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

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?

no i didn't replace the rear haven't really thought about it yet . if you do the front ones like i did you need to know what you are looking for . there are different types of switchbacks . you can get type A which is amber white amber white while in blink mode . and steady white while driving . they are not as good . i got type B switchbacks which are amber off amber off . then white in drive . better looking and more visible .

https://www.ebay.com (commissions earned)

these are the ones i bought and only cost 15$ .
 
Thanks for sharing this yrwei52, I had the same thought about the stock look but didn't think it could be so simple to change it. I plan to do this mod when I can find the time (although I'm not looking forward to squeezing my hands in there). Cheers.
 
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 simply went with the VLEDS Triton V2 amber set for my front and rear turn signals. They are plug and play. It is OFF__BRIGHT flash during daytime when headlights/parking lights are not on. With the lights on it is DIM__BRIGHT flash. Since I can see roadsigns reflecting back at me when the turn signals are on, they are plenty bright enough. Absolutely no hyperflash. The resistor sockets are built into the pigtail harness provided.

I have factory stock HIDs for headlights then LEDs for everything else, interior and exterior. My CX-5 has a lot of bling!
 
I simply went with the VLEDS Triton V2 amber set for my front and rear turn signals. They are plug and play. It is OFF__BRIGHT flash during daytime when headlights/parking lights are not on. With the lights on it is DIM__BRIGHT flash. Since I can see roadsigns reflecting back at me when the turn signals are on, they are plenty bright enough. Absolutely no hyperflash. The resistor sockets are built into the pigtail harness provided.

I have factory stock HIDs for headlights then LEDs for everything else, interior and exterior. My CX-5 has a lot of bling!


Just to clarify, you still needed to purchase the additional add-on resistors? Only that you didn't have to splice into factory wiring?
 
I used some chromed Amber turn signal bulbs before and they are trick. They still blink bright but they blend in with the headlight housing when off. I've been looking for some that have the blueish tint to them but haven't found any yet. The blue tinted ones reflect really nice in the housing
 
...if you do the front ones like i did you need to know what you are looking for . there are different types of switchbacks . you can get type A which is amber white amber white while in blink mode . and steady white while driving . they are not as good . i got type B switchbacks which are amber off amber off . then white in drive . better looking and more visible .

https://www.ebay.com (commissions earned)


Thank you for the link and info. These are exactly what I want. I just ordered a set, and found that they are currently having a "sale": buy one and get one half off. I paid $21 for a set.

Thanks.
 
I followed the link for the lights and it says they are for a '94 - '02 Dodge Ram, is that correct? How is that fit the same?

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:
Mazda%2BCX-5%2BSkyActiv%2BD%2BTaipei_04%2B-%2BLed%2BHeadlight.jpg

Mazda%2BCX-5%2BSkyActiv%2BD%2BTaipei_03%2B-%2BLed%2BHeadlight.jpg

Mazda%2BCX-5%2BSkyActiv%2BD%2BTaipei_02%2B-%2BFront%2BLed%2BLights.jpg

Mazda%2BCX-5%2BSkyActiv%2BD%2BTaipei_01%2B-%2BFront.jpg


Here are my LED headlights without front amber parking lights and side markers:
2016%2BMazda%2BCX-5%2BLED%2BHeadlights_04.jpg

2016%2BMazda%2BCX-5%2BLED%2BHeadlights_03.jpg

2016%2BMazda%2BCX-5%2BLED%2BHeadlights_02.jpg

2016%2BMazda%2BCX-5%2BLED%2BHeadlights_01.jpg


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.

Stanley%2B7444NA%2B7440NA%2BIncandescent%2BBulbs_01.jpg

Stanley%2B7444NA%2B7440NA%2BIncandescent%2BBulbs_02.jpg


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.
 
I followed the link for the lights and it says they are for a '94 - '02 Dodge Ram, is that correct? How is that fit the same?
There's no links in the original post. Are you talking about standard incandescent 7444NA used on LED headlights, 1157NA used on halogen headlights, or those LEDs compatible to either 7444NA or 1157NA?
 
I feel like I'm a bit over my head but this does make for such a cleaner look and I want to do it. Is there a video perhaps where I can see the process from beginning to end so it's literally shown to me like a child haha.

So basically, I take out the stock turning signal light (it's the same as parking light) and cut that circled wire and put it back? (I have the 2016.5 CX-5 grand touring).

Anything I can do about the amber reflective part?
 
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An electrical diagram for the left headlight harness, european model is possible to found out ??
 
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