How To: Replacing a Tail Light Bulb
March 11, 2006 – 5:41 pm by Dan Volkens
Filed under Featured, How-Tos
Replacing a burnt out tail light bulb is very straightforward and simple. The hard part is knowing when one has burned out! Make a regular habit to check all of the exterior lights on your car and you’ll catch those dead bulbs as soon as possible. It just might help you avoid a frendly ($$) reminder from your local authorities. ;)
Step 1 of 4
Today, we will be replacing the tail light bulb on the driver’s side. Open up your hatch/trunk. On the left side of the trunk, you will find a small door that hides the Monsoon amp (if installed). Turn the two clamps (circled in red) on the door to open it:
Step 2 of 4
With the door open, you now have access to the tray that holds all of the tail light bulbs. There are two tabs on each side of the tray that secure it to the tail light. Carefully reach inside of the tail light and lightly squeeze on the outside of each tab, releasing the tray from the tail light.
Step 3 of 4
The bulb that we are replacing is circled in red in the photo below. To remove it, first rotate it counterclockwise to release it from the tray. Then carefully remove that lil’ bugger. Notice the burntage circled in the dead bulb closeup.
Step 4 of 4
To insert the new bulb, simply reverse the previous steps. For your reference, the model number for this bulb is 5008 (or R10W) and make sure that it is single contact. Congratulations, you’re done! Now that was easy, wasn’t it?
How To: Replacing a Tail Light Bulb
March 11, 2006 – 5:41 pm by Dan Volkens
WOW, my I just say that this was probobly the easiest thing I could have done myself! Thanks to my friend at the Local AutoZone for helping me find my bulbs with ease. It literally took about a minute to replace this. Now I won’t get pulled over for having a tail light out! Thanks!
Hey Jamie, glad the guide came in handy for you. :]
Awesome instructions and pictures. Thanks for posting! Saved me a ton of time and money :c)
Hey Dax, great tips - thanks. Any idea how to replace a rear bulb on a 2004 Passat Wagon?
thx John
Hey John, what year is your Passat? I think there is a slight difference between the B5, B5.5, and the new B6 generations. B5 is ‘96-’99, B5.5 was that minor facelift that occured in ‘00 - ‘05. The B6 is the newest Passat available.
These instructions are great. Isn’t tinternet great! Where would you recommend me buying the replacement bulbs from? Is there anywhere online?
Hey Johnny, thanks. Glad they’re coming in handy. You can find these bulbs at most of your local autoparts shops, like Autozone, Advance Autoparts, Napa, etc. Those are the ones in my area at least. Yours may differ.
I haven’t looked into purchasing online, mainly because of having to pay shipping and the inconvenience of waiting for it to arrive versus hopping over to my local shop and picking them up.
Be double sure that you pick up the correct bulb format/size for your application.
Thanks for the great blog post - been looking all over for this. Nice one. Nice motor too!
Ahhhh…..YES!!!!!! No longer dependent on the time-stealing money stripping condescending dealer………I Googled “replacing a bulb on a 2004 GTI” and I get a detailed description COMPLETE WITH PHOTO INSTRUCTIONS…….yesssssssssssss…. HURRAY!!!
I already have the bulb in hand and am ready to run off to the auto store for replacement! No apt. necessary! I’m proud of myself….saved time and money and am TOTALLY grateful to you for providing the SUPER DUPER info.! Thanks….(call ahead to make sure they carry the bulb!)
I have a 2003 Passat sadan and I need to replace the break light bulb on the driver’s side. These is an emergency storage area that is in the way to change the break lights. Any suggestions?
Hmm, not sure Steven. Is that emergency kit removable in any way, like by unscrewing etc.?
Dax,
Your instructions are very well documented and great photos. I have a 2004 Jetta with a burnt out reverse light, is they installation similar to the GTI you described?
Thanks
-Ed
Hey Ed, thanks. Yes, that bulb should be found on the bulb tray as well, so installation should be just about the same, though I don’t have my factory manual handy at the moment so I can’t tell you which exact bulb it is. Sorry! :] Let me know how it goes.
Hi Dax,
My ‘03 Jetta TDI Wagon needs a new tail light/brake light on the driver’s side. Any tips on removing the plastic CD changer slot that happens to be totally in the way of accessing the light panel on that side? It would make life sooo much easier with that out of the way since I don’t use it anyhow.
Thanks so much for this info.
Leslie
Hey Leslie, you should be able to remove the changer slot temporarily while you make the bulb change. There will be five 10mm bolts that hold the changer slot to the body of the car.
One major word of caution: when bolting the changer slot back on, be VERY careful of how much you tighten each bolt. If you tighten one too far, it can push against the body panel and create an outward dent on the outside of the panel which is pretty difficult to fix.
I hope that gives you some direction! :]
I just tried to do this with my 2002 Passat Wagon .. it is the driver’s side bulb. I found a couple of tabs similar to the tray tabs. The one next to tailgate seemed to move a fraction of an inch, but the one on the outer side did not move at all. Has anyone got a how to guide to replace a tail light on the Passat Wagon .. I am somewhat desperate, but long way from friendly expensive dealer since the Berkeley one closed a few months ago.
Hi Roger, I’m sorry I don’t have any experience with the Passat Wagon taillights. They do differ a bit in design, so it’s very possible that the bulb tray removal is slightly different. Have you found anything else out since your post?
I am trying to replace a headlight bulb in a 2003 passat,but i just cant seem to get the old bulb out
Any suggestions
Hey Dermot, have you gotten to the point where you have removed the plastic cover from off the back of the headlight? If so, you will need to reach in there, turn the bulb so that it unlocks from its position, and then simply remove the bulb.
Now, a couple things may come into play that differ from my GTI headlights. First, do you have the HID Xenon headlights? If so, the removal process may be different. Also, Passat headlights in general may be slightly different in bulb removal versus the GTI, but I would assume all is the same basic principle.
Let me know where you are in the process, and I might be able to offer more insight. :]
This is great information! Thank you!
If the tail light on the passenger side needs to be replaced, is it the same instructions?
Hi Amy, yep, it should be virtually identical. You won’t have to worry about the stereo amp on that side. Apart from that, it should work out just about the same.
Thanks for the quick reply!
Hi. I own a 2003 VW 1.8t wolfsburg and i dont know how to replace the front headlight bulbs. supposedly i need to remove the battery?! HELP this is out of my comfort zone (so is 50$ at the dealer)
Hi Rick, if you are in need of removing the battery to replace the headlight, I assume it’s your front driver’s side light. If you’re lucky and have small hands, you can pull the swap off without removing the battery.
The reason it’s recommended to remove is only because of the minimal space provided between the battery and the headlight housing. Before removing the entire battery, I would first try to remove the plastic battery cover. This’ll free up a bit of space for you to pull out the old bulb and replace the new. But be prepared for some scraped knuckles in the process. :)
Do you know the rest of the process to replace a front headlight beyond the battery removal? It includes removing a plastic cover from the back of the headlight housing, unplugging the burnt headlight, then reaching inside to VERY carefully remove the bulb. To remove the bulb, you turn it (I can’t remember clockwise or counterclockwise, sorry) just a little bit, like a quarter-turn, and it will unlock from the housing. To insert the new bulb, just reverse the process.
But remember, it’s a very tight fit. The passenger side is a cakewalk compared to the driver’s side. And it always seems to be that one that burns out. lol
I’ll have to get around to a How-To for the fronts as well.
I found your site VERY helpful. My tail light was out on the left side. I did have an authority politely tell me late one night. I went in and took out the lights and found 1 bulb missing on BOTH sides. A lower bulb on the exterior of the left and right side. I was confused why. So I bought what I thought would replace that bulb. Well it cause both the new tail light bulb and the old right side bulb to go out.
There was a recall or repair that was due to the hazard lights causing one or more of the rear lights to go out. Is that interconnected to this problem? What purpose does that missing bulb serve?
Have you heard of this issue before? If so what can I do- well other then remove the ‘unnecassry’ bulb.
Please reply to my email if you can. THANKS again for a great site.
LIZ
Hi Liz, I’m glad that Volksbloggin has been helpful to ya! That extra bulb socket in the rear bulb trays, I believe, is the rear fog lights which are only used from the factory in Eruope. Someone correct me if I’m wrong. (Just slap me on the head, haha)
So you do not need to use those sockets. Did you replace the bulb that was out? I would also go ahead and schedule an appointment with your dealer to have the brake light problem checked out as well.
I have a burned out brake light on the passenger side of an 02 Jetta 1.8Ltr. Does that panel in back of the light just pry away for access? Looked like it was glued on. Or is it secured in another fashion? Thought I’d check before I start ripping.
Hi Rush, there should be a tab on each side of the tray (See the first pic in step 2) that when squeezed inwards should release the tray from the tail light housing. Do you have those on yours?
No tabs to be seen. At least not on the access point in the trunk liner. I tried gently pulling on it and can see some flexible adhesive underneath. Figured I check here before yankin and destroying some sneaky spring clips.
Very strange.
Thanks in advance of your reply.
Yeah, that’s very weird. Now, I haven’t taken a gander at the passenger side on mine, but I would assume they’re constructed the same. Could it be that the tabs were broken off at one time, and now it’s just glued in?
I’m still talking about the access cover in the trunk. I haven’t made it to any wires yet. Not likely a repair job botched, since I’ve had the Jetta since new purchased at the dealer. I’ll run my hand around the access cover again, but didn’t feel any indentations or irregularities. I hope I don’t have to pull out the trunk liner…..ugh!
Mystery solved. Velco strips hold the access door shut. You really have to yank hard to make it open.
Thanks for the insite!
Rush out
Interesting. I’m glad you got it figured out now. :) I’ll have to add some notes to the post.
Thanks for the great tips. Also thanks to Liz’s post about the missing bulb, I thought that I knocked one loose when I was removing the bulb tray. The only problem I ran into was NAPA giving me the wrong bulb, but kinda my own fault since I didn’t take the old one in with me.
Thanks for the great posts.
Hi Dax… I own a 2004 Jetta and need help changing the driver’s side headlight bulb. From all the great tips I’ve been reading you’d be the one to ask for help. Thnx… Manuel
Hey Manuel, changing the headlight bulbs is relatively easy as well. Unfortunately, the driver’s side is the more difficult of the two!
The first thing you’ll ned to do is remove the battery cover (and battery if you have very large hands, there’s hardly any room to perform this operation).
Next, you will remove a plastic cover off of the back of the headlight assembly. There is a metal clip holding it on that you have to slide off of the cover to remove it.
Once the cover is removed, you now have access to the bulbs inside of the assembly. Reach inside, unplug the appropriate bulb wiring, then twist the bulb in its socket (I’m sorry, I forget at the moment which direction, but it should move easily) and carefully remove the burnt out bulb.
To replace the bulb, just reverse the steps above. Be SURE not to touch the bulb part of the new bulb. Oils from your skin can shorten the bulb life drastically.
I’m going to be writing up a headlight bulb change how-to very soon to provide further detail and photos. I hope that helps a bit!
You’re the man… Thank you much! You ‘re right it was pretty easy to change. Thnx again.
Hi Dax: Thanks so very much for your generous posts! Let me throw my hat in the ring for a write up on changing headlights to an 03 Jetta TDI. Can I/we donate to you via paypal to help encourage your work? ;-)
Also, if you’ve any insight on why both headlights went out at the same time, that would be great. I thought it was the fuse, changed it, and nothing. My high beams work fine, and interior lights are fine. Could it be that one went out before the other and I didn’t notice?
Again, thank you, thank you for your time. My favorite mechanic is 3000 miles away in Rhode Island, and I’m in Oakland, California, land of expensive Audi/VW mechanics!
Hahah rock on Alena, thank you so much. We’re just owners like you guys, trying to help out where we can. Actually, you could donate if you’d like to. :D There is a “Make a Donation” button on the right-hand side of the site on these pages, and on the left-hand side on the homepage. And Mrad and I have been kicking around the idea of reader-submitted posts. We may have that rolling after we redesign in the coming months.
That’s really strange for both headlights to burn out at the same time. Pending no serious electrical problem (which unfortunately is very common on these buggers) it could have just been chance, or like you said, maybe you didn’t notice one of them at first.
Hi,
Can you tell me, with pictures if possible, how to change the brake lights on a passat 2002?!
It seems as though I have to remove the whole inside panel. Please help..I don’t want to spend $200 bucks at a Oakland dealership.
Hey L.M., is your Passat the wagon variety or the sedan? I will try to find a good writeup for ya for whichever it is, since we haven’t done a Passat change ourselves yet.
thanks so much for posting this! i have a jetta, and this was SSOOOOO helpful!
Hi,
I need to change both the brake light and tail light on my 2003 Jetta. The diagram above looks pretty much identical to my Jetta, but can you tell me which bulb is the brake light? I think its the top one, but want to be sure.
Thanks!
Abby
Hey Abby, the brake light bulb is the small one, which is the third bulb from the top of the bulb tray. You can see a photo of it in the first photo under Step 3 above.
Thank you so much for this! I have GTI ‘03 and need to change the brake lights but hate going to the garage where I feel like I get fleeced particularly for being female!
You’re a star. :)
hey Dax, im VERY inexperienced when it comes to physically dealing with cars. I dont know anything…. I asked about the 2003 Jetta 1.8T earlier about the headlights…have you did the how to section yet? are there any pictures you can assist me with? that would help much better than instructions since i’m a newbie at this stuff…thanks!
Hey Rick, we’ve got your taken care of. :) Just yesterday, Mrad posted his how-to on changing out a passenger side headlight. You can find it here, or just go to the Volksbloggin.com homepage and it’s our feature post right now. I hope that new how-to helps you out!
Hi Dax, I just changed headlights in my 03 Jetta TDI, and I don’t know if it’s posted anywhere, but these headlight bulbs do not twist out of their sockets….they plug straight into the plastic enclosure. There is a twist locking ring (a seperate part) that locks the bulb in place. You remove this twist locking ring by turning it about 30 degrees, and the bulb pulls straight out. I don’t know if the Jetta is different from some of the other models you’ve been talking about where the bulb itself twists to unlock it for removal, but that may be why someone in an earlier post was having trouble removing his bulb….just a thought. The replacement was a pain (as is typical) on the driver’s side, and it was made more difficult by one of the wire clips for the back plate coming unhooked at it’s bottom end where you can’t see it, forcing you to work by braille. It’s always something.
If folks have never done these headlights before, I’d recommend changing the passenger side first so you can get familiar with the assembly before tackling the driver’s side.
Thanks for all the information on the website.
Hey Steve, thank you so much for the further detail, and the correction! We’ll have to do much more in-depth research for all the other model types and do write-ups for each since these are so popular. And also to make sure that all the information is correct. ;]
Gee, I’m just happy I had something to contribute. We all learn from forums like this one. No matter what your problem is, chances are good that somebody else has already “been there-done that”.
Thanks again!
I found your site last week while trying to figure out how to replace a breaklight bulb in my 2002 Passat Wagon, one of the things you said you had no experience with. You did provide enough information, however, that got me on track. The key difference, it seems, between the Wagon light assembly cover and the others is that in addition to having to undo the two left and right clips, you also have to remove the gray plastic cover to the amber turn indicator, which is located on the upper outside corner of the assembly. Visually it appears to be unrelated to the large, black, main cover, but I was unable to remove the cover without first twisting out the aforementioned turn indicator.
In truth, by local garage mechanic helped me figure out this last bit to the puzzle, and even replaced the bulb for me, all at no cost.
Thanks again though, for some really good information.
Awesome John, thanks for that added detail! I’m glad everything worked out.
I have a 2003 Passat W8 with the factory HID Xenon headlights. The right-hand side has gone dead, and I want to replace it. I’ve located a replacement bulb, but after poking around under the hood for half an hour I can’t figure how to remove the old bulb. There’s just no room to get near it, let alone remove the weather seal from the rear. Any ideas? Anyone ever replaced a VW Xenon headlamp?
Thanks Dax! Love the pictorial instructions. Though for my 2001 Jetta, it was more difficult to get the bulb tray out from the driver side than the passenger side. The hard felt cover blocks the released tray from coming out.. ugh. After 20 mins struggling with 4 hands, my dad & I managed to pull the tray out while pushing the top felt upwards. We then replaced the brake light bulb (top one, part#P21W). $2/ea at Lordco or $5/pair at Canadian Tire.
Hey Warren, can you tell what is in the way of the headlight assembly? Is it the windshield washer fluid Reservoir? You may need to remove whatever is in the way in order to get to the headlight unfortunately.
How helpful! 2002 Passat brake light replacement was easy after reading your stuff. Found the four tabs and, though maneuvering the tray out was a little tricky, it worked!
Thanks for the great description!! I’m sure I’ll be able to do a bulb replacement….unfortunately, I need to replace the entire assembly…cover is busted on driver side tail light assembly of my 2002 passat wagon…looks like th emonsoon amp is in the way of the 4th screw…I’ve removed all the screws I can find holding in the monsoon amp, and it’s loose, but I can’t figure out how to get it out of the way so I can access that last screw holding the the tail light assembly. Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Thanks!
Hey Liz, I’m not sure why the amp bracket isn’t coming off for you. Check out this tail light removal how-to over at VWVortex.com and see if maybe it will shed some light on the removal! :]
Woo hoo! Just replaced my 2001 Passat wagon driver side rear brake light bulb. It’s easy, even with a disk changer. The space is a bit cramped so you may need a small set of hands to get to it. The bulb tray is accessable enough without removing anything. After you remove the panel in the back where the disk changer is located, look for a black plastic panel with wires coming out of it where the tailight is. Simply pinch the plastic clips together and it comes out. The bulbs are right there. There is just enough room to push the bulbs down and twist them out and back in. The bulbs look the same as the ones in the photos. When you go to the autostore, be sure to tell them whether you need a turn signal light or brake light, and give them the model and make of your car. The lights all have different prongs to hold them in so you can’t use the wrong ones. Saved myself 90 bucks today. Thanks for the start on the instructions, it gave me some idea of where to start looking. The instruction manual simply said to take it to the dealership.
Rock on Susan! Glad we got you started, and thanks for the further detail for Passat wagon owners. :]
I learned so much this morning reading your instructions and I’ve printed out several for future reference. What I have been looking for are instructions for changing the front passenger turn signal. I was in a fender bender and there is damage in that location. My side signal and rear signal work, but my front signal is out and the turn signal sound is very fast, which someone told me means the bulb is dead or broken. How can I get to it? Do you reach the bulb going under the hood, or is there a way to pop the yellow casing from the outside? Any suggestion would be appreciated since I don’t know how long it is going to take to get the insurance company of the other party to come through and pay for repairs. Thanks
Hi Laura, I’m glad to hear our how-tos are helping. :D Which turn signal bulb are you referring to? Also, what model is your car? Jettas and Golfs/GTIs have three different turn signals. One on the side of the bumper, one on the fender, and one built into the headlight assembly.
If it’s either the bumper or fender bulbs, to remove them push in on, I believe, the front side of the bulb assembly. This will cause the opposite end to stick out from the bumper/fender. Then you can slide the entire assembly out of the bumper/assembly and remove the bad bulb.
If it’s the turn signal in the headlight assembly, you can follow Mrad’s instructions for the headlight bulb change. Once you have the back of the headlight assembly open, simply change out the turn signal bulb rather than the headlight bulb.
Let me know if that helps!
Thanks for your quick response. My car is actually a 2003 Passat 4 Mo Wagon. I’ll try your instructions and let you know how I make out. Thanks again.
dax, pleeeeease post a how-to on changing the batteries in the remote access key….this thing is some kind of mayan puzzle trap
Hey Mr. Burns, that would be a good one to post up. I did find this one on VWVortex.com that should help you out. It looks like the images aren’t loading on the first page, but there are pics on the second page.
Dax
I need to replace the brake light, drivers side, on a 03 Passat Saloon V6.
It looks to me as thought the carpet covers the housing. Am I sadly mistaken or is there another way of getting to the light bulb housing??
Hi Dave, try to GENTLY pull away the carpet from the body panel just a little bit to see if it’s glued down to the panel, or if it gives more easily as if it was velcroed or some other method of removal.
I found a how-to on a sedan. This might help give you some more insight into the process. Let me know if it helps!
Your instructions have been a tremendous help. Thank you so much!!!
I am agonizing over why my Brake Lights (2001 Jetta TDI) frequently are out. Today I noticed that the rear brake lights are out as well as both indicators. Is it the way I place the housing after I change the bulbs that causes them to come loose? It would be nice to have a picture to let me know exactly which bulb is which once I pull the panel out of the trunk, either side.
Thanks for making life a little more affordable for us VW owners.
Warren, I have a 2002 W8, same problem, dealer wants $360 (200 bulb 160 labor) starting with ‘remove front bumper….’ so its (ahem intentionally) WAY more complicated than it ever was before, I cant find anything online on how to either but it sounds like we will need to take off half of the front the car
not the fluid res. the problem (for the rest of ya) is that the HID bulb in the W8 is set under the fender, its not even under the hood at all, so getting at it from the engine compartment is as Warren has found, impossible.
anyone with a how to would be greatly appreciated - really tired of getting pulled over and cant drop $400 bucks on a headlight til she’s paid off!
The left front turn signal bulb in my 2003 W8 burned out last evening and needs to be replaced. Like Dave, I am dreading what is to follow, including having to make an appointment with NYC area VW Service department (at least a 7 to 10 day wait) losing the vehicle for at least a day if not two, and then having to spend a relative fortune on a minor bulb replacement that one could easily accomplish in 5 minutes in most other cars.
BTW: The “Certified Pre Owned Warranty” that I purchased when I bought the car off (my) lease seems only to cover parts that do not break. Does anyone know where I can find a list of parts/components that are excluded under the CPO Warranty? VW has not been forthcoming with an answer thus far.
Hi Jeff,
I came across a PDF of a how-to on changing a bulb on your model Passat, if it’s not HID headlights:
http://home.comcast.net/~slashpub/headlights/ReplacingHeadlightBulbs.pdf
It’s taken seven years for me to finally find the ‘wow’ factor of the Web. Thanks step-by-step on replacing the tail light on the Jetta. Talk about 21th century! Especially after the owner’s manual gave no instruction other than to NOT attempt the replacement, yours is a site (ahem) for soar eyes.
Of course, the companion explanation on the headlights was even better.
Keep up the good work!
Hahah thanks Timmer. :]
This site looks really helpful, so I am cossing my fingers :)
I have a 2003 Golf and I noticed BOTH of my tail lights are out. My local Auto Store does not have any replacement bulbs and they are not planning on getting any more of the Sylvania 5008’s in :( I really don’t know what to do regarding that, but anyway,
Since both tail lights are out, do you think this could be fuse related?
If so, do you have any idea which fuse is the tail light? The symbols on the fuse diagram confuse me…
Any feedback is really appreciated!
Well, after deciding to mess with my tail lights one more time one of them they has miraculaously healed itself.
I pulled it out and put it back in and I’ll be darned if it lit up. The other one is definatley burnt out through.
On a side note, there proably is some kind of crazy electrical problem going on b/c yesterday, I also could not close my sun roof, and now it is working….so, if anyone knows what the problem may be, or has a explanation to the fuse diagram symbols I again would be extremely grateful :)
Hmm, upon you having other electrical problems like the sunroof Jennifer, I would take it in and have the computer codes scanned at least. You can do this at any of your local auto parts shops for free, or take it to your favorite dealer.
At first, I was going to suggest that both of your taillights happened to burn out around the same time, but if you’re have other problems unfortunately it doesn’t sound like that’s it.
Hey thanks Dax, I really appreciate your help!
My girlfriend has a 2004 VW Jetta, Here tail light is out on the driver side. I’ve been looking all over the place to find the bulb size and how to take the light out to change the bulb. Do you know the bulb size and is it similiar to just pulling the carpet back?
Hey Eric, if it’s the regular running taillight and not the brake light, it will be the same bulb as in the how-to here, which is the R10W or 5008, and replacing it should be just about the same as on my GTI. Let us know how it goes or if you have problems!
Thanks so much for saving me $. It took me more time to read your directions than it did to change the bulb. BTW, mine is a 2001 Jetta Wagon, and it was the right tailight, but basically your directions easily translated. For the 2001 Jetta Wagon, though, the bulb is supposed to have two contacts (you can easily look up in your local auto parts store. Mine was a Kragen). Keep up the great job, Volksbloggers
Right on Jen. Glad we could help, and thanks for the extra tips on the wagon taillight!
hi there! i’ve been reading through the postings and i have not seen one about the 2007 Rabbit…unless i missed it. my passenger side turn signal is out - i opened the velcro thing in the trunk and then there are these bolts. i can’t find the tool to take the bolts off..does the car come with one? or should i buy one and if so what size? i saw something about 10mm for passat. thanks! my light has been out for 2 weeks and i insist on fixing it myself.
Hey Gretchen, I was trying to find a how-to for your taillights, and was coming up empty as well. I would suggest you head over to VWVortex.com and check out their forum for the MkV Golf and Jetta. Someone in there should be able to point you in the right direction. And sometime soon we hope to have a lot more ho-tos going up on Volksbloggin, including for the newest models!
My rear bulb on the drivers side is out and after changing the bulb and checking the fuses, it’s still out!! Is it likely to be the tray itself at fault?
Any help much appreciated.
Sorry, meant to say it’s a MkIII 3 door 1.6cl. Thanks again
1996 P reg!! Got there in the end eh…..
Hey Gino, if you’ve swapped in a new bulb, checked the fuses and all is well, it does sound like some kind of wiring problem. Those are the worst too. Could be a problem with the socket on the tray, which is prolly easier to fix than trying to track down a wire problem.
Hey Dax,
I just got a message on my dash saying that I’ve got a defective bulb in my 2006 Jetta. Apparently it’s one of my tail lights on my passenger side. It’s the bulb that lights up CLOSEST to the trunk.
Any help?
Thanks!
Nevermind … figured it out!!! :)
Awesome! I was just going to say that there should be instructions in your manual for the change, but also for further help ,you might find something over at VWVortex.com Forums as well.
Anywho, glad you got it fixed! :]
My 2000 TDI Jetta rear driver light is out. Is it the same setup to remove that bulb? Does anyone know the part number of the bulb I need. Cheers
Hi Chris, it will work out the same way to replace that light. As a matter of fact, I just did mine as well recently. The bulb you want to purchase though seems to be slightly different according to this list. Scroll down and you’ll see the model numbers for the Jetta/Bora taillight.
Dax,
A few of the LED lights on the center rear tail light were ‘out’. When I tried to access the light fixture, I noticed that all the lights showed up if I just jiggled the power plug. Then when I shut the trunk, all the lights went out and won’t come back on.
I can’t seem to find a detailed enough DIY to access the center tail light fixture. Do you know of any?
Hey Barry, assuming you have a Jetta, here’s a how-to with photos on accessing the 3rd brake light.
Dax,
Thanks very much, I searched but couldn’t find anything on those forums. One last question, if the light strip is FUBAR, can you recommend a place to find a replacement either new, used, or aftermarket.
Yeah, I was looking too and I couldn’t come across anything else. What model do you have? And as for parts websites, I would head over to either WorldImpex.com or 1stVWParts.com. I hope that helps! :]
Dax,
I had the european light switch put in my jetta, so, could I put bulbs into those empty spots in the tail light assembly and not “blow anything up”? I’m just wondering what my tail lights would like if there was something there…
Hey Rob, the euro switch gets you part of the way there to what is called the “five brake light” mod, which makes use of that empty socket. You can see a DIY about it here. Though it’s a pretty involved mod, if you’re handy you can pull it off!
thanks for posting, i’ll give it a try. much appreciated!
2002 Passat Wagon rear turn signal problem - I had my Passat in for inspection a few days ago, they replaced the driver’s side rear brake bulb, but didn’t put things back together right and now the turn signal doesn’t work. I’ve removed the gray twist out housing, but I can’t get it to reseat properly. I looked at the passenger side for a clearer example, and that was trivial to remove and replace, but I can’t get it to work on the driver side. I’ve been trying to remove the brake light panel to get a better look, and I can find one quick release tab on the inboard side towards the mid-bottom of the panel, which loosens it - but the top is still held in somehow and I just can’t see or find another release tab.
Help? Does anyone have any ideas on either how to get the turn signal assembly to reseat properly, or how to pop out the taillight panel? I’m getting desperate, and both of my hands are now bruised, cut, and bloody from trying to reach in that tight space….
- Bill Holder
I am wondering if the way u change a tail light on a 2002 jetta is the same as changing one on any other jetta? thanks
Hey jbip, it would be the same in general for all Mk4 generation Jettas, meaning ‘99-’05. The new Jetta’s are prolly a little different given that the tail lights are a new design.
Hey Bill, sorry, your comment slipped past me. Before you do anything else I would take it back to where you got it inspected and have them take a look at it, since it seems like they broke something. they should be responsible if they didn’t reassemble the tail light correctly.
Thanks for a great post. We just bought a 2001 Passat Wagon(only 50k miles!) but it was having brake light issues. 2/4 were out. I decided to go ahead and replace all 4.
After doing this the bottom passenger side bulb stays bright, as though the brakes were always applied. The others behave normally. Any thoughts to what may be off?
If you can tell me where to send it to I will send you a picture of what the setup looks like in a Wagon. It is actually quite different from the ones you have here.
Thanks again Dax!
Also, a note for Bill Holder, if you haven’t fixed yours yet. When I replaced my four bulbs the driver’s side gave me fits, especially replacing the blinker bulb.
You shouldn’t have to remove the brake light panel to reseat the blinker bulb. Make sure that the contacts (two silver points on the grey stem attachment) line up with the contacts on the housing. Once I had it lined up fairly well I pushed (harder than I had been) to get everything to seat. I spent about 15 minutes just trying to get that one piece in place. Stay with it, or maybe have someone with tiny hands AND some strength give it a try.
Hey Brady, thanks for the extra detail and help for Bill and congrats on the Passat. Sounds like an awesome deal with mileage that low. :D If the brake light is sticking on, you might need to have the brake light switch recall performed at your dealer. You can send a pic to me at: dan[at]volksbloggin.com. ( [at] added to avoid spam harvesters, replace with @ symbol) Thanks!!
Oh, just after I posted this, I saw that the recall doesn’t seem to cover Passats. hmm, anyone else have thoughts why his light would stick on?
I have a 2003 Passat. When I turn on the headlights I get no running lights. For a while I could turn the light switch farther to the right to get the running lights to come on but this trick no longer works. I checked with the dealer for a new switch $160.00 ouch! Any ideas what else could possibly be wrong? I just replaced the front headlight on the drivers side.
Hey Curt, I looked up the headlight switch part on a couple sites that offer great deals on OEM parts, and it looks like your dealer is quoting correctly. At WorldImpex.com, you can purchase the switch for $149.72.
You could swing a much better deal and get the European version of the headlight switch at . They’re carrying the OEM Euro version for $49.99.
Replacing the switch yourself is relatively simple. Here’s a Quick DIY image on removing the old switch. Let us know if that helps!
very simple, but thanks for the tutorial. worked just as well on my 2001 Jetta GL
Over the weekend I tried reseating the bulb that was staying bright (see 1/10 post) and it resolved the problem. When I looked at it it seemed I may have had it in there a bit crooked.
I will send pictures later this week of the wagon lights.
Thanks Dax!
Right on, glad it works now Brady!
Some hints for replacing a brake light bulb for a 2006 Jetta 2.5L. The brake light is the outer circle on either side. There are flaps cut into the trunk lining, held down with Velcro. Open to reveal the bulb tray and tail light housing. Pull out the top (skinnier of the two) wire plugs. Then on the bulb tray, pull up the two tabs at the bottom of the bulb tray. These will release the bulb tray so you can pull it out to reveal the bulbs. To remove the burnt out bulb (and this where I had trouble which lead me to this site), push down on the bulb then turn it counterclockwise. To reinsert the bulb tray, the top has to go back in first, there are two prongs at the top that need to be fitted into white/gray slots at the top of the tail light housing. Get these lined up then push in the bottom of the tray. Note: I have the silver/white tail lights sold by VW opposed to the all red that are standard on the 2006 jetta but hopefully, the bulb tray is the same.
Thanks for the tips on the new Jettas ST!
Dax, I just replaced the headlight switch and the directions you gave were perfect. All my running lights (very helpful at night) are working again. Since the new switch was working I had to open up the old switch to see what cost so much. There are four tabs that have to be lifted in order to remove the rear housing. Once this is removed, the contacts are exposed for inspection. I found that one of the contacts was discolored and not making good contact. I cleaned the contact throughly, removing all signs of carbon build up. Because these contacts have a spring tension set, I had to bend the contact to clean it and, of course, bend it back until it made contact like all of the others (roughly 12). I reassembled the switch and reinstalled it in the car, the running lights work again. These switches can be repaired and don’t necessarily need to be replaced. This whole job took me 10 minutes to do!
Awesome Curt, I’m glad everything worked out. Good job on figuring that out how to go about just cleaning the contacts! That could save many peeps some money on replacing the switch.
I am trying to change the front turn signal on my 2002 Jetta. I removed the black cover held by the two metal brackets. I only see the headlight bulb. Where is the turn signal bulb? How do you replace it? Need help ASAP.
Hi Vicky, your question spurred me to write up a new How-To on replacing the turn signal bulb. You can find it on our homepage now, or at this link. I hope that helps you replace yours!
Thanks Dax,
I thought the turn signal was in the right small black Box. I pushed down on the black clip but the cover did not release. I was not sure if that would release the black cover for the turn signal without breaking it. I will give it another try. Thanks a lot.
Vicky
Hi Vicky, yep, it’s behind there. But be careful! As I noted in the how-to. I broke mine off. lol It shouldn’t take much effort, and you may have to work it a bit around wiring or other parts that might be in the way.
Thanks for the great tutorial and tips Dax. I have a 2004 Jetta Wagon and my driver-side brake light recently burnt-out. Unfortunately the access to the bulbs is really poor, but based on your pictures I was able to disengage the clips and with a little work, pull the old bulb and replace with a new one.
For what it’s worth, my VW manual comments on how hard it is to get access to the bulbs and recommends taking it to the shop to have them replaced. Glad I found your site, saved me both money and time!
Great Dustan! Isn’t it strange that they would actually mention how hard it is to replace it and recommend the dealer? Gee, thanks Volkswagen for looking out for us customers. hahahah
I have a 2001 jetta tdi and the drivers side tail light keeps burning out. A new one only lasts about 2-3 days. I am using the factory reccomended bulbs but I do not understand why this is happening. If anyone can halp it would be appreciated.
Hi Dave, definitely sounds like some kind of wiring problem, or something wrong in the bulb tray. Have you had your Jetta in for the Brake Light Switch Recall? That has caused the lights to either stay on constantly, or not come on at all. That is, if this is your brake light, and not the regular night-time running tail light.
I have a 2001 Jetta Wolfenstien - the right rear tail light is out. The bulb is good and the fuse is good any ideas?
Hey Wade, have you tried removing the bulb and reseating it? Could be loose or something like that. If that isn’t the case, your bulb tray could have gone bad or that socket is bad. Very very rare for that to happen though.
Dax - Great blog - thank you!
The dealer suggests that the door switch on my ‘05 Jetta TDi Wagon needs replacing. It appeeeaaars the door panel is three screws to remove, plus a couple of additional screws and a plug on the switch.
Can I save myself the $300 in labor to do this myself, or is there additional computer or programming that’s required once the new switch is in?
And is there any chance that the door switch is related to my window controls going spontaneously haywire?
Thanks, bud. =D
Thanks Dave! Hmmm, chances are it would be a relatively simple how-to, but I’m not sure on this one as far as reprogramming, etc. Let me consult our in-house tech guy, Tekmassa, and get back to you.
Hey Dave, which switch will you be replacing?
After removing the outer panel on my 2006 Jetta sedan, as shown in the diagram, there is simply an empty space space behind it. I ran my fingers along the material and do not see any further opening. How do I get at the brake light?
Hi rich, your 2006 jetta is probably different. It’s the newer model Jetta, correct? One of the other commenters posted some info on changing the bulb on those Jettas. Hopefully this will help!
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Some hints for replacing a brake light bulb for a 2006 Jetta 2.5L. The brake light is the outer circle on either side. There are flaps cut into the trunk lining, held down with Velcro. Open to reveal the bulb tray and tail light housing. Pull out the top (skinnier of the two) wire plugs. Then on the bulb tray, pull up the two tabs at the bottom of the bulb tray. These will release the bulb tray so you can pull it out to reveal the bulbs. To remove the burnt out bulb (and this where I had trouble which lead me to this site), push down on the bulb then turn it counterclockwise. To reinsert the bulb tray, the top has to go back in first, there are two prongs at the top that need to be fitted into white/gray slots at the top of the tail light housing. Get these lined up then push in the bottom of the tray. Note: I have the silver/white tail lights sold by VW opposed to the all red that are standard on the 2006 jetta but hopefully, the bulb tray is the same.
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Great instructions for a first-time light replacer like me. Instructions worked to perfection on my 2000 Golf (CD changer wasn’t in the way at all). Thanks!
Just wanted to write thanks from another happy reader. I just used this and Matt’s more recent how-to to fix both a taillight and a headlight. Cost a total of $16, just for a headlight bulb. It turned out the taillight wasn’t actually burned out, but had simply slipped out of its socket and was rattling around loose! I managed to fish it out through the panel hole with some needle-nose pliers. Worked fine after re-plugging. Even weirder, though, there was a *second* loose bulb in there that as far as I can tell isn’t used anywhere and must have been left accidentally by the factory. It’s the same size and the brake and turn lights, but has two filaments. Maybe one of those un-installed fog lamps? Doesn’t really matter though, I’ll just keep it as a souvenir of the $100 I just saved on labor. ;) Thanks again.