This has been touched on before - but it seems tha rear lamps are every bit as awkward as the front headlamps !

 

@malcster posted in October last, pretty much what's in the handbook - and he did allude to the difficulty removing the clusters. (!)

[Posted 6 October, 2016 ·

Absolute pain

Undo two screws - Use the little hook for wheel trims - Small hole on lamp

Place hook in there

And lift and pull out or pull down and depending on which side you are doing

You then need to wiggle the lamp free of its spring while not bashing it into the rear quarter panel

The loom for the light is very short allowing just enough movement to get the clip off the plug

To make matters worse for me I fitted Cree reverse lights only to find they threw an error code

So it was all in vain

Turns out there is a coding for vcds

So I'll get round to it again at some point ]

 

I've just gone at this damn thing as one of the rear bulbs is gone ( - eight bulbs on the back! - in a salad of bulb types - four each side. We used to make do with one each side !)

 

Anyhow - the rear clusters on my Combi are pigs - I gave up to see if anyone else had any bright ideas?

 

Are the pins that go into bodywork, just straight, locating pins? Or have they a flare to help lock them in?

They seem to be "murder-tight" on my car. Cannot get the cluster move rearwards at all.

 

And, as malcster indicates - there is a real risk of damaging the rear quarter panel.

 

Looked at a Fabia 1 "how to" on YouTube - and it didn't even require tools to get at the bulbs - just like my old Passat - and most cars before it.

Maybe, two or three screws and there's the bulbs.

 

/end another lamp-rant!

Any ideas anyone?  Or is it just - persevere, grunt and cuss? Apart from bringing it to the dealer !

Edited 8 February, 20179 yr by Dithane

Perseverance really I used a few from removal tools wrapped in tissue to tease the locating retaining pin 

And gently wiggle the lamps out 

 

Unless you need to do asap my honest advice would be to wait until it's a bit warmer out as me personally working on cars and plastic in near freezing conditions is usually a recipe for damage 

Yep - with you on the ambient temp, @malcster.

... I've been looking for a silicone removal spatula that's here somewhere - wrapping it in tissue as well might help.

 

And, yes - no rush really - seven other bulbs to go !

 

Seems like this sort of nonsense has been recognised and maybe Laser Tools has addressed it with a solution!  I saw a "solution" somewhere anyway, and when you see the potential for paintwork damage, I think that solution was not too expensive. (not been there yet, always had fun getting the 2003MY Polo rear clusters out to change the brake light bulbs) - and another "yes" for try to avoid working on plastics in cold weather.

 

Edit:-  Laser Tools head light cover removal set  p/n 6246  suggested price £35.06  - find it under     Home > Our Products > Cars > Body/Chassis > Parts Removal > Head Light Cover Removal Set

 

Another Edit:-  £21.25 on ebay, ordered!

 

Yet Another Edit:- Dispatched!!

Edited 9 February, 20179 yr by rum4mo

2 hours ago, rum4mo said:

 

Seems like this sort of nonsense has been recognised and maybe Laser Tools has addressed it with a solution!  I saw a "solution" somewhere anyway, and when you see the potential for paintwork damage, I think that solution was not too expensive. (not been there yet, always had fun getting the 2003MY Polo rear clusters out to change the brake light bulbs) - and another "yes" for try to avoid working on plastics in cold weather.

 

Edit:-  Laser Tools head light cover removal set  p/n 6246  suggested price £35.06  - find it under     Home > Our Products > Cars > Body/Chassis > Parts Removal > Head Light Cover Removal Set

 

Another Edit:-  £21.25 on ebay, ordered!

 

Yet Another Edit:- Dispatched!!

 

 

Or a £2.90 set of trim tools that can be used everywhere else 

 

Good luck with he laser tool 

 

Don't forget the actual tool you need is in the boot spare wheel foam 

 

It's just a spring clip that can be a bit troublesome to release 

 

Only the driver's side needed coaxing out with the the trim tool ans that was only because it was a week old car and you know how that is

 

passenger side was a lot easier once I sussed out how it releases 

My wife's car is a 2015 Polo so I can't talk for the new Fabia application, but I've had a good set of trim tools etc for years, and use them for removing trim, but never considered using them for removing clusters because what I've found from my experience of a 2003 9N Polo and a late 2009 6J Ibiza is, the gap between the "out side" of the rear clusters and the body is minimal - for cosmetic etc reasons, so once any fixings are removed, I can start the extraction by giving the cluster assembly a thump to the "out side" of the car, the next plan being to support the inner side and thump in the opposite direction, sometimes with very little effect!  At least the old Polo clusters had threaded studs that you could press back against, I seem to remember that the Ibiza has these sprung clips - and I've always added grease etc to where these fixings pass through to make life easier the next time - which it never did.  I tend to check the indicator bulbs before each MOT and probably replace any bulbs that have blackened, so maybe I expect to be able to get in there with no drama whenever I want - I've had the "we needed to replace indicator bulbs showing white light" twice in my life, both times after fitting new bulbs the day before the MOT, so no need to hand over any more cash as that comment was just someone trying to be smart!  I'm not convinced that VW considered adding any "handy" extra tools to the kit for this job, there is a curved bit of plastic in the tool kit in my S4 whose use escapes me.

 

Really I'm just trying to avoid damaging paintwork unnecessarily. (maybe my wife will want to give me a gift on Valentine's day?)

 

Edit:- blinking Ibiza rear clusters even have a coloured red plastic grub screw which seems to be intended to keep the secured cluster at the correct angle to look right!  Now I'll need to have a look at the 6R/6C Polo to see if there are any small holes for sticking the wheel bolt remover into, same with my S4, but I'd expect that I'll be disappointed.

Edited 9 February, 20179 yr by rum4mo

Hi I had same problem. Using the hook for wheel trims tends to try and pull light cluster out at wrong angle for the locator pins. I invested in a set of plastic trim removal tools. I used the one shown and the attached pic. Inserted the broad hook end between the lamp cluster and the car body. Gently prise in up and down movement as you pull the lamp cluster back in your other hand. Hey presto it popped of with no problem. I've used this several times no problems no damage to paintwork. I also you silicone grease on the pins to facilitate later removals.

 

Tools are available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Voche-Piece-Panel-Removal-Tools/dp/B01ITI9ZJ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486647580&sr=8-1&keywords=car+body+panel+and+trim+removal+tool+voche

 

Good luck

 

Two credit cards with a flat screwdriver worked for me, but it isn't for the feint hearted!