Guide How To Disable Daytime Running Lights (instructions)

See, I live in Colorado, and I do like the auto headlight function, but then I’m smart enough to turn the headlights on manually during daytime snow events. Being in my 6th decade of life, I’m now old enough to complain that all the auto lights, brakes, following, lane holding, brain numbing garbage is turning most drivers into zombies. As a motorcycle rider, it’s of grave concern To have so many people paying no attention to what’s going on around them. But it’s nice being in the curmudgeon age group so I can make these comments now. 😂
Exactly...obviously complaining about those same oblivious drivers that simply aren't thinking about their own safety or the safety of others on the road during sketchy driving conditions.

@Cobra1983 you can always switch it back by doing the same process again.
 
So you followed instructions on post 165 and you can drive your car around with the halos looking like your picture? Because that’s exactly what I would like to do as well. Drive around with those halos as my DRLs and then TGIF the headlight to turn on at night (if you have it in auto). Do you have everything stock?
Just want to clarify, what Drewwitda22 did was he turned off the DRL function and turned on the parking lights all the time while driving. He gets front LED accent strips (halos) AND tail lights on all the time, and in theory, they’re not DRLs. And in certain states it’s illegal driving with parking lights on.

Gen-2 CX-5 in US and most other regions uses low-beam projectors AND LED accent strips (halos) for DRLs. Some versions of gen-2 CX-5 in other regions do use ONLY halos as DRLs like gen-1 2016 CX-5 with optional LED headlights. Unfortunately this’s something we can’t do on US version gen-2 CX-5 even though that’s the best DRL design on gen-2 CX-5 many have agreed upon.

2017 CX-5 drl question

2017 CX-5 drl question 2

2017 CX-5 drl question 3


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Just want to clarify, what Drewwitda22 did was he turned off the DRL function and turned on the parking lights all the time while driving. He gets front LED accent strips (halos) AND tail lights on all the time, and in theory, they’re not DRLs. And in certain states it’s illegal driving with parking lights on.

Gen-2 CX-5 in US and most other regions uses low-beam projectors AND LED accent strips (halos) for DRLs. Some versions of gen-2 CX-5 in other regions do use ONLY halos as DRLs like gen-1 2016 CX-5 with optional LED headlights. Unfortunately this’s something we can’t do on US version gen-2 CX-5 even though that’s the best DRL design many have agreed upon.

2017 CX-5 drl question

2017 CX-5 drl question 2

2017 CX-5 drl question 3


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Agreed. I didn't mean to imply that using just the halos was an acceptable replacement for the actual DRLs which is actually a low power state of the projector low beam. My state does not REQUIRE DRLs and it's not illegal to drive with only the parking lights/marker lights on. I turned off the DRLs because I just prefer the aesthetics of the halo only look like your pics above.
 
Exactly...obviously complaining about those same oblivious drivers that simply aren't thinking about their own safety or the safety of others on the road during sketchy driving conditions.

@Cobra1983 you can always switch it back by doing the same process again.
Yea I tried this morning and no dice. I feel like I am trying to do the unlimited ammo glitch in GTA 3
 
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It took me several tries. Parking brake on? Foot on brake the whole time? Keep foot on brake for several seconds at the end of the process?
 

It took me several tries. Parking brake on? - Yes

Foot on brake the whole time? Yes

Keep foot on brake for several seconds at the end of the process? This I dont think I did :/

We also have that button emergency brake which is the first time I ever had. So I sometiems get it confised and instead of disengaging, I turn it on again and that might screw the whole thing up.
Can I do in in a garage? Does the car have to be outside? Thats another thing I might be doing wrong.
 
You have adjusted the light sensitivity for turning on the headlights in the HMI, not ?
 
Agreed. I didn't mean to imply that using just the halos was an acceptable replacement for the actual DRLs which is actually a low power state of the projector low beam. My state does not REQUIRE DRLs and it's not illegal to drive with only the parking lights/marker lights on. I turned off the DRLs because I just prefer the aesthetics of the halo only look like your pics above.
Correct. I just want the halo ONLY to be on at daytime w/o having to have the lights on parking. Meaning my preferences would be for the main headlight to follow the auto rules and keeping the halo on. Maybe what I want is not possible?

My last car was an Infinity Q50 2017. That one had accent DRLs (one that I absolutely love) and then when it started to get dark, the headlight would turn on. That's what I want? Am I asking too much Mazda? Lol...Maybe I am.

Am I the one that find it absurd these headlights turn on even when they are set off? I mean...what the point of giving the option at all?
 
You have adjusted the light sensitivity for turning on the headlights in the HMI, not ?
Dont even get me started on that. I have done changes, yes, but I don't know what the heck (can we swear here? Lol) I did, to be honest. I dont understnd some of the options. Make me feel like an idiot. Should I reset all options to factory settings before doing the cheat code?

You guys have been AMAZING...thank you for getting back to me so quickly.
 
It's totally a safety thing and I understand that Mazda is strongly oriented to maximum safety which is likely why they went the direction they did. The auto setting might still work as you expect, I just haven't check it because I don't use the auto function. I'd also point out that the projector beam (the main headlight) is at a different level of brightness depending on if it in DRL mode versus night time headlight mode. The projector runs in a lower power state and thus a lower brightness when in DRL mode versus the true low beam mode at night which is actually brighter than when in DRL mode.
 
It's totally a safety thing and I understand that Mazda is strongly oriented to maximum safety which is likely why they went the direction they did. The auto setting might still work as you expect, I just haven't check it because I don't use the auto function. I'd also point out that the projector beam (the main headlight) is at a different level of brightness depending on if it in DRL mode versus night time headlight mode. The projector runs in a lower power state and thus a lower brightness when in DRL mode versus the true low beam mode at night which is actually brighter than when in DRL mode.
I guess...

Didn't know that about the headlights during the daytime.
 
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⋯ I just want the halo ONLY to be on at daytime w/o having to have the lights on parking. Meaning my preferences would be for the main headlight to follow the auto rules and keeping the halo on. Maybe what I want is not possible?
Like I said previously, what you want is not possible for US CX-5.
 
Like I said previously, what you want is not possible for US CX-5.
Sorry...I didnt catch that and...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
 
If I leave the lights in the parking mode and shut off the car, will the car kill the lights in a few seconds or will it keep them on?
 
@yrwei52 I don't think it's been truly vetted yet that you can, after performing the DRL disable process, have just the halos and no other lights on anywhere else. I'll try to check it later to see what my vehicle does with the switch on auto and off both outside in the light and in the garage.
 
@yrwei52 I don't think it's been truly vetted yet that you can, after performing the DRL disable process, have just the halos and no other lights on anywhere else. I'll try to check it later to see what my vehicle does with the switch on auto and off both outside in the light and in the garage.
I would be in your debt.
 
Well...@yrwei52 was right. No halos only in auto. They only come on when the low beams come on as I pull into the garage. No halos in off either outside or in the garage. You can only get halos without the center beam when you have the running lights/parking lights on. Note that I have a 2021 GTR. Again, I'm okay with that and it's not illegal in my state.

To answer your other question, yes, the parking lights (or any light setting) will auto turn off after shutting the car off, closing the door and walking away assuming you have that setting on in the UI. I have mine set to the minimum and also to auto lock (which also folds in the mirrors) when I walk away after shutting down.
 
According to the mazda3 forum posts, there is a possible option to enable it through programming with forscan but nobody is brave enough to try it out. :)

So no, out of the box not possible on current generation CX-5 in US.
 
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