I'm going nuts.... different USDM taillights???

[Benfolio]

Okay. Call me crazy.

I had my 5 in the shop here for a rattle/tapping noise in the dash, and right across the shop another 5 Sport was in for a oil dump. Same color as mine, but without the spoiler and sills.

Now. It didn't occur to me until it was being pulled out (tech backed it up to my window just about) that the tail lights were not as chome as mine, In fact, they looked kinda grey. Not the lenses, they weren't tinted. Nothing on the car was modified. But mine definately looked chrome-er.

Just in case I checked the catalog, but I already knew, only one part # for tail lights.

I even ran the guy's VIN and mine, nothing different excpet the build date and the Preferred Option package.

So was I seeing things? Or did the earlier July '05 build 5's get darker tail lamps than my December '05 built van?

I vote for the former :confused:

[Kid Red]

I actually came here looking for the 2007 5 thread because it made a big deal out of the 'black' tail lights and talked badly about their 'chrome' tail lights. I have the Silver Platinum and my tail lights are grey with chrome trim. They are not completely chrome as I saw on the Strato Blue. So, that isn't a big deal to me as I think the grey would be a better alternative to black.

[perfecto]

Well, maybe there is something to it after all... here's what mine look like :

http://static.flickr.com/22/25108098_c9fae0f2de_d.jpg

[Kid Red]

Yea, see you have mine, and I thought that's how they all are. But someone got excited about the 2007 black lights and bad mouthed the chrome. I then saw a blue strato and it had the 100% chrome lights. So I then understood that their are two lights and I'm glad I have the grey ones.

You need to get that boy tinted!

[Wuster]

my whitewater peral has 100% chrome lights.

Interesting that Mazda would vary the backlights based on color of the car...

[ladygrey]

Mine are definitely grey. Then the brighter chrome circle just around the light themselves. I just went and looked.

I want to see a real picture of the all chrome.

I say we all post pictures of our rear ends ;)

[Kid Red]

ladygrey- There's a pic of a blue 5 in the 2007 5 thread, first page with the 100% chrome tails.

[perfecto]

Yea, see you have mine, and I thought that's how they all are. But someone got excited about the 2007 black lights and bad mouthed the chrome. I then saw a blue strato and it had the 100% chrome lights. So I then understood that their are two lights and I'm glad I have the grey ones.

You need to get that boy tinted!

Already done, that's an old picture. :)

[ladygrey]

ladygrey- There's a pic of a blue 5 in the 2007 5 thread, first page with the 100% chrome tails.


Yeah, but that's a marketing photo from the mazda site - they probably brightened up the chrome look to make it pop. I'm not convinced. I just looked at all the pics in the tint thread and they all look the same to me. Not too bright brushed silver back, bright chrome around the circle of the light. Sometimes the lighting seems to make it brighter, but I think they are all the same. I thought mine was all chrome until I went outside to look at it.

Either way, I much prefer what we have to those black things - yuck.

I'll take a picture after I wash mine and put the bumper protector on later.

[perfecto]

Interesting that Mazda would vary the backlights based on color of the car...

Actually, if you look at the first post in the thread ...

"I had my 5 in the shop here for a rattle/tapping noise in the dash, and right across the shop another 5 Sport was in for a oil dump. Same color as mine, but without the spoiler and sills."

Same color, different tails. Might be as he said, based on the manufacture date... hmmm...

[ladygrey]

Actually, if you look at the first post in the thread ...

"I had my 5 in the shop here for a rattle/tapping noise in the dash, and right across the shop another 5 Sport was in for a oil dump. Same color as mine, but without the spoiler and sills."

Same color, different tails. Might be as he said, based on the manufacture date... hmmm...

Ah, but I am an empiricist at heart. That is 2nd hand heresay evidence (no offense to Benfolio ;)). I want an undoctored photo of the pure chrome (Wuster can you post a pic?)... If they had any on the lot at my dealership I'd go take a look, but the last time I checked they didn't.

Ok, I've added pictures of mine...

[ladygrey]

So was I seeing things? Or did the earlier July '05 build 5's get darker tail lamps than my December '05 built van?

Mine was built in Sept. 05 and the lights are definitely grey - see above.

Can you post a pic of yours Benfolio?

[mountjonas]

lame! ours are that retarded chrome. i'd love to switch to the euro red ones, but that's money that could go into other stuff, like my wrx.

[jandree22]

I think you're all on crack (rlaugh)

[Kid Red]

Then maybe it's only certain color 5s? The Blue Strato I saw I swore had the chrome lights. Anyone here have the blue? All the photos thus far are of grey and white 5s.

[Benfolio]

I am not insane, I am not insane, I am not insane.....

http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-2-1145400387.jpg

Taken the day she came home.

Chrome.

WTF.

[Benfolio]

I'm e-mailing Mazda... RIGHT NOW.

[Benfolio]

Umm.... pulled ALL the tail lights I have in stock. They're all gray. Only one number in the catalog for the assembly and the lens. I have both in stock for both sides.
Found a car on the lot with chrome tails.
Took a pic:

http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-12-1151448380.jpg

Waiting on my answer from Mazda, should have it tomorrow.

[geezerz99]

oh snap... they are different... glad mine are the charcoal one... even the ones i have i find em too "altezza". still prefer the euro ones... just not too crazy about em circle lights, and chrome trimmings

[Benfolio]

Just walked the lot (slow day)... lookee here:
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-12-1151449411.jpg

The whites and blue ones have the grey, but the black and grey have chrome. The grey one is a touring, mine is a sport. So that's not the difference either.

Yet the beige one and red one have chrome, so it's not that the lighter colors get grey either, because on the 1st page there's a beige with grey tails.....

http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-12-1151449424.jpg

So confusing.....

[jandree22]

I'm sorry I don't see it... they all look chrome to me (ugh)

[Benfolio]

I'm sorry I don't see it... they all look chrome to me (ugh)
Yes... but some are darker.

[InFlames]

I'm sorry I don't see it... they all look chrome to me (ugh)

(poke)

[jandree22]

I'm interested to hear Mazda's response. Perhaps it's a 2006 vs. 2006.5 type thing? I doubt this, but perhaps there's some type of inconsistency in the manufacturing process?

[ladygrey]

The whites and blue ones have the grey, but the black and grey have chrome. The grey one is a touring, mine is a sport. So that's not the difference either.



and my touring grey has the darker tails. very confusing.

Thanks for the pictures, I do see the difference now and I no longer think you are insane ;). Whats the manufacture date on your grey with the bright chrome lights?

[perfecto]

On another topic, the people from Rockblocker were considering doing a tint package for the rear tails if people wanted to darken them ...

[Kid Red]

Awesome, thanks for the pics. I know that should convince some of those detractors now ;)

[Benfolio]

and my touring grey has the darker tails. very confusing.

Thanks for the pictures, I do see the difference now and I no longer think you are insane ;). Whats the manufacture date on your grey with the bright chrome lights?

12/05

My response from Mazda was "all the lights in our PDC are chrome."

But I don't trust them... they could all be dark chrome (grey) or regular chrome, they wouldn't know.
I sent them a picture, hopefully I'll hear back. Been busy today....

[Wuster]

Oh snap. I just went down to the garage and looked again.

I was wrong. Our white water touring has the grey with bright chrome rings around the lights.

I dunno what I was thinking earlier...

[Benfolio]

Sent those pictures this time to Mazda.
They're sending them off to Japan for an answer as of Friday, but MNAO is closed Tuesday of course so it might be Wednesday before I get an answer.
Should be interesting.
Such a small detail, I'm sure, but hey, every problem needs to be resolved, right?

[ladygrey]

Sent those pictures this time to Mazda.
They're sending them off to Japan for an answer as of Friday, but MNAO is closed Tuesday of course so it might be Wednesday before I get an answer.
Should be interesting.
Such a small detail, I'm sure, but hey, every problem needs to be resolved, right?

But could become an important detail - what if someone had an accident and only needed one replaced and then realized they didn't match???

[jandree22]

But could become an important detail - what if someone had an accident and only needed one replaced and then realized they didn't match???
Very good point. I wouldn't give a hoot if Mazda5 #1 had gray and Mazda5 #2 had chrome. But to have mismatching ones on a single car would drive me nuts! I'm a little OCD like that (ughdance)

[Benfolio]

Got yet another e-mail, this time from the Parts Engineering Manager in Detroit..... gave him a couple VINs to send off to Japan, I guess it's becoming serious.
Because, yeah, I'd be upset of I had buy TWO taillights if I broke just one on my own.
But I would not be upset to have the grey ones. :D

[RODSCALIP5]

Good info guys. I wonder if we will be able to get replacements. I mean if all taillights were suppose to be dark chrome, would all of us with regular chrome be able to switch?

[Benfolio]

They'll probably come up with a part number for the chomes.

EIther that or there'll be a Parts Flash (kinda like a TSB) that'll say if the customer needs one lamp, and has chrome, ya gotta sell em two!

More money for me!!! lol

[mountjonas]

hahaha. i was just looking at mine right now in the garage and they look darker with the chrome rings. when you look at it in the sun they look full chrome.

[jmcglynn]

Wow.... thanks everyone for staying on top of this one. I can't wait to hear what Mazda has to say. I have to admit, I've never paid that much attention to it on our Phantom Blue 5, but I'm going to check it out as soon as I get home. I'm with most of you... if I ever needed to replace one (which I bet are pretty $$$), I sure would want them to match...

OK... went home and checked mine... mine are the grey chrome. Vehicle manufacture was October 2005.

[MD5]

My Carbon is the chrome crap.

I want the gray ones.

Matt

[Benfolio]

Still waiting...... must be busy worrying about other, more sinking issues than mine.

[dommo_g]

Still waiting...... must be busy worrying about other, more sinking issues than mine.
(rofl2) (rofl2) (rofl2) (rofl2) (rofl2) (rofl2) (rofl2)
heheheh.....you said "more sinking matters".....
!!!