The Adventures of Cindy Li

Thu Jul 27, 2006 at 03.20 pm

Cary Weinberger

Dear Cindy,

I followed your instructions and replaced the brake light and turn signal light on each side of my 1999 VW beetle.  It worked like a charm.  Thanks so much for your assistance.

Cary

Thu Aug 3, 2006 at 02.55 pm

Gregg

These are great instructions, wish I had seen them earlier.  Do you have the same for replacing a brake light?Thanks.

Thu Aug 17, 2006 at 02.41 pm

george

Thanks for your instructions, they worked perfect!  My daughter has a beetle and everytime she needs headlights it is a trip to the dealer.  Today both my daughter and wife were out so I searched google, found your instructions, and could not believe how easy it was.  I changed the bulb for $7 and bought a replacement spare also.  Thanks Cindy!

Sat Aug 19, 2006 at 04.56 pm

Donna

Wow!  It worked.  I struggled to remove the back of the light from inside the car for an hour. Then I looked on line for the instructions.  I’m not even a guy. :-)  Your instructions worked like a dream.  Took me five minutes.  Thanks a bunch.

Mon Sep 25, 2006 at 12.50 am

Tom

Thanks. The pictures were a great help.  Now my air bag warning light came on.  Wonder if I hit something when I worked on the headlamp?

Sun Oct 29, 2006 at 06.37 pm

alicia

thank you very much your help was appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!

Sat Nov 4, 2006 at 05.34 pm

Nat & Eric

Dear Cindy: My husband & I also fell for the “must see VW dealer for safe replacement” the first time a headlamp went out. After the $70+ installation fee the “once bitten twice shy” feeling caused us to investigate an alternative. Searching the web for headlamp instructions brought us to your sight. We were soooo excited to see, not only instructions, but pictures!! Auto Zone and similar sites had no current info for VW’s.
Thx for your “technical support”. The other comments were great, too.

Wed Nov 8, 2006 at 03.10 am

James

I was not able to push out the headlight after pulling up the handle. Any suggestions?

Thanks

Thu Nov 23, 2006 at 02.46 pm

Steve

Thanks a lot!  You saved me $30-40 labor charge and the hassle of taking car into dealer/repair shop.  They’ve made Beetle headlight replacement a big secret.  I’ve been told “we have to remove parts of the car such as the air conditioner unit and battery, to change the bulb”. 
Well, not any more!  Thanks again!

Sun Dec 10, 2006 at 11.29 pm

Lydia

Thanks so much! I knew there had to be an easier way to change a headlight. My own mechanic said the battery and air filter had to be removed and was going to charge me at least $35 to do it. I just went out to my driveway and did it in 15 minutes total! Thank again!

Wed Dec 20, 2006 at 05.05 am

Mtxo

Hi Cindy - You have a great sense of instruction!  I have a 2003 and was worried that things had changed.  The important points about getting that little lever up so far, then wiggle the light, then push the lever, then wiggle the light.  That’s what finally got the silly thing out!  Whew - a little longer than 5 minutes, but still not 30 and saved the aforementioned trip and cost of the dealer.  Thank you for posting this.

Thu Jan 4, 2007 at 04.04 am

dannyaguinaga

i have done this reading and i will let you know how this turns out. i am i a wheel chair so it sounds easy enough to try. see you with my story tomorrow it does look promising and i am hopeful.thank you so much for the information glad that you are here…........danny

Tue Jan 9, 2007 at 05.27 am

0ling7

Hey cindy
This is super, I found a couple of the website and it makes no sense to me.  But I have a problem loosing the headlight, it looks like the lever is up but it won’t come out, it feels like it is half locked, Do you know why?

Tue Jan 9, 2007 at 06.48 pm

stephanie Barksdale

How do I know which bulb to buy?

Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 02.01 am

mike shannon

I spent an hour and a half, and was never so perplexed in my life.  I’ve rebuilt transmissions, motors, you name it, and this had me stumped.

then i read your instructions.

thank you sooo much.

Sat Feb 3, 2007 at 04.07 pm

Bob Shaffer

Cindy.  Thanks so much.  Almost gave up, after first thinking that I could do it without instructions.  Just like a man, huh?  Went to the web and found your posting.  Worked perfectly.  The local automotive store had the bulb for the 1999 VW at $20 with tax.  Still better than the trip to the Dealership, wasted time waiting, and the $80 or more that they would have charged me.  Thanks for taking the time to make your post

Bob

Tue Feb 13, 2007 at 07.42 am

ituanakire

Thank you for your great advice on headlight replacement. The photos helped a great deal especially for those who aren’t very VW-mechanically inclined. I was wondering where I can find that same exact beetle service manual. It doesn’t look like the Chifton or Haynes service manuals that you find in auto parts store. Can you please tell me where I can find that same exact one? Have a nice day.

Sun Feb 18, 2007 at 09.39 pm

Trisha

Thanks for the 411. Would not have succeeded if we didn’t find your Web site. If anyone has trouble re-inserting the bulb and getting it to click in, the WD40 worked wonders. There was also a plastic wire thing next to the lever (at least on a 98 VW Beetle) that we also pushed up, and that seemed to help too.

Tue Feb 27, 2007 at 02.20 am

Leah

Thanks so much for this information! It was really helpful. But there was one little piece missing ... there is a black corrogated button right next to the lever that is the release for the lever itself. Otherwise, it won’t move. But thanks again for the info!!

Sat Mar 3, 2007 at 04.31 pm

H&R

A goddess, indeed!  If ever in Austin, we’ll buy you a drink.  You saved us much effort and $$.  Thanks for sharing, H&R

Fri Mar 9, 2007 at 03.48 am

LAS

Cindy, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I made an appointment this morning with the VW dealership to replace yet again the same headlight I had replaced less than a year ago (5th time for this headlight) and to fix the AC for the 3rd time on I guess my super duper lemon ‘99 VW beetle. I found your site and thought why not save myself the yearly $90 expense and do it myself. I put on a pair of gloves and with a $15 double bulb halogen pkg began looking for the lever. I couldn’t find the lever to remove the headlight. I was very confused!  ?:/  I printed out your photo of the lever and realized the VW service specialists had BROKEN the lever off!!!! I easily slid the headlight out and replaced the bulb in less than 5 mins. I was furious!!!! (Over the $90 and broken lever) :mad:...  I even did the other side. (It did have a lever.) The back of the headlight was just sitting in the headlight compartment. The black clip was BROKEN!!!!!  The VW service people and I will be having some VERY strong words when I arrive for my appointment.

Tue Mar 13, 2007 at 10.26 pm

Mr Seabury

Well, imagine how happy I was to find your well crafted instructions.  I brought my car back from the dealertoday with one bulb to change on each side, thinking there is surely a method I can find to spend £82 on beer or books rather than on swapping bulbls.  My German engineering mates will be happy to claim credit for a complex but workable design, you get the credit for community spirit and altruism - I hope you get a warm feeling from the recognition.  All I have to do now is do the job without breaking the lever, wish me luck.  yours Cousin Tom

Sun Mar 18, 2007 at 09.13 pm

Mr Seabury

Update to this the most ontologically specific part of the whole internet:

1/ The button must be pushed, no iffs or buts.

2/ for clarity - the lever is part of a collar (about 270 degrees of ta circle) which wraps around the removable part.
This collar slides around its centre point in a track, and the track does get grit in it over time making the aformentioned jiggling necessary.
2a.1/  After a bit of jiggling, if necessary, is most effective if the removable unit is held diametrically oppostite to where the lever is, so if the lever is at 10 O’clock at the back (inside the car) then hold the unit at 4 O’clock from the front, i.e. underneat the glass and towards the ouside.  This posture gives your lever operating force the best chance of spinning the collar, and do juggle at the same time.
Time to change a bulb this way after learning the technique = 2 minustes or in main dealer speak £41 (i.e. $60)
Do have a new bulb ready (H1 55 Watt most likely)
Next time I do this fine acrobatic operation I shall think of you all. I expect it will be another 4 years though. Bye

Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 03.57 am

Cyndi

Hi Cindy,

I have a 2003 Beetle and my airbag light is on and won’t go off… do you know how to fix this?  I went to VW today, but they want to charge me $140 just to look at it.  Any help you can give would be appreciated!

Thanks!
Cyndi

Tue Apr 3, 2007 at 04.27 am

Sandy

Thank you so much for your beautiful instructions complete with visuals! Love that.  It worked like a charm on my 2004 Beetle.  The whole job took about 10 minutes.  The only B*tch was getting the headlight back INTO the hole…because the plastic collar (that the lever is attached to) was off track in two places…took 2 HOURS to get the flippin’ thing back in there. GRRRRRR….BUT that had nothing to do with your instructions for which I thank you profusely.  However, I will never buy another VW.  I’ll stick with Toyotas!! They’re so much easier to do this type of maintenance on!

Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 03.07 pm

Rich In Kenosha Wisconsin

WOW WEE!!! I Love YOU! You saved me some big bucks! XOXOXOX
Rich

Thu Apr 26, 2007 at 11.09 pm

Mr Seabury

Hmm a moral conundrum?
Give your friend clear instruction to ask you before ever paying a main dealerto change a bulb, as you are sure you can find a way to do it cheaper. Nothing else.
Does that work?
Tom (btw, I’m not blonde female nor in my mid-20’s, but glad to hear they still exist)

Sat May 5, 2007 at 04.15 pm

Kin

I am OLD.
I am an old WOMAN.

My ‘mechanic’ has changed my headlight many times, each time whining, each time having to pull other guys off of other jobs in the shop to ‘help’ him and each time charging me at least $40.

The first time, they went into a coma because they ‘broke the tabby thing’ which is, apparently,the highly technical term for the lever that needs to be raised. It took over an hour for them to figure out what to do from there. It DID get done. But everytime since then, they whined because there was no ‘tabby thing’ and it was ‘haaaarrrrrrrddddd’ to do, justifying another $40. They bite.

Last month, the headlight went out again. It wasn’t so bad at first because of the ‘pididdle’ effect (any of you over 45 might know what that is) and I got kissed alot, but eventually I had to get it fixed.

I went to my local parts emporium and paid $7.49 for the bulb.

This morning, in the pleasant warm salty spring air, in my very own driveway by the sea, I took the leap.

Yep. They had broke off the ‘tabby thing’ alright.

However—being a determined old woman, I persevered, lifted everything that needed to be lifted, slid what needed to be slid, wiggled and prodded, reversed the prodding, wiggling, sliding and lifting and VOILA~~~!!!!!!

We have lights!!!!

>>dancing all around my office<<

I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an’ pretend
‘Cause I’ve heard it all before
And I’ve been down there on the floor
No one’s ever gonna keep me down again

Oh yes, I am wise
But it’s wisdom born of pain
Yes, I’ve paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to
I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman

You can bend but never break me
‘Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
‘Cause you’ve deepened the conviction in my soul

WHOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!

I don’t need no stinking men!!!!!

PS: Thank you, really. This is a huge accomplishment in more ways than I can tell you!!!

Thank you thank you thank you
xoxoxoxoxo

Sat May 5, 2007 at 06.45 pm

Mr Seabury

And glad to hear of the singalong crew too. Regards the undisputed demand for red-headed 50 year olds If this were a long distance dating site I’d say I was in the line.
X
Tom

Wed May 16, 2007 at 02.11 pm

rick taylor

Thanks for the information. It cost ne 6 dollars the bulb and about 10 minutes to fix.  I never would have figured it out without you.

Sat May 19, 2007 at 09.19 pm

Matt Combs

Thank you very much.  Local VW dealer said it would take 2 hours of labor and you needed special tools.  With your instructions I did it myself in 20 minutes, plus time to go to Walmart to pick up the bulb.  We have a 2002 VW Beetle, so the instructions worked for that year.  I had to push a little bit hard on the back and do a little jiggling, but it worked great.  You saved me $65.  Thanks a lot.

Sun May 20, 2007 at 04.23 pm

Carol

Woo-Hoo!! My dad and I just changed the bulb in my 01 beetle ourselves - thanks to your directions and photos. Ooooh, the photos - soooo helpful!

I know it’s cheesy, but…

Bulb at Wal-Mart - $4.97
Soap to clean dirty fingers from changing bulb purchased at Wal-Mart - $.99
Clear instructions with pictures from Cindy Li so you don’t have to pay the VW Dealerto do it - priceless!!!

Sat Jun 23, 2007 at 04.36 pm

david Termini

Dear Cindy, I can not thank you enough for the headlight information. My friend who is a mechanic (not VW) spent 3 hours and could not do it. I am buying the VW book you reccomend.Thanks again Dave

Fri Jul 6, 2007 at 12.41 am

Bill

Thanks for the assistance.  It was fairly easy to remove and replace.  The tricky part is trying to get that casing back into the car.  I can’t get it to lock in place.  It appears a mechanic will be getting their hands in to this and my wallet after all.

Tue Jul 17, 2007 at 05.35 am

Pat Throckmorton

Cindy thanks for the info, used my Chilton book and figured out what I needed to do, but when I went to pull the lever down it would not move, tried the button and no luck> so Iwent to your web and founds others had problems so finally removed the 3 screws to take the part out what I refer to as the slide that holds the headlight in and finally got it to move, there was some dirt but also could be caused by the expansion of the plastic from heat. So i thought I pass that infromation on encase someone can not at all move the lever. If nothing else you can get the part number and go buy the part and save on the labor by installing it yourself.  Hope this helps someone.

Tue Jul 24, 2007 at 09.02 pm

Elizabeth

Cindy, I can’t tell you how great this was for me. I was so frustrated. Money is tight right now and I took my Bug to Pep Boys to change the light. They said they wouldn’t touch it. Well, I bought some torx wrench bits and came home to take a look at the light (I did need a torx bit to change my reverse light, which conveniently went out with my headlight). I was waiting for a WikiAnswer when I came across your site. WOW! How much simpler could you have described it!?
Also, for everyone talking about “pushing the button”—that is the passenger side headlight, and I believe is true for 2003 Bugs and newer. That button is a pain in the ass!
Thanks again, Cindy!

Sun Jul 29, 2007 at 03.48 am

Kevin Armendariz

Thank you for the tips; it got me started. I ran into some problems with the casing releasing. I pulled the lever over and over. I drove up the street to the local sevice station and the mechanic could not release it either. After returning home and shedding some tears I decided to spray-lube the casing to death. I then put a screw driver into the hole on the bottom and lifted the front of the casing free which must have been stuck. It popped out and from there I was able to change the bulb. Thanks again! Kev
Tip: When purchasing the bulb make sure you read on the package whether its high beam or low beam.

Mon Aug 20, 2007 at 08.46 pm

Shawn

Hi Cindy
Thank you for taking the time to make these instructions.  This was exactly what I was looking for!
Sincerely,
Shawn

Sun Aug 26, 2007 at 03.41 pm

GTheo

Thanks so much!!!  It was easy to do and saved me money!

Mon Aug 27, 2007 at 04.29 am

Sarah

Cindy,  I am SO relieved to find your website!!!  My heart SANK when I got in my bug tonight and the second headlight was out… I have been driving with just one headlight for about 2 months (everybody says they are at least $300.00 to replace) so my husband and I just limited our nighttime driving… But when the second one went out tonight, I wanted to cry!!!  I just found your page and we will change the lights tomorrow!  I can’t thank you enough!!  I even called the dealer, and they quoted me at least $300.  I just hope we are all talking about the same headlight (everyone here is saying no more than $70)  Anyway, we’ll give it a whirl tomorrow!  thanks agaain!!

Tue Aug 28, 2007 at 06.29 pm

Will

My 99 Beetle has gone through:
2-head lights
1-tail light
1-fiber optic bulb for the console($135.00)
1-mirror adjustment knob

The car is qute but the workmanship is lousy.Buy AMERICAN you will get a quality automobile,i did.

Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 02.28 pm

Crystal

Cindy, You Rock! Thank you so much. I just changed both my lights in my buggie. Tip for 2004 owners—like someone else said there is a button next to the lever that you have to push to allow the lever to move. Also, for the driver’s side which is blocked a bit, remove the plastic black cover next to the lever area—there’s a cut-out allowing easier access to the lever. One more thing, spray lubricant on the lever and it will move up much easier (I was having a difficult time with mine!). Thanks, again. My dealer quoted me $93 for one headlight; Goodyear quoted $300! I went ahead and changed both even though only one was out.

Thu Sep 13, 2007 at 06.46 pm

paula carter

Thank You,Thank You,Thank You!!!! instructions were great.had a little trouble getting the whole assembly back in. You just saved me $50.00!!

Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 08.50 pm

Jayne

Thanks Cindy.  You are a lifesaver for all of us VW bug-lovers and dealer-haters.

Tue Sep 25, 2007 at 06.37 pm

Elizabeth

HELP!!! My husband and I have been trying for three days to get the lever all the way to the top on our passinger side headlight. We have jiggled, sprayed with tons of wd40, wiggled the headlight, over and over. We pushed the lever down, sprayed wd40, moved it back up…. many, many times… but it won’t go that last 1/8”. We have gotten it to where the headlight has moved out about 1/3 of an inch.

Arizona is HOT, DRY and DUSTY!!! We thought maybe there is sand/dirt compacted at the ‘top’ of wherever it is that we are moving up with that lever???

Are we missing something? (Of course we pushed in the little lock tab… it broke off)

Fri Oct 19, 2007 at 12.45 am

Jenny Kreuczunas

HI,
  I have a 2006 Volkswagon beetle conv. The headlights on this model are different and I suppose they will be the same on the 07’ and future models. As all of us VW owners know, Workin on these cars is a nightmare!!! The space is small but it can be done, and will save you $$$. Now back to the headlights… the 06’ has a lock on the side of the headlight. if you shine a flashlight you will see the lock and unlock icon, Turn it to the unlock position and listen for the light to come loose. Now comes the tricky partor at least the part that took us an hour to figure out. In addition to the lock that needs to be turned, You need to push on a little silver lever(flimsy feeling peice of metal) that is still holding the headlight, Push down and pull out the headlight. The lever feels flimsy as if its going to break but it wont and that is the key to getting the headlight out. The second hedlight came out as easy as butter once we figured out you gotta push the lever down and pull or push if you can get in there behind it. Hope this helps….

Mon Oct 29, 2007 at 09.50 pm

Larry

Great article. Can you tell me if the battery is accessble. It doesn’t look like it ha.

Sun Nov 4, 2007 at 07.56 pm

Jerry

Thanks for the directions; what you didn’t say is that instead of pushing the lever up, you have to pull it towards you to release the headlight assembly.

Mon Nov 5, 2007 at 09.07 pm

Jerry

We changed the headlight okay, but a few hours later it popped out again, perhaps because we didn’t latch it firmly.  This is on a 2003 New VW Beetle Turbo.  Can anyone suggest the right way to put the driver’s side headlight assembly back and get it to latch?

Tue Nov 6, 2007 at 09.23 am

Cindy

larrh7@aol.com sent this message:I bet you didn’t get all the dirt and grime cleaned out good on the rail and latch. It went back in but not far enough to completely latch. Try cleaning it out real good. You can see where it slides back in on what I call rails. Mine was real dirty and gritty.

Tue Nov 6, 2007 at 06.51 pm

linda

would you know where to find the
maf sensor on a 2001 vw beetle?

Fri Nov 9, 2007 at 03.44 pm

tom reko

Cindy , you are the best , you saved me hundreds of dollars. first I was told the bumper needed to come off to replace a headlight , then I was told the housings needed to be replaced , then I found your article and Voila , x did indeed mark the spot 20 min in and out new bulb. 14.00 spent, Fantastic. Thank you

Tue Nov 13, 2007 at 06.29 pm

nicole

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! this is probably the last place i would have thought to look for help on changing a headlight…but it is literally THE BEST RESOURCE out there! thanks again cindy…leave it to a woman to solve a problem! = )

Wed Nov 21, 2007 at 09.52 pm

Birto

Hi Cindy,
as you’re such an expert in lamp changing - i’m hoping you can help with reverse lamp replacement. My reverse lamp is situated in the bumper, and i’ve no idea how to access the innerds as it were! I have the bulbs from Halfords but haven’t a clue where to go from here…
any ideas would be really welcome…
thanks a million

Mon Dec 3, 2007 at 10.38 am

EC

Cindy,
Thanks for putting such great info up.
I manged the driver side but broke the passenger side (lever) and it still wouldn’t budge… any ideas on what to do to replace the lever or salvage the situation?
Thanks again for your great picts and directions!!  Keep up the great work.

Thu Dec 6, 2007 at 05.38 pm

lakeland linda

does anyone know how to change the little rectangle light in the back just below and off to the side of the brake lights?  Please help

Mon Dec 10, 2007 at 04.46 am

Will

Thanks for the tips…..I just helped a friend change the lamp in her bug. She was told that it was a 6 hour job at one of the local shops. Your advice was very accurate.

Thu Dec 20, 2007 at 04.13 am

Anguel

This is fellow friends called “Corporate America” - 80$ for 30secs of their time - MAGNIFIQUE will say someone - me i will say shame on them, shame on us for letting it go our majesty THE CONSUMMERS who are always F…. This is called slavery of the 21st century.Thank you Cindy.By the way on 2006 New Beetle and above, there is a metal bolt and a white painted locker picture with arrows showing the direction it must be turned to unlock the headlight unit.

Mon Dec 24, 2007 at 07.24 pm

Ralph

The lever must go up all the way. If it won’t, spray some lubricant such as WD40, wiggle, jiggle and push the assembly. Then push the lever up, it will go up a smidge. Keep doing the wiggle, jiggle, push, push thing. It could take a few minutes or a few hours. DO NOT force the lever as hard as you can, just keep going a little at a time. Mine just took 2 hours.

Sat Dec 29, 2007 at 01.24 am

Adam

I am still trying to replace the passenger side headlight. After pushing the plastic lever,in your directions you say to “Gently push the column (which i am assuming is the black outter shell?)forward.” I tried that but it feels like the Light casing is still attached to the column even after it is “loose”. Am i going to need to unscrew something?

Sat Jan 5, 2008 at 08.19 pm

Just bought used 2000 beetle

It worked; thanks for the Pics.
It required way more force to get the headlight housing out of the fender then I would have thought. Not to mention the force required to pull the lever up.  But after
3 days of frustration I just forced it & it worked w/ no breakage.

Tue Jan 8, 2008 at 11.57 pm

Carrie

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I do a lot of driving and have wasted so much money (up to $70 a light) replacing the headlights on my 02 Beetle multiple times a year.  Both of them finally burned out before I looked on the internet for some easy instructions.  Your directions and pictures worked like a charm - and I feel at least $100 richer!  Thanks, Cindy Li!

Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 12.05 am

Larry

Anyone out there having problems with the airbag light being on in the dashboard. My wife’s is on and a friend of hers had the same problem. She took her bug to the dealer and they charged her $500 and in a month it came back on. I am leary to pay that much and not have there fix last. If anyone has the problem and has had there repaired please let me know at larr7@aol.com . Thanks

Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 05.15 pm

Andrea

I have a 2005 beetle convertible and the drivers headlight is out. I printed out the instructions, popped open the hood - and realized my inside looks different! :( The battery seems to be blocking access. Do i have to *remove* the battery? This sounds scary to me, is it something that would be easy/safe? Please help if anyone else has experience with an 05!!!! Thanks!

Sat Jan 12, 2008 at 12.51 am

Jean

For the 2006 Beetles
FYI - The bulb for the 2006 is DIFFERENT than the 98-05 beetles
GE - H7 55w

I will start with the tools I used:

(Locking mechanism)
1/4” drive ratchet with a 10” extension and a 3/16” socket.
* A 3/16” bit driver will also work if the handle is long enough

(secondary locking mechanism)
wooden paint stir stick (freebie from your local hardware or paint store)

Passenger’s Side
This is the easiest of the two as there is not as much in your way of both locking mechanisms. If you shine a light towards the front of the bottom of the light housing inside the engine compartment you will see a small silver pin with a 3/16” head that has instructions on how to lock/unlock the primary locking mechanism printed on the black plastic above the pin. Turn the pin ONLY 1/2 a turn and take care as the pin should turn VERY EASILY. Now the light housing should be able to move slightly out of it’s seat, but it will not come more thant about 1” out of the front of the car. A secondary locking mechanism still holds it in place. If you look a little further back, about 3” - 4”, from the primary locking pin; behind a wrapped wire, a/c line, and the power steering resevoir; you will see a horizontal silver lever, about 3” - 4” in length, pointing towards the front of the car. Just simply hold this lever down about 1” to 2” and pull out the light housing at the same time. The entire housing should freely and easily come completely out of the front of the car. Take care removing it as there are no wires connected to it and it will fall to the floor if you are not holding on to it. Just open the back of the housing and replace the bulb that is out.

Driver’s Side
This is the most difficult one. The battery location is your enemy. In front of the battery, if you look with a flashlight, you will see the primary locking mechanism. It is the only silver looking pin there with a 3/16” head. It looks like the headlamp adjusters on other cars. There are instructions printed on the black plastic above it. You should ONLY turn this 1/2 a turn, and you will NOT need to put much effort into turning it as it should turn very easily. You are not done yet. The entire headlamp assembly should be able to pull out of the fender about 1” now, then it will stop as if something else is holding it. There is a secondary locking mechanism that is just a simple metal lever. If you look on the back of the battery, between the air filter housing and the battery, you should see the end of the small shiny silver lever. Just simply hold this lever down about 1” to 2” and pull out the light housing at the same time. The entire housing should freely and easily come completely out of the front of the car. Take care removing it as there are no wires connected to it and it will fall to the floor if you are not holding on to it. Just open the back of the housing and replace the bulb that is out.

Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 03.29 am

Andrew Merrill

My low beam headlight had gone out in Dec 07. I went to a nationally know car parts chain to buy a replacement bulb. The guy behind the counter asked me if I was going to change the light my self. I said “Of course, I’ve always done my own repairs”. He said “I’ve been a mechanic for over forty years, and that is the hardest headlight I’ve ever changed”. He said it would be over an hour of work, at the very least. So I bought the bulb and took it to a local garage. All told, spent around $20 - $30. This Friday, the other side went out, I went to the same car parts store, bought the same bulb, $8, and brought it home, since it was late. Saturday morning, while surfing the Internet, I stumbled across your website. The directions looked simple enough and the pictures were straight forward, I decided to change the bulb myself (with a bit of trepidation). Ten minutes later, I was back in the house, surfing the Net. The bulb change went flawlessly. The directions you gave were exactly what I encountered. Perfect. I “Thank you” a thousand times.

Sat Feb 16, 2008 at 07.28 pm

Adam Coale

Thanks for the diagram, i work at a carquest and this really helped us out

Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 02.00 am

Jorri

Thank you so much for these instructions!  My mechanic should be ashamed of himself for charging $70 to do what took me 10 minutes to do!!! Thanks to your awesome instructions of course!

Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 07.18 pm

Mr Fraine Fledderman

I just could not resist letting you know how appreciative I am I found your site. It saved my family money and time and for that THANKS!! But the purest joy of all is keeping VW dealerships from receiving any profit for this job. They were going to charge me 90.00. Giving me some BS about how dificult it would be and how I needed to be careful to not cause any further damage. BUT TU Shey right to the point and YA Altruism should be rewarded. THANKS CINDY

Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 10.07 pm

Tina

I also have a 2001 Beetle and bought the book you mentioned.  It has saved me countless dollars.  I’ve replaced both headlight bulbs several times as well as the foglight bulbs.  I also replaced my own cabin filter which was a pain, but considering the local dealership wanted $180 to do it and I did it for $20 it was worth it.  The dealership here asks $150 for changing a headlight bulb.  I wish someone near here would give a “How to care for your New Beetle” clinic.  The only problem I have encountered is getting the headlight to line up properly when replacing it.  This sometimes takes me 10 or 15 minutes before it will go back in correctly.  I have one that I can’t get the lever to go all the way back up.  I gave up and just left it.  Any suggestions?

Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 09.43 pm

Terri

This website was our little miracle however my boyfriend and I still had a very difficult time with the passenger side headlight this past weekend. Apparently so did my Bugs previous owner since the track was broken when we finally after much sweat got it out. That little puppy was in so tight it was unbelievable. Then getting it back in proved to be quite a challenge and it is still not great. The little arms or pegs that fit into the groves that secure the light would not line up. We wriggled and jiggled and finally got it in enough to make it work. We broke the waffle shaped square as well as the arm so now it looks like I am off to search for a whole new locking bracket. I think the Ideal of design is great but it sure needs some tweaking and maybe some sealing to keep all the dust and dirt from mucking up the works. My advice is patience. You’ll need it. And for the record my boyfriend has a saint’s patience.

Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 03.55 pm

Josie

You have no idea how thankful I am to have these instructions!! I LOVE my Beetle, but I absolutely hate the idea of having to go to the dealer for the smallest repairs. *ugh*
You’re the best, ever.

Sat May 3, 2008 at 11.10 pm

bruno

Hey….
Can’ deny it.
Great stuff, A friend of mine just asked me to replace her BULB. and (DIN DONG)... I found this PAGE.
Well… I was a litttle inpacient and made a small crack when removing the headlight.
But it worth it 1:30 minutes.
Go go go

Wed May 7, 2008 at 08.03 pm

stacy

Okay… if it was this easy then why have the five guys who have tried to help not been able to figure it out??? Have a 2005 Beetle with passengers side headlight out. Please help!

Wed May 28, 2008 at 07.14 pm

kevin

does anyone know how to replace a passenger side front fog lamp on a 2004 beetle convertible?

Fri Jun 6, 2008 at 09.23 pm

Ken

Kudos again,I recently purchased a used o3 Beetle and the passenger side low beam went out a few days ago. Found this site after a short search and followed the instructions above. 30 mins and
7 dollars later I saved myself a $94.00 diagnostic fee which the local VW dealer wanted just to tell me the bulb was bad. Thanks again.

Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 09.40 pm

belinda

Thank you so much for this information. i was about ready to trade my car in because of the cost of maintenance. you saved my lil green bean! thank you!

Tue Jul 1, 2008 at 03.37 am

Brittany

Thanks so much Saved me $40+! Although i found it pretty hard to get the light back in. I cleaned the case and everything out. But it felt a lot better then droping $dollars to have a bulb replaced! Thanks Again!! P.S. My turn signal bulb was so much easier!

Wed Jul 2, 2008 at 12.36 pm

capt'n sack

Thanks for help on headlite, one immediately blew after installing, found that metal clip connection to bulb was loose and probably arching.Squeezed connector with needle nose pliers onto bulb. No problems so far. VW dealers should be ashamed of the price they charge to do this simple task.

Fri Jul 4, 2008 at 08.37 pm

lisa

Does anyone know how to change the driver’s side headlight? It looks like the battery has to come out and I’m not sure what to disconnect to get it out.

Sat Jul 12, 2008 at 08.52 pm

Dennis Staropoli

Thank you Cindy…a great help. Another suggestion for loosening the handle when beginning…after soaking with WD-40, use a small hammer to tap lightly in the desired direction (up). This works better, and is less likely to break it vs. pulling harder and harder. As everyone has mentioned, wiggle it until it loosens, and then lubricate all the tracks afterwards.

Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 01.54 am

lester

these directions are awesome thanks alot they saved mke alot of headache trying to figure out how to replace them

Sat Jul 26, 2008 at 03.02 pm

Xenon Headlight Bulbs

I would certainly recommend that everyone changes their own light bulbs. It only takes a couple of minutes and it quite easily accomplished on my model cars. You simply need to look in your owners manual or you can find it online how to change your bulb. The beetle seems to be a bit more difficult to change than most cars which you do not have to complete remove the whole headlight.

Mon Aug 25, 2008 at 05.47 pm

Allen Feinberg

Hi! The instructions appear so good. I am retired and do not want to spend the money to pay someone to do something I should be able to do myself. My passenger’s low beam went out. I am really determined to fix this myself just alone for pride, plus I am fed up with VW dealers. Mine is a 2000 with 38,000 miles. I hardly drive it because of gasoline and the economy.  I purchased two H1 Sylvania bulbs from Advance Auto at $5.88 each. It is really hot ouside but when it cools down, maybe in the morning, I will try again.

Is there a button to push while trying to move the lever, like a criss-crossed square? And also, I assume trying to move the lever counter-clockwise? Is that correct? So push the criss-crossed area and move the lever counter-clockwise, plus the “jiggling” of the lever and the housing to get it to slide? So far, I can’t get the darned lever to budge. I refuse to give up though. It’s hot out and the engine is hot anyway so another day.

Any response will be welcomed. Great directions though. Thank you!

Mon Sep 22, 2008 at 04.44 pm

Tami

Thank you so much !  I was trying to find a dealer that wouldn’t charge me a lot to change a simple light bulb.  I decided to look to see if I could do it (was told the battery would have to be removed to change it) when I found your site.  The only problem was getting it back in.  We had a hard time, but after wiggling, pushing, pulling, etc. it snapped back in perfectly. 
Thanks !!

Fri Oct 3, 2008 at 03.21 pm

cheryl

The most important picture does not show where the lever is on the column.  I am not sure what the column you are talking about is.  Could you respond to that?

Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 09.18 am

Duncan McDine

Thank you very very much for the detailed and idiot-proof instructions. I just saved £40 from the rip-off merchants at VW (though I’m sure all dealers are the same).

Many thanks again. Duncan.

Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 05.47 pm

Geoffrey

Thanks Cindy - it worked like a charm - guys need pictures more than we need instructions - and saved countless buck; the day after the light was restored I sat opposite a cop at traffic lights and never trembled.
Huzzah

Wed Nov 12, 2008 at 05.22 pm

Dierdre

CINDY! My dealer was going to charge an arm and a leg and told me I couldn’t do it myself, HA! I followed your instructions & photos and they worked PERFECTLY. Six bucks. Take THAT dealer!

Thank you so much!

Wed Nov 19, 2008 at 01.55 am

Herb Turner

thanks, this was much easier than the first posting I found that said to take the headlight out.  I didn’t spray anything, I moved the lever and just pulled the thing out….I had to nudge it a bit, but it came…now back in and if it doesn’t fall out (ha-ha) it will be a total success!  thank you!!!

Sun Nov 30, 2008 at 12.15 am

gary gardner

Cindy,
Thanks so much.  I would have been able to change the headlight if it had not been for you.  I had to tap on the lever to get it up all the way so the headlight assembly would slide out.  I really don’t know what the manual is for.  It never said anything about removal. Again, thanks for your info.

Gary

Mon Dec 8, 2008 at 01.39 am

Kate Marshall

I wish I would have found this $8 ago (it would have been $30 if I took it to the dealership).  Most websites were telling me I had to remove the battery and the air filter and everything else under the hood, so after about 2 hours of putzing around and realizing I didn’t have the right tools I took it over to Farm and Fleet.  The guy that changed the bulb told me he removed the air filter and all that and then he found the “secret switch.”  He pointed this out to me next time I wouldn’t have to pay so much to fix it. 

Thanks for the posting.  And make sure that when you get your light bulb changed, it is not always common knowledge to not touch the glass on the bulb.  When the dealership replaced my bulb the first time, they touched the glass and BOOM a week later it had blown up from the oils in the skin.  They did not offer to replace it for free.

Thu Dec 11, 2008 at 10.23 pm

Andrea

I’m having trouble getting the lever to budge (step 1) in my 05 beetle convertible. Does anyone have an 05 convertible to confirm its the same as the pics? I’m afraid to break the lever by pushing too hard, its just not budging! :(

Tue Dec 16, 2008 at 06.50 pm

Paul King

I tried this and it eventually worked with some modifications, thought I would share my method.

I would raise the lever till it stopped, then take a flat screwdriver-like thing (you could probably use a rubber spatula) and pry the headlight out just a little bit from all corners.

Repeat, repeat, repeat until the headlight comes out.  Don’t use more than about 5 pounds of force on the lever at any time, the prying of the headlight was what got it out for me.

After getting the headlight out I noticed the rails looked like sludge.  Cleaned those out, sprayed them down with a wd-40 like substance, put the headlight back in and viola.

Best price I could find for a mechanic around here was $45 to touch it for 30 minutes.

Thu Jan 8, 2009 at 04.43 pm

Jill

Thank you Cindy!!!

Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 12.51 am

melissa

I am trying to remove the airbags.  I dont know where the airbag module is located and airbag sensors?  can you help me find these?

Sat Jan 24, 2009 at 07.21 pm

Revery Rountree

Cindy,

Thank you very much for the head light information. I thought I was going to have to take it to the VW mechanic to fix it. I am a single parent and pretty much do everything myself. It saved me money and I was able to do it with no problem. Thanks again.  Sincerely,  Revery

Sun Feb 1, 2009 at 08.05 pm

Charles

Cindy,

I am so happy to see that you are still checking these posts as I want to thank you SO MUCH!  Let me start by saying that I am a guy and consider myself to be mechanically savvy.  I do extensive work on ATVs and often change the lights and perform other routine maintenance on my Chevy truck.  But, when my girlfriend’s lights on her bug went out, I took one look at the casing and assumed it would be more work that I wanted to get involved with.  I then made the mistake of seeking advice from a mechanic at Firestone (crooks!) who ensured me that it was very complicated and expensive.  I took him for his word and paid just over $50/light.  I did this several times before finally finding your post.  Now to the root of my post…THANK YOU!!!  I can’t believe how easy it was.  I feel like such a doofus!  Thanks again…you’re brilliant.

Charles

Wed Mar 11, 2009 at 05.20 am

Tim Murphy

Cindy, Thanks so much for your help and for taking the time u did to post pictures, i don’t think u know how many other humans u have helped!!  It took me much longer than 5 minutes, (probably 20 to 30 minutes actual time, but more when i had to walk away and fret ahahh)  but Garden Grove VW quoted me $75.00 if only the bulb was bad and that bit me the wrong way.  The bulb cost me $5.99 plus tax (pep boys)  a Sylvania H1 55 watt, they had a better bulb but only sold it in a two pack for $40.00.  I had trouble getting it out, the lever was stuck (i have a 2002 Turbo Sport Beetle) and it’s the first time i can remember changing the bulb.  i sprayed some wd40 3 different times at various stages to get things moving.  Took me a few minutes too to figure out how to undo the clamp that holds the bulb in. If anyone else runs across this look at the wire, you have to move it a bit to the right to unlock it.  Also another tough spot for me was reinstalling it.  The last inch or so it just wouldn’t seat properly. i would pushing it in, it walk away from it more than once, even sprayed some wd40 to try and smooth things out. I evened took a q-tip to clean out the bar that the lever moves at it had some grit stuck underneath it.  just when i was about to give up,  i applied just enough pressure while sort of wiggling it and it finally seated just right.  One thing u need to know when u put it (the headlight assembly)  back in is there are 3 tracks it fits into. u need to line up the bottom first and then the left and right fall into place.  Before u install it look at the lever that u push.. it has to be where u left it when u took it out.  there are 2 things on the back of the headlight assembly that fit into the ring that the lever moves.  sort of tricky, sounds more complicated than it is, but the main thing is to go slow and not use too much force, u just have to work it. If you live in the orange county area and need help i’ll be glad to assist you as i want to pass on the good deed that the original poster did when they posted this.  murphsbooks@yahoo.com thanks Cindy u rock!!!!!

Thu Mar 12, 2009 at 02.52 pm

Don

2002 beetle, lever is behind fuel filter, hard to see and reach. there is a locking tab to front side of lever that has to be depressed before lever will lift. Lever will break off if tab not depressed, I KNOW AS FACT! Not sure what all will have to be replaced now, if I can still get headlight out! Saved job for another day to prepare for all day job! TAB MUST BE DEPRESSED!!!

Mon May 4, 2009 at 01.59 pm

Matilda

Your instructions are the BEST on the web. Thank You, Thank You and Thank You
Matilda

Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 12.17 pm

Mark Travis

Thank you, Cindy.  The best part of your instructions are the photos.  In particular, that showing the headlight assembly release mechanism.  I found written instructions elsewhere online to be insufficient to help me find that item.

Thu Jun 25, 2009 at 04.38 pm

erwin

My left headlight ‘catch’ ring was broken and jammed. I had to remove the battery to make room for working, but still I could not release it.  I had to cut up the ‘can’ to finally pop out the headlight. To remove the rear torx screw I had to remove the fender liner. A new can and ‘catch’ ring $100 and I could not push the headlight all of the way in.  A piece of plastic from the ‘catch’ ring was stopping the headlight from seating correctly. I pryed this up with my left hand and pushed on the headlight. It then popped in very easily and I locked the ring in place. All this for a $3 light bulb.

Wed Jul 15, 2009 at 02.25 am

sidney

thanks so much these instructions helped so much i was done in 15 minutes :)

Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 05.33 am

Kern

Thanks instructions very good could not have done it without help.  But be careful Don is right TAB MUST BE DEPRESSED in a 2002 beetle or lever can not be moved.  It will break.  There is a locking tab on front side of lever that has to be depressed before lever will lift (rotate). Just changed my light and rotating that locking ring is the hardest part both to release and lock back in. Had to use a lot of WD40 to loosen up the mechanism before it would move. Then had to use a screw driver for leverage.  Before replacing light casing had to use a lot more WD40 on the entire ring that rotates.  It was full of grit and would not rotate back to the locked position.

Sun Jul 26, 2009 at 01.23 pm

stephanie

my alarm system sometimes for no reason, do you have any idea why this is happening?

Mon Aug 17, 2009 at 05.39 pm

tim

I had followed these very helpful instructions a year ago to replace
one low-beam bulb on a 2003 beetle and had few problems.  Today I did
the other size and had a devil of a time getting the headlight unit
back in place.

I was very careful to have all three rails lined up, the collar was
sliding freely, but could never get the headlight assembly to slip
into place.  After several hours of fiddling, WD40, jiggling,
thinking, and cursing, I went back through all of the comments and found
one that helped me to solve my problem.

The sliding part of the collar is held in place by plastic guides.  One
end, the one where the lever is attached, was outside of it’s plastic
glide. I was easily able to flex it and snap it back into place behind
the guide.  The headlight then went in with no problems.

Mon Sep 28, 2009 at 11.32 pm

Bobby & Steph

Thanks for the awesome instructions and pics! My girlfriend’s 99 beetle needed the passenger headlight bulb changed and these made it a breeze. You saved us $50. Good Karma is on its way to you!

Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 03.13 am

Gary Johnson

Thank you so much!  it was a snap, The toughest part was sliding over the plastic clip. I used wd40 to marinate the dirt.  Thanks for your knowledge!!! Gary J

Thu Oct 29, 2009 at 02.26 am

Yaniv

Thanks!
I fixed the driver’s side (side of the battery) which was a bit harder.

Mon Nov 9, 2009 at 01.54 am

Joy Frye

You are seriously my angel!!  You saved me tons of money plus two A’s in my classes because I have two quizzes due by midnight plus a two hour drive back to Pensacola… which was almost postponed til morning becaues of my light!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

Fri Dec 4, 2009 at 07.36 pm

Jinjer Hundley

I was prepared to follow your fabulous instructions if I had to, but luckily my mechanic replaced the passenger side headlight for $21.00. Took him less than five minutes.

I highly recommend Paul’s Automotive on Van Nuys Blvd just south of Magnolia in Sherman Oaks. They are the best!!!!! I’ve been going to them since 1996, first with my Honda, now with my 2005 New Beetle.

Wed Jan 13, 2010 at 01.57 am

jamie

Thanks! It worked like a charm! The pictures really helped!

Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 10.23 pm

Angela

Your site is fantastic—but my boyfriend and I just couldn’t get the headlight out.  We spent nearly 2 hours doing it and it simply wouldn’t budge.  We checked to make sure the lever was all the way up—and we’re quite certain it is.  We’ll likely end up at the mechanic.  Is there something we should do to make sure it’ll be easier for us the next time? Thanks!

Mon Feb 8, 2010 at 11.08 pm

osita

We cannot get the headlight back into the car to have a snug fit.  We’ve used wd40 on the tracks and guides and the collar.  When the headlight is not in the collar slides around smoothly and the lever goes up and down but once we put the headlight back in we cannot get the lever all the way down and the headlight does not have a snug fit.  The lever needs about one fourth inch to be all the way down.  Does any one have any suggestions?  Can we drive it like this?

Sat Mar 6, 2010 at 04.43 pm

paul litteldale

Fantastic post, you saved the day, cash and time.

Sat Mar 13, 2010 at 03.37 am

Eric Haven

Thank you Cindy for posting those pictures! It made ALL of the difference! ;-)  I just went out to replace the headlight on my father-in-laws 2003 Beetle, and it took us about 20 minutes to do. TO ANYONE HAVING TROUBLE PULLING OUT OR PUTTING BACK IN THE LIGHT HOUSING - PLEASE, look for the little release button (it’s a little vertical rectangle marked with an X pattern right next to the lever) and hold it down/in as you pull the lever down. If this button is not all the way in, you could break the plastic lever right off. Once you get the light housing out, you will want to hit the locking ring track that the lever controls with WD-40 to get it loosened up. This lever must be all the way UP when you slide the light assembly back in, otherwise the light won’t seat properly, and the lever won’t lock all the way back down. Ours had quite a bit of dust in the track, and it really hampered the locking ring’s travel until we used the WD-40. You will also want to clean out the three mounting tracks that the light assembly sits in. All-in-all, the job was a bit of a struggle, but definitely worth it considering our local shop wanted $120 to do the job.

Fri Mar 26, 2010 at 05.30 pm

Rick

Since you will probably have to do this again at some distant point in the future, I suggest that after you have finished replacement efforts, you get the brightest, cheapest red nail polish you can find, and paint the lever tips.  Then next time you have to do this, you’ll be able to find the levers in a hurry, even in sub-optimal lighting conditions.

Rick

Sat Apr 3, 2010 at 09.46 pm

Crystal

I got the headlight to come loose but it won’t come out. Do i just yank the thing out or do is ther something I need to press??

Thu Apr 22, 2010 at 01.51 am

osita

My husband and I were able to change the lightbulb following the directions but we could not put the headlight back in. We ended up taking it to the dealership in April and paying $77.  They said that the headlight on the side of the battery was the harder side to change.  They take out the battery to change the bulb.

Sun Apr 25, 2010 at 08.34 pm

Dan Thomas

Cindi
Thank you very much. Nearly cussed myself to death before finding your web site. Your information and pictures were a great help.

One addition that might help others; the headlight lever on my wife’s 2005 Beetle would not move, no matter what I did.  I noticed a small “tab or button” right beside the lever. I sprayed it with penetrating oil and pushed it in ever so gently while pulling on the headlight lever at the same time. The lever was then very easy to pull up. The “small tab or button” must be a lock or release of some kind.

Replaced the bulb, put gobs of vaseline on the tracks, reinstalled the assembly and easily pushed the lever back down to the lock position.

Thank you very much for you help.

Tue May 4, 2010 at 01.15 am

Shaina

I just changed my 2005 beetle convertible headlight out on the passenger side. It was still a little tricky but I NEVER would have figured it out with out the pictures you posted!! AWESOME! Thank God for the internet!! The only thing is, I don’t know what i’m gonna do if the other side goes out bc there is something blocking from getting to that casing. Don’t know what it is, I JUST got this car two days ago. Definitely book marking this page!!

Mon May 10, 2010 at 12.25 am

Michael

Okay, I’m stupid.

First, I’m in the US. Americans need to take that into consideration when reading about “Driver” and “Passenger” side.

Also, I was squinting at the photos trying to figure them out. Then I realized when you click on them, not only do they enlarge (I DID know that) but also the tips appear on the screen. I kept reading how easy the pix made it and thinking, “it’s not THAT easy.”

Thanks so much, but I do have a question. On the AMERICAN drivers side, my gray lever was gone. I pushed on the diamond pattern tab and it easily broke off.

Any suggestions on how to proceed?

Thanks!

Tue May 25, 2010 at 12.28 am

Rob

awesome and detailed instructions wish i would have found them before I tried. Cause in the process I managed to break my catch bracket (release lever).
would anyone happen to know what that part number is I own a 2003. any help would be appreciated….

Thu Jun 3, 2010 at 06.28 pm

TERESA L. AGUISANDA

Hi Cindy, I found your website, but not sure if there are two different bulbs for low beam and high beam bulbs, I just hand bulbs replaced in October 2009 at a cost of $62.00 for both, but now the low beams are both out again, the high beams work, I also heard that bulbs need to be greased??? Thanks for your help.

Wed Jul 14, 2010 at 10.42 pm

Louis

THANKS SOOOOOOOO much for this.  I used this for my wife’s 2005 Beetle and was done in about 10 minutes.  I’m a guy that follows written instructions well, and this was simply perfect.

Fri Jul 23, 2010 at 01.15 pm

Neil

THANK YOU, Cindy! Your instructions are more clear than any of those I’d found that read like the Manhattan Project to my non-mechanically-inclined eyes. Following yours worked like a charm! I did the whole thing in 15 minutes! Bless you! and thank you SO MUCH for taking the time you did!

Thu Aug 26, 2010 at 01.59 pm

Da Nang

Thanks for sharing your experience. The pictures make things easier.

Sat Sep 18, 2010 at 12.59 pm

kevin ryan

just replaced bulb, great instructions, was easy, some people might think the lever is stuck and may be worried about breaking it. a set of grips will help if smal enough, spray on some lubricant(wd40) night before trying and then in the whole compartment to help ease it back in.

Sun Oct 31, 2010 at 06.25 pm

Dave

Tried to replace my moms lamp today, there is something binding on the bottom of the housing, I don’t have time right now to remove most of the front end to get to whatever is binding.

BUT she had a lamp replaced by Capistrano VW awhile back and I noticed they managed to completely break the retention tab.

For anyone who can’t do this themselves inspect the housing and the receiver under the hood if you pay to have it done, if it was recent I would have gone back to Capo and told them to replace the receiver.

Sat Nov 6, 2010 at 04.18 pm

JOHN

THANK YOU!  I own a 1999 New Beetle.  I followed your instructions as best I could, I’m 59 years old and haven’t even changed my oil over the past 20 years as I left that to my kids.  What I couldn’t understand at first was that even though you showed (in pictures) the hole where the can that holds the headlights gets pulled out…right through the front of the car…I couldn’t quite grasp the concept.  That was until I began pushing in that “secret” tab and then lifted the lever on the driver’s side, adjacent to the battery and with a little bit of help from my wife ...we both grasped the rim of the can while wiggling it a tiny bit from side to side and then we pulled it straight out thru the front panel.  Concept grasped and solved.  I brought the can back into the house and followed your instructions and changed the low beam light bulb.  I then lubed up that rotating ring with WD40 and also the lever…up & down, up & down until it moved freely.  After replacing the bulb as shown and connecting back the electrical cable I aligned the gray-colored plastic guides on the can with the metal guides where the can is placed back into the hole.  I gave the headlight can a shove back into the hole with a little bit of torque from my right knee.  I slid that lever back down until it seemed to have snapped back into place and wouldn’t go back upwards.  I used a 4 or 5 inch medium phillips screwdriver to push into that “secret” little tab that was holding the lever in place.    Thank you for this site.  Danged…you sure saved me a good $70 to $120 in service costs.  Also the low beam bulb I bought from NAPA Auto Parts only cost me $6.99 plus sales tax.  What a bargain.
If the high beam blows out or any of the passengers side bulbs blow out…I’ll know exactly what to do.  Total time spent…about 10 to 15 minutes.  Time spent typing this…maybe 30 minutes…I’m a crummy typist.  Can’t thank you enough.  Best Wishes!

Sat Jan 8, 2011 at 12.40 am

Erica

Tomorrow I am going to help a friend replace one of her headlights.  I am hoping that it goes as well for me as it has for the majority of the posts here.  I have to laugh….VW has lost thousands of dollars in business due to the idiotic design of their headlights and the price that they want to charge to replace them.  And the fact that they have to be replaced so often is quite curious too.  I’ll never own a VW.  Thanks Cindy!!

Mon Feb 14, 2011 at 08.57 pm

Bella

Okay these were the easiest to follow directions on how to change that light bulb! I was very intimidated at first because of what I have heard from others! BUT WAYYYYY EASY, following your directions! I’ve read other directions and none were as clear and easy to follow! Thank you very much for posting this!! Whoop!

Wed Mar 2, 2011 at 04.25 pm

Janice

I have lost my job and have trouble with a headlight which I paid $250 to replace from a foreign car repair place going out after only 3 years.My engineering student son found your website by googling to see if he could help me out…he said I was definitely taken…but this time my wonderful son will do it for me free!The foreign car place said they had to remove all kinds of parts from under the hood to replace the light…what a shame that car repair places such as this still rip women off the way they do…

Sun May 8, 2011 at 01.30 pm

Steve

I have replaced the low beems on my wifes ‘99 about 8-9 times each side in the last 2-3 years (no, i did not touch the glass). I dont know why they keep burning out. I think it is a bad design and should be recalled! the bulb itself is not a proper headlight bulb, it should never have been used as one. Also, the whole damn assembly is an ugly mess of levers, buttons, sliders, spring clamps, locating pins, and tight spaces. I have asked two VW mechanics what they think and have been told “thats just the way it is”. I just saw the car pull into the driveway with a light out that I changed 2 days ago. I thought it may be moisture getting in there but there is no signs of that. I would have expected more from German engineering !!! Any tips or ideas?

Thu Jun 2, 2011 at 09.57 pm

Les

Thank you so much for the how to, I rarely leave feedback but you were so helpful I just had to say thank you. I was dreading a trip to the dealership for a simple headlight change that I figured someone out there dreaded it just as much as I did. Simple took me less than 5 minutes with your help and saved me $$$ which during times like these every dollar counts.

Sat Jul 30, 2011 at 08.54 pm

Christi

WOW The pictures show it all, Thank you from a Thankfull old man, and that he has a blonde that has computer access and is willing to show him up…..
Your website showed the secrets that the vw dealewrship wants kept quite, Thanks for sharing

Fri Sep 2, 2011 at 09.50 pm

Tom Gordon

Thanks, Cindy! Your instructions and photos helped immensely!

Fri Oct 28, 2011 at 05.26 pm

Kathleen

AWESOME!! After being charged $20 to replace a license plate bulb that I probably could have done myself, I headed to the internet when I was told I needed a low beam on my 2003 Turbo Beetle replaced. He quoted me $50 plus another $20 for the bulb, but couldn’t get one on the day I was there - LUCKY ME!! Since mine was on the driver’s side I had the battery and the air filter to work around, but with some help from a co-worker WE DID IT!! $8 for the bulb and it’s in and working. Took a bit of work to get it in so that the ‘tab’ locked the lever - good old WD40 did the trick! THANK YOU.

Mon Nov 21, 2011 at 03.22 am

Don

Low beam headlight bulb on 2004 Beetle was burned out. VW quote was @ $300 as $75 for bulb, $80 for labor,and #178 for wiring harness. I told dealer oil change was all I needed, my 1964 Ford F100 pickup had the original wiring so VW had a manufacturing problem, and got out. My wife bought an $8 halogen and we pulled the headlight and replaced. However, the locking mechanism was stuck in the locked position. Removed and found an imperfect molding deposit preventing locking of the headlight; obviously it was just crammed into the fender. After remanufacturing by filing, razor cutting, and application of silicaon grease, the locking mechanism locked the headlight in the fender. Now I just have to fix the broken handle on the glove box so I can put my screwdriver I use to open the glove box back into my tool box. I drive a Ford truck to work; we just bought the VW as a fun car for our anniversary. Hope this alerts others to potential problem on replacing bulb and securing headlight into the fender.