Had a 501 capless bulb blow in my tail lights and thought it was just a simple w5w swap. As it turns out, the tail lights are w3w's and the difference is noticable when I put an old pre-led bulb from my puddle mirrors in there. Doubt it harmed it a bit but it was considerably brighter and I can imagine it possibly might look a bit like a brake light being on. I had a blind view that a 501 was a 501 so is it just me, or does other not know there was a difference??

 

Oh, the Skoda bulb kit doesn't really help as there's only one 501 in it, a w3w, so it's obviously only meant for the exterior notification lights, meaning it's not a complete set if a puddle or interior light blows. Think I'll be carrying one of each in there now.

Oh, and does anyone else know what uses a w3w over a w5w other than the tail lights, just for reference?

The amount of octys you see with the wrong tail lights in is unreal. When I got mine three were wrong!

The main culprit is halfords and there bulb list which in my local one is incorrect.

Edited 21 August, 201312 yr by vrs777

even halfords headlight's are wrong if you have xenons!

 

The w3w is only for the two side bulbs which make the C shape. The top and bottom are different again as they are dual filament BUT are P21/4W, not the normal 5w

even halfords headlight's are wrong if you have xenons!

 

The w3w is only for the two side bulbs which make the C shape. The top and bottom are different again as they are dual filament BUT are P21/4W, not the normal 5w

Unles you have one of the versions that don't have dual filament but vary the voltage to vary brightness!

Confused yet?

i can just imagine the meeting: Here's an idea, that'll confuse the ****ers into going to a main dealer

I spoke to my dealer, who is good as gold and usually very helpful and knowledgable about things, and he said they'd just be standard 510's so when I said they were w3w not w5w and there was a noticeable difference between the two he was surprised and not aware, but thanked me for telling him.

Unles you have one of the versions that don't have dual filament but vary the voltage to vary brightness!

Confused yet?

 

Estate = single filament (brake / tail & fog / tail)

Hatch = twin filament (brake / tail & fog / tail)