Dear all,

Sincere apologies if this has been covered elsewhere but a relatively thorough search through the archives has yielded no joy on this so far..

One of the rear light bulbs (tail light - not the brake light) on my 2005 Octavia - one of the outer ones in the 'C' shape - has failed and I'm a tad confused as to what to replace it with.

The handbook lists it as a 'P21W' which is quite patently not the correct one.

For a start it's too big and in addition it has a bayonet fitting when the duff one I've failed to remove - it dropped down inside the light fitting :-( - is one of those small, capless ones.

Even a local motor factor provided me with the wrong sort after a registration number search so my question is, before I wander all the way down to Halfords this lunchtime, could some very kind soul tell me either a) the correct model number, or the correct wattage (I'm presuming 5 watts but I did find another one which seems to fit in a spare bulb kit for my wife's car (not a Skoda) but on close inspection it appears to be brighter than the others in the cluster when lit). :confused:

Yours, confused & grateful for any help,

David.

The tail bulb is 5W. I know them as R5W.

The tail bulb is 5W. I know them as R5W.

That's great - many thanks.

The whole thing's quite messy, particularly as the handbook doesn't seem to show anywhere how to replace the bulbs (not difficult I know) just informing the owner that the car should be taken to a dealer to have replacements fitted (as if).

Whilst I may have shown some ham-fistedness in dropping the old one down inside the casing, I'd at least expect to be given a (correct) guide on what bulbs are utilised and where they go..

Anyway - I'll have a look at Halfords later on & see what I find..

Many thanks again, much appreciated.

David

the ones in the halfords book for my octavia 04 - tail and fog bulb combined are incorrect. i have bought 2 sets and neither fit. . . well they fit but when u put the side lights on the fog element lights up renders the bulb useless. I am so angry. why cant companies give you the right info. i have the MOT soon and need the fog bulbs to be working.

R5W someone said was correct fitting? cos on the bulbs in the car that do work the little pins are offset at a certain pattern. the new halfords ones dont match. . despite the book telling me they are right. AH can someone point me in the right way to purchase the correct bulbs?

thanks.

Are they not the "capless" 5 watt that are typically found in sidelights etc?

Are they not the "capless" 5 watt that are typically found in sidelights etc?

Hiya,

They are indeed but for some reason the handbook (or mine at least) doesn't list them - it only details the combined twin filament rear/brake ones and if you give the registration number to a motor factor their computer only comes up with the latter too - which is a bit odd.. :confused:

As for the fog light question, I'd give your local Skoda dealer a call for the correct spec/wattage/id and then go back to Halfords or similar and get it cheaper..

D.

Take the failed bulb out.It is of no use in the car.Read what is printed on the base or take it to your bulb supplier and ask for a similar one. Some rear bulbs are 4W and not 5W so be careful.No point in getting so worked up about such matters.I've had erroneous bulb ID over several decades.

IIRC the Octy uses 21w/4w bulbs

Otherwise known as 566. Got what Halfords told me to get and they were wrong. Took them back, unhappy. Got refund.

the ones in the halfords book for my octavia 04 - tail and fog bulb combined are incorrect. i have bought 2 sets and neither fit. . . well they fit but when u put the side lights on the fog element lights up renders the bulb useless. I am so angry. why cant companies give you the right info. i have the MOT soon and need the fog bulbs to be working.

R5W someone said was correct fitting? cos on the bulbs in the car that do work the little pins are offset at a certain pattern. the new halfords ones dont match. . despite the book telling me they are right. AH can someone point me in the right way to purchase the correct bulbs?

thanks.

I had this problem with the same results when I bought what looked like the correct light bulb in Sainsburys. I went to the local Skoda dealer and found the correct bulb (they look similar but the pins are not diametrically opposite) very favourably priced. I don't blame the suppliers I blame Skoda. Why not fit standard bulbs?

re: the lights in the 'c' shape bit (labelled "1" and "2" in the handbook... do i just pull on them from the 'wiring' side to remove them then?

Skoda dont recommend that owners change bulbs.

Its better for your dealer to do it and charge you!!! :S

I just paid 24euros for 1 H8 foglamp bulb at a dealers, was I robbed ??? Its an Osram.

I just paid 24euros for 1 H8 foglamp bulb at a dealers, was I robbed ??? Its an Osram.

Of course! The three words - 'grease' , 'pole' and 'shafted' spring to mind when buying non specific generic parts from a dealer e.g. H7 bulb (unbranded) from local stealer £12.97 - Lucas bulb from motor factors 100 meters away £3.50! Go figure

Skoda dont recommend that owners change bulbs.

Its better for your dealer to do it and charge you!!! :S

i bet they do!!... no worries, i just gave it a yank - by luck the missus' corsa needed a sidelight too and it was the same type so for once I could buy a "pack of 2" bulbs that were both of some immediate use!

Use this Powerbulbs search and it tells you what all the bulbs are around the car

http://www.powerbulbs.com/bulb_finder.asp