Changing a bulb on an Audi A4

Lemoncurd

One of the brake lights has gone on our 2001 A4 - the manual says that you should get bulbs changed by a professional. Is it really that tricky to change a rear bulb?

Aletank

If it is more difficult than normal, buy the bulb from Halfords and they have a fitting service for a couple of £. Headlamp/Tail bulbs can be awkward/fiddley so can be worth letting Halfords fit them.

Porker

if you do it yourself just take care not to touch the glass of the new bulb with your bare hands - this will make them blow much earlier...
I really cannot think of a reason why you shouldnt be able to change it yourself, unless audi's are designed in a really peculiar way...

skiddy2k

Porker wrote:

if you do it yourself just take care not to touch the glass of the new bulb with your bare hands - this will make them blow much earlier...

porker, this tends to be a problem with headlight bulbs only, because these bulbs are halogen bulbs and therefore shouldnt have any fingerprints on it.
brake light bulbs are not halogen and therefore you can touch the glass with your fingers.

you can pop down your local halfords store and they will check and see whether or not they can change the light bulb. they dont always change it if there is something obstructing the access to the bulb.

normally, you lift the rear boot door up and then may have to remove some of the panel behind the light case. once you've done this, you'll have another panel/circuit board on the way, this should be easily removed by pinching the clips on the circuit panel and then the circuit panel falling loose.

locate your brake light bulb and then remove the bulb like a house bulb...push and twist.
most of the time, the owners service manual gives brief directions of how to go about and removing bulbs.

i dont think it should be that difficult, worth having a look!

hope this helps,
Skiddy,

teaparty_2

Hi

I've just changed a bulb and it is very easy - I have a Audi A4 cabriolet 04 reg' - and the instructions were not in the manual! So, to save money and not visit a mechanic, here goes!>
Open the boot of the car - locate the plastic flat plug, just behind where the rear lights sit. Turn it half or third of a turn and pull it out. (it's just a cover with 3 flanges - like you get on the bottom of a piggy bank!)
In that hole there is a screw - undo it and pull it out - it's quite long ~ 5cm.
Now the scarey bit..using your finger nails grip all around the edge of the back light fixture/ coloured glass - and if it's the left rear lamp you are gripping push/wiggle to the left....or the opposite for the other side. You see, the only thing really holding the back light fitting to the car is 2 little balls, which stick out from the back of the car like nipples, and actual light casement is slipped onto these sideways when the car is built. Keep wiggling it very slightly while pushing to left. Suddenly it will come away in your hand.
Once off locate the bulb that's blown, #REMEMBER to turn the lights off and remove keys from the ignition!#,
Give the bulb housing half a turn to remove the bulb-with-the-socket and change the bulb (remove=quarter turn and extract, replace = push bulb in followed by a quarter turn to fix).
Be careful to replace the bulb with the right one - you can read the bulb's description from the metal trunk of the bulb itself---eg could be like - 5w 12v for a rear light etc - get them from Halfords 2x for £2.50.
Hope it helps
Time for Tea!

goldspanners

skiddy2k wrote: »

porker, this tends to be a problem with headlight bulbs only, because these bulbs are halogen bulbs and therefore shouldnt have any fingerprints on it.
brake light bulbs are not halogen and therefore you can touch the glass with your fingers.

its nothing to do with finger prints.
it the oil from your skin that is the problem,this causes the bulb to heat up more and blow the bulb earlier.

peterbaker

Well as we are being a tad pedantic, I reckon that as it is never recommended that your skin be touching the bulb especially after you switch the lights on for pain-avoidance reasons if nothing else, then if you have made a mistake, the offending oil must have been transferred to said bulb via your fingers leaving unique random patterns on the surface , otherwise known as 'fingerprints' ... On the other hand it may be nothing to do with fingerprints

kitchpoo

The headlight bulbs are the awkward ones - and I believe Halfords have now taken it off their fit list. To get to the headlight the easiest way is to remove the bumper, otherwise there is a panel in the inner wheelarch to come off to gain access but that requires a contortionist with a double jointed wrist and thin hands! The rear lights are really not an issue as the above has stated.

Lemoncurd

Funny to see this pop back up after over 2 years! We did attempt the rear light change in the end, unfortunately the fitting was broken (already we think). Don't know if it's just our car but the bulbs are constantly going, there is always a warning light on the dash and as soon as we fix one another goes!

goldspanners

peterbaker wrote: »

Well as we are being a tad pedantic, I reckon that as it is never recommended that your skin be touching the bulb especially after you switch the lights on for pain-avoidance reasons if nothing else, then if you have made a mistake, the offending oil must have been transferred to said bulb via your fingers leaving unique random patterns on the surface , otherwise known as 'fingerprints' ... On the other hand it may be nothing to do with fingerprints

i wasnt being pedantic,i was only offering advise.

peterbaker

Sorry goldspanners ... you just had me wondering about oil changes rather than bulb changes for a bit . I guess any kind of contamination on the glass of the halogens will risk premature failures really?