How to replace a brake light / taillight bulb on a new Volkswagen Beetle w/ pictures

The internet needs better instructions for do-it-yourself auto-maintenance. I shall help. Here's a simple picture tutorial on how to replace a brake light bulb on a new Volkswagen Beetle (the pictures are a 2001 model but should be similar to most of the newer Beetles).

If you look in your Volkswagen owners manuel for instructions on replacing various bulbs in the vehicle, you will find one short paragraph telling you to take your car to an authorized Volkswagen repair shop. Yeah, Volkswagen isn't helping you out much. Most of us however, are perfectly capable of doing this on our own. All you will need is a flat head screwdriver and a replacement bulb (bulb type can be easily looked up at an auto-part store. A pack of 2 is around 4 dollars).

1. Inside your trunk/hatch directly behind the tail light is a small round cover (A) which allows access to the taillight. This panel has a small notch which allows it to be popped off using a screwdriver (might require some force).

2. Behind this cover is the bolt which holds the taillight casing tight. Unscrew the nut (B) completely to release it.

3. Now the taillight cover needs to be popped off. It is held in place by 2 metal tabs (C & D). [NOTE: Figure 3 was taken after the light has been popped off -- these tabs will NOT be visible.] Insert your screwdriver under the weatherproofing at the upper tab (C) -- as you can see in figure 3, this is located where the seam in the body is. Use a good amount of force to pry the cover away.

4. Locate the bulb which needs to be replaced. Exact positioning will vary by model year. In figure 4 you can see the turn signal bulb (E), the brake light bulb (F), and the screw that you released in step 2 (G).

5. Grab the bulb attachment firmly and rotate 1/4 turn to pull it out. Replace bulb.

Now just do the reverse of steps 1 - 5 and you're finished :) Total cost of doing it yourself: $4.00

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Matt says "ha ha ha, did she finally get her dang lights fixed"

I say "rock on, you, rock on"

12:08 AM  
Blogger Karen said...

Tell Matt COMING SOON: How to replace a back-up light and how to replace a headlamp.

10:03 AM  
Blogger protomech said...

Good work :)

10:26 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nice post. These would be a great help to car owners especially those who have little technical know how on car parts. Hope to see more posts about Volkswagen engine parts.

12:50 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home





Powered by Blogger


eXTReMe Tracker