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How to - Change OEM Xenon headlight bulbs

Gnasher

Ready to race!
Location
Lincoln, UK
Didn't really know where to put this, so it's here.

Usual 'how to' rules apply - this is just a guide. If you are at all unsure of what you are doing, get it done professionally. The author nor the website provider is in any way responsible if you break your car following this guide.

Here goes - I'm doing it from memory so there might be a few things forgotten but I'm sure you'll get the idea...

1. First you need to take the grille off, this is simply two screws - one at either end on top of the grille and it lifts out with a bit of a tug.

2. Once that is off, you need to remove the black metal strips that go along the top of the headlights, there are three bolts on each, one near the wing and two near the grille...



3. Next it's worth popping the outer ends of the front bumper off. Three screws down inside the wheelarch on each side (one is tucked up where it joins the wing) and it pops off. This does need a fairly hefty tug so be careful!

Once this is off, you will see a silver dome headed bolt behind it (it's where the metal rimmed hole is in the photo)...



4. Next is the retaining bolts for the headlight. One is here near the grille...



...and there is another one nearer the wing (which you only need to loosen a couple of turns)...



5. Not 100% whether this is needed or not, however I did it and it helped. You need to remove the 3 bolts that hold the bumper to the rest of the car. These are in a line on what would have been the lower edge of the grille. This will allow a bit of movement in the top of the bumper to remove the headlight (no photos though).

6. Remove the plug going into the back of the headlight shown in the above photo. You can see the clip you need to press in on the side of it.

7. The headlight should now just pull forward and up over the bumper. Be careful, there is the ballast etc bolted to the bottom of it and these may scratch the bumper if you are too heavy handed.

8. Once removed, place it down so you can see the back of it and remove the five screws to remove the cover (screws are already removed in the photo...



9. Once the cover is off, you will need to remove the bulb (the back of it is the square metal box)...



You cannot remove the connector until the bulb is half out, so you need to turn the black plastic lever(s) that are around the bulb and it should then just pull out. Get it out so the connector can clear the housing, remove the connector and then the bulb will come out all the way.

Installation is the reverse of removal!

Here's a photo of the difference in colour temperature between standard (4300K) and the one's I got (6000K)...



Light output (colour wise) seems a perfect match to the fogs, however (and this might be because of the cheap bulbs I used or the fact that as you go higher in colour temp, the light output drops) there is very slightly less light output, but they are still very good headlights!
 

amullo

Ready to race!
What bulb did you replace it with? I´ve got Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited Xenarc in my BMW and I´m thinking of some Osram Cool Blue intense ones for the Golf.
 

Gnasher

Ready to race!
Location
Lincoln, UK
Apologies guys, not checked back on this thread for a while...

amullo - They were just cheap D3S bulbs from ebay, I picked some cheap ones in case they were the wrong type! Cost around £25 including postage.

chrismcgnyc - wing = fender. I changed the standard (4300k) bulbs for 6000k bulbs for the colour temp (which is what the number refers to) so that they would match the OEM front fogs (which they do perfectly)

Any more questions, fire away and I'll do my best to answer them!
 

amullo

Ready to race!
I was thinking about changing my stock bulbs out for the Phillips X-treme vision D3Sbulbs.
http://www.powerbulbs.com/eu/product/xenon-x-tremevision-d3s-42403-single
Suppose to add 20% brightness and 50% light.

I have Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited Xenarc in D1S in my BMW and that added illumination compared to the stock xenon bulbs. My lowbeam got slightly whiter and also really filled out the edge of illumination. Im hoping to add to the already good lowbeam on the Golf. I installed some auxillary lights for more highbeam already.
 

amullo

Ready to race!
I can post a complete DIY instruction for mounting aux lights if you want. We ended up using Hella 3003 Compact lights instead of the Hella FF200 in my avatar. Mounting is the same, just depends on what lights you want.

Ff200 by Hella
 

amullo

Ready to race!
Ive also seen some VisionX lc25 mounted inside the lower grill on either side of the radar, but that requires removing the whole front..
 

mickR

Ready to race!
Location
Yorkshire. UK
Amullo, would be great if you could post DIY instructions please. Do those particular lights give a good far reaching beam, that is much longer than the standard high beam?
 

amullo

Ready to race!
Ill do that. Currently "out of office", but back home on saturday.

The 3003 compact from Hella give alot better illumination both distance and width compared to the stock Xenons. They reach about 300 meters and the beam is 20m wide@150 meters all with 3lux illumination. That is roughly 50% more range and 75% wider then the stock lights can manage.

The Golfs Bixenons are also aimed quite high. The extra lights enable me to aim the light where I need it, out at the edges to spot wildlife.

The 3003compact are abit big. For a more balanced look, Id choose the FF200 from Hella instead. The sort of fit the Golf better, but Im all for max illumination. The ff200 only reaches around 250m and is 7m wide @150m, so still a great lamp.

Ive done a DIY "extraljus" in Swedish on volkswagengolf.se under mk7 if your really intrested before I get home.
http://www.volkswagengolf.se/viewtopic.php?t=45732
 
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