How to replace puddle light bulbs

[jozisko]

Anyone has a guide how to replace puddle light bulbs? I'd like to change them for LEDs. Also do they have to be canbus compatible?

Thanks

Edited 2 April, 2012 by jozisko

[jozisko]

Anyone? Please.

[Wardy]

If it's the same as the Octy Mk2, remove the mirror glass, remove the mirror cover, and access the puddle light holder inside the mirror housing. This is a W5W bulb.

I've heard of people swapping these to LED bulbs, but it's something I've not tried myself. I'm happy to use a 'traditional' Philips BlueVision W5W bulb instead.

[Gizmo]

If it's the same as the Octy Mk2, remove the mirror glass, remove the mirror cover, and access the puddle light holder inside the mirror housing. This is a W5W bulb.

I've heard of people swapping these to LED bulbs, but it's something I've not tried myself. I'm happy to use a 'traditional' Philips BlueVision W5W bulb instead.

It is indeed the same as the Octavia.

I have CANBUS LED's in mine, simply because I bought a load of them for less than a quid each, so it was not worth mixing CANBUS and non CANBUS in the car.

[Wardy]

Good to know

I did try an LED in my mirror the other week actually, but it didn't fire - so either a duff I've had sitting in my bulb box for a while - or CANBUS didn't agree with it.

[alberg]

Use canbus, they go out once you closed the car and no error shown when vcds/vagcom plugged

[jozisko]

Did mine today. Haven't removed mirror glass or mirror cover, just squeezed my fingers in the gap at the bottom between mirror glass and mirror cover with mirror tilted all way up, pulled holder out, replaced bulbs and put it back in.

Edited 2 May, 2012 by jozisko

[bill2]

Any chance of a vidio of you doing this Jozisko.show all the members what to do

bill

[jozisko]

I 'll see what I can do and if I can get my wife to hold the camera for me.

[bill2]

Great all these Little videos are so helpfully to all the other members,

bill

[alberg]

Did mine today. Haven't removed mirror glass or mirror cover, just squeezed my fingers in the gap at the bottom between mirror glass and mirror cover with mirror tilted all way up, pulled holder out, replaced bulbs and put it back in.

Wow, you must have long and skinny fingers, or mine are small and fat

[Danny 57]

Wow, you must have long and skinny fingers, or mine are small and fat

That's what I thought but did not want to mention anything about the size of peoples hands.

[jozisko]

I should have said I have used screwdriver as well, but thought it was obvious.

[JakeBlade]

Couple of questions on LEDs for the puddle lights, to help me work out which bulbs to get:

- do the bulbs point down, or across once they are in the housing?

- what is approx max length that would fit in the housing?

I upgraded them on my passat, which was a horizontal mount into the housing. I used some lovely warm white LEDs which were about 3500k colour temp, and much brighter (more lumens output) than filament w5w bulbs once installed. Would like to use the same seller again if poss.

Edited 17 February, 2013 by JakeBlade

[JakeBlade]

Braved the cold and the dark to tackle this and answer my own questions above.

The bulb holder is a horizontal mount, and there is room in the housing just a little bit longer than a filament w5w bulb.

I had one of these knocking around, and it fits in ok: http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=261082618229

It's brighter than the filament bulb - but not massively brighter - and shares the same lovely warm white light as a normal tungsten bulb.

Not a great improvement as I was hoping an LED with an extra row of SMDs would fit in the bulb holder, but don't think it will. So I think I will just swap back to the original bulb When I get a chance.

[Gizmo]

This is the style you want:

1st photo an eBay search found, you are looking for:

501 / W5W /T10 (different name for the same fitting)

SMD

5050 (brightest SMD)

I doubt they need to be CANBUS, but for the difference in price you may as well get them, they can then be used anywhere suitable in the car (footwell, tailgate, glovebox etc)

[JakeBlade]

This is the style you want:

1st photo an eBay search found, you are looking for:

501 / W5W /T10 (different name for the same fitting)

SMD

5050 (brightest SMD)

I doubt they need to be CANBUS, but for the difference in price you may as well get them, they can then be used anywhere suitable in the car (footwell, tailgate, glovebox etc)

Cheers. What colour temperature are they? I'm after the same warm glow of filament bulbs - about 3,500k. I bought some the same layout as yours when I modded my passat, but they were the blue-white light.

[Gizmo]

I bought mine from a different seller who is no longer listing them, IIRC mine are around 4,500K (4,300K being bright white, any higher you introduce a blue tint, go lower and they gain the yellow warm tint)

[hell666]

Couple of questions on LEDs for the puddle lights, to help me work out which bulbs to get:

- do the bulbs point down, or across once they are in the housing?

- what is approx max length that would fit in the housing?

I upgraded them on my passat, which was a horizontal mount into the housing. I used some lovely warm white LEDs which were about 3500k colour temp, and much brighter (more lumens output) than filament w5w bulbs once installed. Would like to use the same seller again if poss.

1.) They point down

2.) About 5cms (max) from tip to tip

I used THIS, which has Lens in the front to project light at exactly the right area down under. Also, they have side lights which scatter light around the housing to give a cool look to the Car

[Dj Mastergrind]

I dont have Canbus LEDs in my puddle lights. Its not necessary with Canbus in the puddle lights.

[JakeBlade]

After the runaway success of my boot light LED upgrade, I am thinking of trying to put one or other of these into the puddle lights:

http://www.hids-direct.co.uk/mtec-high-power-led-super-white-501-w5w-t10-194-sidelight-bulb/

OR

http://www.hids-direct.co.uk/xtec-501-t10-5w-high-power-leds-sidelight-bulbs-white/

OR

http://www.hids-direct.co.uk/xtec-canbus-501-w5w-high-power-smd-led-18-x-5050-smd/

I just want brighter light, about 3,500-4,000k

I have tried a pair of 4-SMDs pointing down before, but wasn't even as bright as the filament bulb.

[JakeBlade]

Thought I'd do a how-to on changing the side mirror puddle lights. Takes 10-15mins.

1. Remove mirror. Push the glass down into the corner (manually is fine), which will expose a gap down the outer edge of the mirror. You need to get your fingers into this gap, and start prising the mirror out of the housing using your finger tips. If you can't get your fingers into the gap, then you'll need to use a trim removal tool. Keep prising the mirror until you can get it clear of the housing.

2. Here you can see the mirror out of the housing. The arrows indicate the points that you need to line up for re-fitting of the mirror. The mirror is made up of glass stuck onto a heat pad, which is stuck onto plastic. It's a lot more resilient than you first think.

3. Remove the lamp. The lamp holder looks like a rubber bung, which you need to pull out to expose the bulb. Here you can see my old LED being removed.

4. Replace your bulb and test it. You can do this by placing a magazine over the light sensor on the front windscreen and unlocking the car with the key fob. If the bulb doesn't light up, rotate it by 180-degrees and re-fit. Push the bulb back into the casing whilst it is still alight, so that you can check the beam angle coming through the lens underneath the mirror. Make sure the lamp holder is fully inserted to ensure the bulb is protected against the elements.

5. Re-fit the mirror. Here you can see where the two plastic prongs on the back of the mirror need to slot into the metal housings, circled. Once lined-up, push the mirror gently back into the housing. When you are sure that the plastic prongs are in, you need to push the glass more firmly in the centre, so that that the plastic ring on the back of the mirror clicks into place onto the mirror adjustment motor.

6. Sit back and admire your work.

These are the LEDs that I used. Pack of 10 for £4.99, and they are white with no hint of blue. Search eBay for "5730 SMD T10":

Edited 10 April, 2014 by JakeBlade

[Robbo Cop]

Great guide jake, very well done mate ...

 

Rob

[Damo]

Nice one Jake

Thanks for sharing and taking pics

[Chan110]

I like that Jake!

I am glad its not as difficult as changing the wing mirror indicator!

Well done :-)