Volkswagen New Beetle Headlight Bulb Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

Time Required

                          15 minutes

Sections

Headlight Bulb
6 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Headlight Bulb

Before you decide to change a burnt-out bulb, make sure it’s not the blown fuse that keeps you in the dark. You will need to open the fuse block cover that is located on the left hand side of the dashboard. Use a thin flat object, such as a flat head screwdriver or a key to pop open the cover.
Under the cover you will see a number of multicoloured fuses.
Use the reference card and the white plastic tweezers attached to the back of the fuse cover to locate and pull out fuses responsible for headlight bulbs. Fuses 18 and 19 are for high beam bulbs; 20 and 21 - for low beam; 22 and 23 - for parking lights. Pull fuses one by one so as not to mix them up.
Fuse body is semi-transparent. Look at it from the side to see if the fuse is good.

Before you decide to change a burnt-out bulb, make sure it’s not the blown fuse that keeps you in the dark. You will need to open the fuse block cover that is located on the left hand side of the dashboard. Use a thin flat object, such as a flat head screwdriver or a key to pop open the cover.

Under the cover you will see a number of multicoloured fuses.

Use the reference card and the white plastic tweezers attached to the back of the fuse cover to locate and pull out fuses responsible for headlight bulbs. Fuses 18 and 19 are for high beam bulbs; 20 and 21 - for low beam; 22 and 23 - for parking lights. Pull fuses one by one so as not to mix them up.

Fuse body is semi-transparent. Look at it from the side to see if the fuse is good.

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Step 2

You have verified that all fuses are OK, and it must be the bulb that has burned out. To replace a bulb you will need to remove the entire headlight assembly by sliding it out of its housing in the fender.
First, unlock the hood by pulling the handle located on the left hand side of the driver’s foot well.
Then open the hood by pulling the plastic tab toward you and lifting the hood.
The headlight assembly on the passenger side can be easily found, while on the driver side it hides beneath the battery. It may be useful to remove the battery cover - this will provide a little more ‘viewing’ and a bit more ‘maneuvering’.

You have verified that all fuses are OK, and it must be the bulb that has burned out. To replace a bulb you will need to remove the entire headlight assembly by sliding it out of its housing in the fender.

First, unlock the hood by pulling the handle located on the left hand side of the driver’s foot well.

Then open the hood by pulling the plastic tab toward you and lifting the hood.

The headlight assembly on the passenger side can be easily found, while on the driver side it hides beneath the battery. It may be useful to remove the battery cover - this will provide a little more ‘viewing’ and a bit more ‘maneuvering’.

Step 3

To remove the headlight assembly, first use the 5mm nut driver to turn the locking nut 1/4* of a turn in the indicated direction. On the passenger side the nut is clearly visible; turn it clockwise.
On the driver side you will need to reach between the battery and the car body, using a nut driver with a long handle, to turn the nut counterclockwise.
- Try not to turn the locking nut more than 1/4 turn. Doing so may rotate it back into a locking position.

To remove the headlight assembly, first use the 5mm nut driver to turn the locking nut 1/4* of a turn in the indicated direction. On the passenger side the nut is clearly visible; turn it clockwise.

On the driver side you will need to reach between the battery and the car body, using a nut driver with a long handle, to turn the nut counterclockwise.

Try not to turn the locking nut more than 1/4 turn. Doing so may rotate it back into a locking position.

Step 4

Once the headlight assembly is unlocked, press down on the bright locking lever - it is visible when looking straight down from above the headlight.
On the driver side only a portion of the locking lever is visible between the battery and the air box, but you can still reach it with a screwdriver that has a long handle.
While pressing down on the locking lever, push the headlight assembly forward and out of its housing. Careful - it may take a hard push and it might lurch out suddenly.

Once the headlight assembly is unlocked, press down on the bright locking lever - it is visible when looking straight down from above the headlight.

On the driver side only a portion of the locking lever is visible between the battery and the air box, but you can still reach it with a screwdriver that has a long handle.

While pressing down on the locking lever, push the headlight assembly forward and out of its housing. Careful - it may take a hard push and it might lurch out suddenly.

Step 5

Locate the bulb cover at the back of the assembly. Unclip and open the cover to expose bulbs.
Remove the electrical connector and pull out the bulb that you want to replace. The low beam bulb is held in place with a clip. Other bulbs are held by friction; use pliers to gently pull them out.
Put in the replacement bulb and reattach the connector. Do not touch the bulb glass with your bare hands – oils from your fingers will remain on the glass and cause it to crack when it heats after turning the lights on.
Replace the bulb cover.

Locate the bulb cover at the back of the assembly. Unclip and open the cover to expose bulbs.

Remove the electrical connector and pull out the bulb that you want to replace. The low beam bulb is held in place with a clip. Other bulbs are held by friction; use pliers to gently pull them out.

Put in the replacement bulb and reattach the connector. Do not touch the bulb glass with your bare hands – oils from your fingers will remain on the glass and cause it to crack when it heats after turning the lights on.

Replace the bulb cover.

Step 6

When inserting the headlight assembly back into the housing, make sure that the housing locator guides fit into the catches on both sides of the assembly.
Push the assembly into the housing until you hear it click into place.
Again use the 5mm nut driver to turn the locking nut that locks the assembly in its housing.
Turn on the ignition and check that the new bulb works. Close the hood.

When inserting the headlight assembly back into the housing, make sure that the housing locator guides fit into the catches on both sides of the assembly.

Push the assembly into the housing until you hear it click into place.

Again use the 5mm nut driver to turn the locking nut that locks the assembly in its housing.

Turn on the ignition and check that the new bulb works. Close the hood.

After the reassembly, make sure you turn the locking mechanism in the indicated direction to lock the headlight assembly in place, otherwise there may be poor electrical contact and the lights may not work.

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                                                                                      52 other people completed this guide.

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                                      with 8 other contributors

                    Nick Ivanov

Member since: 10/09/2011

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mp4surf - Aug 25, 2012

Thanks so much for that photo of the lever itself. Wish I’d seen your photo first – would have saved 30 minutes of cursing :)

Fred Flintstone - Oct 18, 2013

First part of step 6 is ESSENTIAL. Be warned that the assembly will slip easily into position without the locator guides being inside the catches on the unit, and the locking lever will click into place, but the locking nut will not tighten it into position. Don’t ask me how many times I repeated this before I did it properly because I will lie!

juliejanus - Mar 23, 2017

I never heard a “click”; however, I lock the hex nut ok. So the light works but seems like the car hits a bump and the light jumps out of the connector enough to stop working. Any thoughts?

David - Oct 29, 2013

Extremely helpful. NOBODY would ever figure this out on their own!! Thanks!!

Marcy - Mar 9, 2015

Seriously! Im an engineer and I was fighting with the headlight wondering why I couldn’t loosen the latch to get it out. I apparently turned it more than 1/4. I feel like this was a bad design…

Member-Contributed Guide#

Introduction#

What you need#

Member-Contributed Guide

Introduction

What you need