How to Change A VW Beetle Headlight

The old VW Beetles were easy to change headlights. You unscrewed the metal bezel and the big round headlight fell out. You unplugged it from the wires and plugged the new one in and put the bezel back over the light. Today's Beetles are like most other newer cars and come with halogen headlights. These insert bulbs are put into place from behind the headlight lens and as many people have found it, it's not as easy at it sounds. Dealerships charge in upwards of $60 to replace this plug in headlight inserts, but here's a way to save yourself the time spent at the dealership and $60 richer in your wallet.

Instructions

1. Release the hood latch and rest the hood on the hood prop. The hood prop should run along the left or right fender rail and will have a notch on the underside of the hood that it will fit into.

2. Determine which bulb needs to be replaced. High beams and low beams are usually the same part number on a Beetle, however, replacing the wrong one can waste time and frustrate you. Put the key in the car and then turn to "Accessory." Next, turn the lights on and go look where the light that is out is positioned in the lens. It might sound silly, but you're going to feel sillier when you see two or more options at the back of the lens after you remove it and don't remember which one it is.

3. Turn the lights off and turn the ignition to "off." The manual may go so far as to tell you to unplug your battery. There's no need to do this as long as someone isn't going to come and turn the lights on while you're plugging in the new bulb or removing the old one. If you're worried about that, put the keys in your pocket and lock the doors to the Beetle and save yourself the step of removing a terminal to your battery.

4. Locate the lever near the top of the back side of the headlight assembly near the fender. You will notice a small tin/sheet metal latch with a diamond on it. Press the latch down and lift up on the lever. Pull the lever up as gently as you can and then move it outwards. You might try wiggling it a little bit as you're lifting it. The biggest challenge from this design, depending on your geographic, is the amount of debris like sand and dust that gets trapped in the track of the lever and the headlight lens assembly. You will have to apply equal parts of tenacity and caution when removing the lever and the headlight lens.

5. Apply pressure to the backside of the lens assembly when the lever starts moving upward. When it's released, the assembly will be able to be extracted from its cavity, but there is some applied adhesive from the manufacturer that may fight you a little bit. Be careful when the assembly breaks free of the adhesive. You do not want to put a $100 scratch in the bumper to save $60 in labor charges or damage the lens.

6. Locate the portal behind the lens that houses the burnt out bulb. There will be a thin wire retaining clip that will need to be released. Press it in and then up and it will unlock. Another thing you could do is unplug all the wires and separate the entire assembly from the vehicle, but you don't have to.

7. Remove the old bulb and place the new one in, only touching the metal flange of the new bulb. Halogen lamps can be damaged or compromised from the alkaline and oils in your skin so avoid touching the glass bulb.

8. Re-clip the wire retaining clip by pressing in and up over the lock and then plug in the headlight. At this point, it is recommended to place the lens assembly back in its cavity and let it rest there while you go turn on the lights to make sure it's working before you put everything back together. If it's working, turn the lights off and return to the lens.

9. Determine if there's a lot of debris, dust, or dirt in the cavity and in the lever hinge hole before putting everything back together. The second most challenging part of this task is reversing the procedure and grit and sand and dirt can hinder your progress. If you need to wipe out as much as you can before trying to reinsert the lens into its cavity and replacing the lever back into the hinge hole, be sure the lever is restored to its proper place. You may have to wiggle it while pressing down. Be as tenacious as you can without being overly brutal or the plastic lever will break. Once in place, give the headlight assembly lens a little wiggle to make sure it's locked properly into place.