HOWTO: New Octavia - Headlight Bulb Change

[Guest pajor91]

Managed to change the dip bulbs largely thanks to this guide. But does anyone have tips as to how to get the wiring connector off more easily for future reference?

All I really managed to do was knacker my fingers :think:

Edited 27 June, 2013 by pajor91

[adeha]

Excellent guide. Many thanks. I could not have changed my side-light bulb without it.

One comment. On my '06 model, there is a small plastic tab with small pips on it that sits above the hook shown in step 3. I had to lift that up at the same time as starting to pull the hook out as shown. I also had to use a screwdriver for leverage to get the hook to start moving and the lamp housing moving forwards.

 

Getting the sidelight retainer out of the main housing is a little tricky. What worked for me was to rotate the holder so that its plastic retaining tabs were in 'over and under' orientation. I could then get the end of snipe-nosed pliers to pinch the tabs together and pull the retainer out quite easily.

[VRS2012Blue]

Thanks for the advice.

Just changed my to Super Brilliance Blue from Halfords - BOGOF.

Managed to do it without removing the headlight although I did try removing but the black hook wouldn't budge!

Hardest bit was doing the passenger side what with the turbo and fuse box. Anyone else have this difficulty?

Regards, Paul.

[anandpadhye]

I changed the left headlight bulb (low beam) following the steps in the first post back in February 2013. Had a tough time disconnecting the wiring harness connector at that time and somehow pulled it out but it took 20 min or so -simply because I did not know what I was doing - I was wrestling with it. Now, 2 weeks ago, right headlight low beam bulb went kaput. So I searched online for some easy way to disconnect the wiring connector and found this:

It's for Audi, but the Octavia 2 also has a very similar connector and using this method (open the side latch by turning a screw driver), I could disconnect the connector in a few seconds. Though of sharing it here in case it's useful.

Regards,

Anand

[HamishP]

this is a superb guide!

I have a question though, I have a set of H7 100w, are they safe to fit, would they cause any damage cause of the extra heat they generate?

[mr_roggger]

Just used this guide to put in both H1 and H7 Philips X-Treme Vision bulbs.

Easy to follow and no issues, but my N/S headlap unit did not have as long a loom as the one on this post to you have to fiddle to disconnect the plug a little in the constrained space.

[vonbeck]

just used this guide to upgrade to osram nightbreaker + bulbs brilliant guide took me all of 15 mins to do both sides did not bother taking the wiring  plug out could easily manage 

cheers 

just need for the sun to go to bed now!!!!!!!!

[motr]

Used this guide over the weekend to change my dipped beam bulb drivers side. No issues whatsoever. Followed the guide and all fine. Brilliant!!

 

However, switched on the lights and notice that the passnger side dipped beam bulb is nowhere near as bright as the new bulb fitted, so tried to remove the unit but can't seem to pull the release lever out. Only moves about quater of an inch whereas the drivers side lever came out a lot further.

 

I don't want to break it by putting excessive force into getting it out but I also do not want to take it to a garage.

 

Any ideas.

[solanomor]

(google translation swedish-english)

Replacing the xenon lamp on the Octavia II

D1S bulb units for xenon dipped beam on Octavia II.

Time to change - Max 15 min / lamp

A

Open the bonnet

Unscrew the white plastic nut at (1)

Pull up the latch and pull the metal lever (2) in the direction of the green arrow

Lamp housing is now going out.

B

Loosen the connection to the lamp housing.

Release the latch on the connection. (1) Insert your thumbnail into the slot and press the green arrow.

Loosen the connection.

C

Loosen hangers (1)

Remove the screws (2.3)

Remove the plastic cap

D

Remove the lamp by loosening the screws at 1 and 2

E

Loosen plug (1)

Slide away (2)

F

Insert the new lamp

Assemble in reverse order

Do you know if the new octavia mk3 has a D1S xenon bulbs?

[Genesisman80]

Excellent guide.... very helpful.... like a few of the other guys I think I have knocked it out of alignment.... any help or tips to realign would be helpful.

 

Regards

 

Mark in Coventry

[KatiesSkoda]

Hello

 

I wonder if you can help. My wife has an Octavia MkII facelift Greenline.

 

Recently the nearside headlamp dip beam failed.

 

I tried my default repair, thumping it, and it came on again. However after a week or so it failed again.

 

My wife thumped it without any luck so I got a new bulb.

 

Today, following the instructions on this thread I tried to remove the headlamp unit but couldn't. I removed the white plastic nut pulled out the lever but it wouldn't budge.

 

I thought it might be a different procedure for the facelift model but it appers to be the same (am I correct?). I had another try but it still wouldn't budge.

 

I re-assembled everything so she could take it somewhere to get it replaced.

 

As a final straw I gave it another thump.....low and behold it came on!!! So the bulb is OK.

 

Any suggestions? Both to where the loose connection might be and more importantly where am I going wrong in trying to get the headlamp unit out.

 

Thanks for any help.

 

Robert

[iamian]

Great guide.

 

Has anyone done this on a Mk3 Octy (Non-xenon)?

 

The OEM bulbs with DRL are truly poor.

[pj71]

Thanks andy 2407 for an excellent how to. Lets  hope i haven't knocked my alignment out. Super guide. 

[GAFF]

Just a thought.....but might be worth changing the title of this thread to Mk2 (rather than new).

[gotmyskoda]

Great comments. Thanks for all the help. I am currently changing my light units to LHD for driving in France. I've swapped all the bulbs to the new unit minus the side light bulb which is a bigger to get out. Any tips? Do you just pull, or do you need to squeeze the side or does it twist first? Thanks

[ExPassat]

I did this and changed my bulb! However... I dropped a bit of tissue that it had used to hold the bulb and it has gone down under the engine. I presume this isnt going to cause be a problem, catching fire etc?

[Bullit]

Another happy user of this "How to guide" both dipped and main beam replaced with

Philips Headlight BulbXtreme Vision PLUS 130% Extra Light - H7 Twin Pack

Osram Nightbreaker UNLIMITED - Performance Bulbs - H1 448 Twin Pack

The FL light units at the back just have the rubber bung cover so no need to undue screws and take plastic cover off of the headlight unit to get at the dipped beams.

[R32yck]

Great guide, my hook was proper stuck, it took some force to release but got it in the end.

[whomacuddy]

Yes thanks for the guide, works great on the Mk2 Facelift as well. The hook does require a fair shove.

[mailme]

This topic should really be renamed to "How to : Octavia II - Headlight Bulb Change" ;-)

[rw711]

Yes thanks for the guide, works great on the Mk2 Facelift as well. The hook does require a fair shove.

Thanks, I was just going to ask this very question!

[Britbusdriver]

Still proving to be a valuable source of information. Replaced both H1 main beams in my (xenon)units in about 20 mins. Got a great deal on Osram Nightbreakers during last weekend's 40% discount at GSF! However...my o/s beam now seems to be higher than the nearside. Is this normal? The dipped beams are xenons & therefore self-levelling; can the main beams be adjusted? Does it matter?!

Edited 10 February, 2016 by Britbusdriver

[sr100]

Do you need to disconnect the battery when changing the xenon bulbs or remove the headlight fuse?

[Johnbert]

Thanks also from me - a great help.

 

Suggestion if the hook will not move horizontally (mine really didn't want to) - get some rope / several strands of washing line, hook them on to the hook and a gentle pull at a distance did the job, without gashing knuckles etc.  The whole unit then popped forward by a couple of cms - so easy to draw out,  Also, having a chair next to the corner of the car ready to support the assembly was useful

 

 

[Bigstevew]

Thanks to my he OP. Helped me out. The hook was very stiff but a good pull got it! Ta.