Front indicator bulbs

[silverden]

Being a new Octavia owner and new forum member I've been trawling through all the past posts to get and learn lots of info.  One thing that I've come across is the fact that changing the indicator bulbs is no mean feat.  I'm alarmed to find that you have to remove the entire bumper just to change a bulb and even when you get to that stage you also have to cut away the back of the headlight to get at the bulb.  Great design feature that !  Not the sort of job to do at the side of the road.  Although, I noted that some said it could be done without  removing the entire bumper.  It's also been stated that it's possible to reach in and cut away the plastic and reach the bulb that way.  Presumably if you have nimble fingers.  That rules me out.  I have a thought and was wondering if anyone else has maybe done this.  Thinking that a need to replace a bulb at some point is a fair chance is it worthwhile cutting away at the back of the light units at your own leisure and then carry a spare bulb and it could be a much easier task later on.  I notice that even after cutting into the plastic on the rear of the light unit there is a kit to cover it back up again.  Is there really a need to cover this hole back up again or am I missing something ?  I'd imagine a good lump of duct tape would cover the back enough to keep dirt out.  After all it won't be seen there.  With my car still being under warranty there may be an issue doing that.  I'd really like to know anyone's thoughts on this.

 

Den

[pist0nbr0ke]

Needs to be watertight or you'll get awful condensation. Just a thought.

 

Or buy an Audi, thereby negating the need for indicators...

Edited 3 January, 2018 by pist0nbr0ke
2nd thought

[ahenners]

It is just about possible by doing it without removing the bumper. Space is very limited though, I cut the holes out with a Swiss army knife type tool as it was easiest to get the angle right in the limited space for cutting. The bit you cut is quite a soft plastic compared to other areas.

 

You do need repair caps which are about £8 iirc. The repair cap has a rubber o ring around it so it seals it when you tighten it back to cover the hole. The last thing you want is moisture inside the headlamp. I must not have screwed on the cover for the bi-xenon bulb a few months ago, and one of my DRLs stopped working until I dried it out again.

 

You are right in that it's much easier to do it again once done. It's just a case of undoing a couple of small hex screws to take the cap back off.

[Yaumeister]

Alternatively a 44mm drill bit fits nearly perfectly for cutting the cover, but then you need to turn it around many times manually to get the job done. Tiring but works even with my fat fingers 

[silverden]

Thanks for all the input so far.  Keep it coming.  I was thinking maybe using a dremel to cut the holes out may work.  Even with the holes cut and a cover kit fitted it must still be awkward to get at the screws.

 

Den

[Yaumeister]

Use a flexible extension for the screwdriver, makes it much easier!

[norsko]

Why? The front indicator works as it is, and will continue to do that for 10-15 years. My 2004 Superb still has the original bulbs..............

[silverden]

10 hours ago, norsko said:

Why? The front indicator works as it is, and will continue to do that for 10-15 years. My 2004 Superb still has the original bulbs..............

 

norsko..... that's what I'd like to hope for also.  On any other car where the bulbs are an easy swap I wouldn't be concerned but knowing my luck it'll happen to me when hundreds of miles away from home and as these bulbs are not too common I'd carry a spare also.  I'm looking at this as another form of insurance or preventative maintenance.  I'd rather be doing a job like this in the comfort of my own garage with heat and lighting as doing it on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere or having to give a dealer hundreds of pounds just to fit a new bulb.

 

To anyone else who has successfully cut out the holes and fitted the cover kit, how easy is it to actually remove the bulb/holder through the cutout.  Is it just a straight pull out and push back in job or does it need a degree in manual dexterity.  Is there a part number for the cover kit and is it available from a Skoda dealer or would I need to send away for it ?  Appologies for so many questions but I'm on a steep learning curve here 

 

Den

[ahenners]

7 minutes ago, silverden said:

 

norsko..... that's what I'd like to hope for also.  On any other car where the bulbs are an easy swap I wouldn't be concerned but knowing my luck it'll happen to me when hundreds of miles away from home and as these bulbs are not too common I'd carry a spare also.  I'm looking at this as another form of insurance or preventative maintenance.  I'd rather be doing a job like this in the comfort of my own garage with heat and lighting as doing it on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere or having to give a dealer hundreds of pounds just to fit a new bulb.

 

To anyone else who has successfully cut out the holes and fitted the cover kit, how easy is it to actually remove the bulb/holder through the cutout.  Is it just a straight pull out and push back in job or does it need a degree in manual dexterity.  Is there a part number for the cover kit and is it available from a Skoda dealer or would I need to send away for it ?  Appologies for so many questions but I'm on a steep learning curve here 

 

Den

 

You need to twist the bulb + holder to release it from the light unit, then you can pull the bulb from the holder. Re-fitting is a reverse of the above.

[silverden]

2 minutes ago, ahenners said:

 

You need to twist the bulb + holder to release it from the light unit, then you can pull the bulb from the holder. Re-fitting is a reverse of the above.

 

So is it easy to get your fingers into the cutout hole to be able to do the twist and turn.  I'm also guessing that it would have to be done blind as well as it's probably near to impossible to get your head in there to see what you're doing.  I'm having to take into account that I'm 68yrs of age with 68 year old eyes and arthritic fingers

 

Den

[ahenners]

18 minutes ago, silverden said:

 

So is it easy to get your fingers into the cutout hole to be able to do the twist and turn.  I'm also guessing that it would have to be done blind as well as it's probably near to impossible to get your head in there to see what you're doing.  I'm having to take into account that I'm 68yrs of age with 68 year old eyes and arthritic fingers

 

Den

 

Yep, practically blind, I used a small mirror to help. I'm reasonably young (<30) and my fingers are fine, and it was still quite difficult. There wasn't a huge amount of room to get fingers in and twist the bulb holder. I think in your circumstances it's going to be even harder, and potentially borderline impossible depending on the severity of your arthritis.

 

Repair cap part number is 5L0 998 295 and you need 2. They don't come as a pair.

[silverden]

Looks like I might have to have a serious rethink about this now   

 

Den

[ahenners]

1 minute ago, silverden said:

Looks like I might have to have a serious rethink about this now   

 

Den

 

Don't get too hung up on it... Chances are you'll probably have to replace each side once, maybe twice at the most for the lifetime of the car. 

 

If you need to pay someone to do it, then it's just one of those things, and thankfully not required too often.

[silverden]

Think I might just keep the idea on the back burner for the time being and might have a sudden burst of enthusiasm to have a go when the warmer weather comes back.  Many thanks for all the advice so far 

 

Den

[Yaumeister]

It really isn't that hard to twist and take the bulb out and in, you can get extra leverage by taking off the headlamp cover and put your hand in that way, that's what I did anyway.

[silverden]

56 minutes ago, Yaumeister said:

It really isn't that hard to twist and take the bulb out and in, you can get extra leverage by taking off the headlamp cover and put your hand in that way, that's what I did anyway.

 

Can you explain more about taking off the headlamp cover.  I'm assuming you mean the entire black plastic cover on the back of the headlight unit but I would have thought that would be glued onto the light unit.

 

Den

[Yaumeister]

Just to be clear I'm only saying you can easily grab the bulb to twist it in and out after you've done the cut out.

 

Take out the headlamp cover (round with a big handle on it) as if you are replacing the H7 bulb, you can reach the indicator bulb via there to twist it.

 

 

[silverden]

Ok, understand what you mean now.  I've got some new Osram h15s and h7s to fit at the weekend so I'll have a look at it then.  Thanks.

 

Den