I recently had my near side low beam light pack in. I took it to a local jobbing car repairer who swapped the bulb...£45!!. That didn't work and they were at a loss what it could be, I was advised to take it to a Skoda dealership but to expect a bill for around £1000!! as it probably involved accessing the Ballast module, etc.. Anyway today I contacted my local Volks Shop, who also do Skoda's. He also advised me that it could involve removing the front bumper and if it is a module a replacement could cost £250!!. He's quoted me a ball park figure of £450 to do the work, after I'd stopped crying I agreed to take it on Friday. But he did say that a lot of after market bulbs are dodgy so it still might just be the bulb....fingers crossed.

It sounds like you have bixenon headlamps. £45 is very cheap for a bulb replacement, especially if it includes labour. I replaced both bulbs in mine last winter with OSRAM Xenarc (like for like - I think these are the OE fitment) and the pair of bulbs alone was €150 (~£130). If it is the bulb that has failed, you should replace them as a pair too. Xenon bulbs degrade over time, and you will notice a big difference in light output between the two sides if you only replace one bulb.

 

Did the mechanic you brought it to do a diagnostic scan on the headlamp controller? If the fault lies somewhere other than the bulb, there are likely to be fault codes stored in the controller or one of the slaves in the headlamps.

 

If the control module needs to be replaced the headlamp has to be removed from the vehicle, which means removing the bumper. Make sure the mechanic runs a proper diagnostic to ensure that it is the controller that has failed before he goes to charge you for a replacement.

Hi chimaera,

Thankfully the VOLKS SHOP I'm taking it to on Friday is all kitted out to do diagnostic checks so he's likly to be doing that. I've dealt with the guy in the past, when I had a VW Sharan, and he's very knowledgeable and won't charge for work he doesn't do. Anyway, once this latest problem is sorted I'll be parting company with the car and I'm unlikely to buy another Skoda, I think I'll be going with Kia or Hyundai., possibly Ford.

Regards

I collected the car today from the Volks Shop.

 

It was the Ballast Module - the price of the part = £270.52 + VAT

 

With labour bill total with 20% VAT  = £433.82