CX-5 Adaptive Headlights - Jumpy / Jittery

cali-cx-5 said:
@shadonoz it isnt at startup, they seem jittery side to side when I am moving at slow speed (pulling back into the garage / parking structure), I only see it against the wall (not when im actually driving).

For example I take a right turn into the garage and the right light jitters back and forth as I am turning (Im not bouncing the wheel back and forth), but there is also a bump, so it could be leveling and turning at the same time and it just isnt a smooth operation bc down the road it wouldnt be noticed (it can only be seen on the wall)

It is at low speed.

Does this help?
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Unobtanium said:
Please see my original post...
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Yep, it's normal. I have a CX-9, but I also have the adaptive headlights, and they behave the same way. It's not "jittery", it just appears that way because the lights will sweep left or right a certain amount, then stop, depending on steering input. For example, let's say I'm making a left-hand u-turn from a stop. At certain increments during the beginning of the turn, the lights will sweep left a few degrees, stop, and then sweep and stop again.

The adaptive headlights on my previous car were much smoother, but it was a Lexus after all.

EDIT: Just re-read your last post. How significant is the "back and forth jitter"? Does it do the back and forth motion if you approach slowly to soften the bump from the driveway entry? Almost all adaptive/auto-leveling/AFS headlights are going to have a bit of a "flicker" effect when going over bumps/road imperfections because they have more moving parts. If the "back and forth" motion is minor, it's probably normal. If it's more significant, it could be a bad sensor or something. Get someone to take a video of it happening at night and take it to the dealer to be sure.
 
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cali-cx-5 said:
@shadonoz it isnt at startup, they seem jittery side to side when I am moving at slow speed (pulling back into the garage / parking structure), I only see it against the wall (not when im actually driving).

For example I take a right turn into the garage and the right light jitters back and forth as I am turning (Im not bouncing the wheel back and forth), but there is also a bump, so it could be leveling and turning at the same time and it just isnt a smooth operation bc down the road it wouldnt be noticed (it can only be seen on the wall)

It is at low speed.

Does this help?
Click to expand...

At this point only a video will help.:)
 
My 16 with tech package has the adaptive headlights which turn with the steering. Upon startup, the headlights do a quick sweep up/down and side to side. However, the movement is quick and smooth. When driving and the lights turn, they do so in a stepped manner, which make them look slightly jittery. Thats been since day one and normal.
 
cz5gt said:
I think we all are on the same page,
what is observed is normal one way or another :)
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I'm reserving my opinion until I actually see what OP is describing. Jumpy or jittery doesn't sound normal, and "back and forth" sounds abnormal as well. And I'm not clear if it happens when driving slowly AND parked. But if we actually see it, rather than hear a description, it should become clear.

I'm surprised at how many different movements different posters report. Some see leveling, some don't. Some smooth, some stepping. Mazda has gone thru so many versions of the headlights. Maybe all makers do these days. Sealed beams were so easy [and wimpy]!
 
Mine do what yours do Shado. I can see someone referring to that as "jittery". I think we are too hung up on that word.
 
Auto-leveling headlights adjust the headlight beams vertically. Adaptive headlights sweep to the left or right depending on steering input. When you start your car and the lights go walleyed for a second, that's the adaptive headlight function initializing. Fun fact, my car's lights go walleyed when I start the car, but they do not sweep up and down - that said, my headlights do auto level, I've seen it in action.

When the headlights sweep left or right, they do it in a stepped manner. It's not a fluid sweep.

I don't think cali-cx-5 is describing either of these situations. They've said that the "jitter" only happens at low speed when entering/exiting their driveway. They also stated that there is a bump in the driveway that can trigger the "jitter" - if that's the case, depending on how significant the jitter is, it might be normal and can be chalked up to the extra moving parts that make the headlights appear "loose".
 
The jitter is visible in the garage on the wall when one is parking/stopping very close to the wall or reversing away from it and its barely noticeable.
He/she is seeing the same. Its normal.
my garage floor also has barely noticeable incline. probably thats a factor.
 
This get curiouser and curiouser.

I normally park on the street, but I pulled up to the garage tonite to check, about 3 feet from the door.

When I start the headlights are on auto. They start with ignition. In about 4 sec, they swivel to the outside maybe 10 to 15 degrees very fast, moving out and back within about half a second. If that motion was stepping, there was no way I could possibly discern it. There is no vertical motion at all. After the swivel, there is no motion.

The cutoff is rock solid and steady, as is the rest of the light pattern. No jitter or jumping or flicker or flutter. I idled for a couple of minutes to see if it would change, and tried it twice. I drifted back and approached the door a few times. Nothing. My driveway is smooth. The only motion was when I braked for the door.

So that's what "normal" is for me.

Now, if OP is hitting a small bump and is not accustomed to a sharp LED cutoff... that could explain what they're seeing.
 
shadonoz said:
This get curiouser and curiouser.

I normally park on the street, but I pulled up to the garage tonite to check, about 3 feet from the door.

When I start the headlights are on auto. They start with ignition. In about 4 sec, they swivel to the outside maybe 10 to 15 degrees very fast, moving out and back within about half a second. If that motion was stepping, there was no way I could possibly discern it. There is no vertical motion at all. After the swivel, there is no motion.

The cutoff is rock solid and steady, as is the rest of the light pattern. No jitter or jumping or flicker or flutter. I idled for a couple of minutes to see if it would change, and tried it twice. I drifted back and approached the door a few times. Nothing. My driveway is smooth. The only motion was when I braked for the door.

So that's what "normal" is for me.

Now, if OP is hitting a small bump and is not accustomed to a sharp LED cutoff... that could explain what they're seeing.
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^^ This is exactly how our 2019 acts.

Still waiting for that video of the issue...
 
Lol, this is frustrating.

cali-cx-5 said:
@shadonoz it isnt at startup, they seem jittery side to side when I am moving at slow speed (pulling back into the garage / parking structure), I only see it against the wall (not when im actually driving).

For example I take a right turn into the garage and the right light jitters back and forth as I am turning (Im not bouncing the wheel back and forth), but there is also a bump, so it could be leveling and turning at the same time and it just isnt a smooth operation bc down the road it wouldnt be noticed (it can only be seen on the wall)

It is at low speed.
Click to expand...

The bolded stuff is the most important. Jittering back and forth is normal on bumps to some degree, depending on how significant the jitter is. Jittering "back and forth" while turning is not normal if there are no bumps in the road. At this point shadonoz is right, we won't know for sure until a vid is posted showing the exact issue, but I'm 95% sure that what cali is seeing is just due to the moving parts of the headlight being jarred by the bump in the driveway, and is normal.

cali-cx-5, ideally your video would show your approach to the garage, as well as a left turn in a level, empty parking lot close to a building wall.
 
Tried to get a video last night, but it didnt show up well on the camera (and it is not super comfortable driving *slowly* towards a wall and trying to film).

I am going to try and have a buddy help me next week (I wont be back to my car till then :/).

But the jitter side to side is not super significant, but I am thinking sm1ke is right.

Sorry for the delay in the video, but I appreciate all the help.
 
Yeah, I was going to suggest having a friend hold the camera to record while you focused on driving/testing. If the jitter is not significant, rest assured that practically all AFS/adaptive headlights from almost all manufacturers have this slight jitter.
 
sm1ke said:
Yeah, I was going to suggest having a friend hold the camera to record while you focused on driving/testing. If the jitter is not significant, rest assured that practically all AFS/adaptive headlights from almost all manufacturers have this slight jitter.
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Why you think this is the case? My Mazda demonstrably doesn't.
 
sm1ke said:
I'm 95% sure that what cali is seeing is just due to the moving parts of the headlight being jarred by the bump in the driveway, and is normal.
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Seems to me if those headlights are loosey goosey, something's got to be wrong. They shouldn't move unless the actuators move them.

Looking forward to that eventual video. And yes, cali, PLEASE get a buddy to help....
 
shadonoz said:
Seems to me if those headlights are loosey goosey, something's got to be wrong. They shouldn't move unless the actuators move them.

Looking forward to that eventual video. And yes, cali, PLEASE get a buddy to help....
Click to expand...

Sometimes, some headlights are worse than others. Chalk it up to variances in tolerance, quality of roads, and time spent travelling on those roads. My previous car (2008 Lexus IS250) had AFS headlights and they jittered slightly over minor bumps/potholes/etc. My 2018 CX-9's headlights do the same thing. My brother-in-law's 2018 Infiniti QX60's headlights also do it.

It seems to be common on BMWs as well: https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=291088
In the above link, someone mentions that a service bulletin is available to correct the issue, but I don't know if a fix exists for Mazdas. I guess you could bring it to the dealer and complain, maybe they'll do something about it if they hear enough about it.
 
sm1ke said:
Sometimes, some headlights are worse than others. Chalk it up to variances in tolerance, quality of roads, and time spent travelling on those roads. My previous car (2008 Lexus IS250) had AFS headlights and they jittered slightly over minor bumps/potholes/etc. My 2018 CX-9's headlights do the same thing. My brother-in-law's 2018 Infiniti QX60's headlights also do it.

It seems to be common on BMWs as well: https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=291088
In the above link, someone mentions that a service bulletin is available to correct the issue, but I don't know if a fix exists for Mazdas. I guess you could bring it to the dealer and complain, maybe they'll do something about it if they hear enough about it.
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I'm sorry to hear it happens on so many cars. But if there's a service bulletin, that means it's improvable, which means it's abnormal at least for the BMWs. We need many more data points.

You're right, there will be variations between cars. And the different makers surely use different systems, some of which may be more susceptible to what you're describing. I'm glad mine doesn't do it.
 
shadonoz said:
I'm sorry to hear it happens on so many cars. But if there's a service bulletin, that means it's improvable, which means it's abnormal at least for the BMWs. We need many more data points.

You're right, there will be variations between cars. And the different makers surely use different systems, some of which may be more susceptible to what you're describing. I'm glad mine doesn't do it.
Click to expand...

All very true. I guess we could also chalk it up to perception - some are less likely to notice the issue (if they have it) or even care about it. Usually these are people who are coming from a different vehicle that did the same thing (like me). Those who are coming from sealed beam headlights would notice it immediately.
 
sm1ke said:
All very true. I guess we could also chalk it up to perception - some are less likely to notice the issue (if they have it) or even care about it. Usually these are people who are coming from a different vehicle that did the same thing (like me). Those who are coming from sealed beam headlights would notice it immediately.
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+1
 
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