never do reisters cuz i dont mind hyper flash . i haven't noticed any problems doing this in any of my cars . i would think people would notice it better if anything cuz its not the same as every other car . mine blink yellow off yellow off and are plenty bright .

If you don't mind hyper-flashing, those switch-back LEDs are nice for front turn signals. Yours have lots of LED chips and they must be very bright. I didn't know switch-back LED is blinking amber-off-amber-off when it's in turn-signal mode and that's nice to know. Did you replace rear turn signals with LEDs too?