Rear lamp removal guide
- Thread starter ilim
- Start date
There's 2 little plastic discs that hide two bolts, then you just gently prise the light off from the outside (carefully, so you don't damage the wire). Unplug the plastic connector and then reverse the process for fitting the new one. It's a 5min job, really easy. There was even a screw driver with the right hex fitting in with my spare wheel for undoing the 2 bolts.
Did this today, thanks for the tips. My rear right reversing globe is not working - although no warnings shown on the dash. Left works fine. Went to Audi and got a replacement globe this morning - but after removing tail light it looked completely different to the one that came out and wouldn't fit in the socket. The faulty one appeared to be a long thin type that sat in some kind of adaptor to make it fit in the holder - Yet the new one was a completely different shape and had no metal base - just a glass globe with tiny metal prongs visible at the base. It wouldn't fit in with, or without, the adaptor.
To make things even more confusing, i then Pulled apart my left (working) rear lamp to see what was globe was In there - it was different yet again to both the new part supplied by Audi as well as the faulty one on the right hand side. The working globe was exactly the same as the stop light globe in the same assembly however. Again, the Audi supplied globe wouldn't fit.
So, I took the working globe and put it in my faulty right side - surely that should give some sign of life. It fit, but didn't illuminate. Instead I got a dash warning telling me my rear left light lights were faulty (obviously because I had removed a globe). Put the same globe back in the left again, warning cleared, left light works again.
Im confused as hell. 3 different globes types and none of them working on one side, even when i put a known working one in from the pther side. Can someone post a pic of what the correct globe should look like, and confirm that indeed both reversing globes are meant to illuminate when car placed in reverse gear? I recently bought the car - so - Is it possible the PO has used a Vagcom tool to de-activate one rear right reversing globe and eliminate it from producing a dash warning?
Any help appreciated. 2004 a3 8p 3 door.
Edited to add image of each globe:
Thanks
m320
To make things even more confusing, i then Pulled apart my left (working) rear lamp to see what was globe was In there - it was different yet again to both the new part supplied by Audi as well as the faulty one on the right hand side. The working globe was exactly the same as the stop light globe in the same assembly however. Again, the Audi supplied globe wouldn't fit.
So, I took the working globe and put it in my faulty right side - surely that should give some sign of life. It fit, but didn't illuminate. Instead I got a dash warning telling me my rear left light lights were faulty (obviously because I had removed a globe). Put the same globe back in the left again, warning cleared, left light works again.
Im confused as hell. 3 different globes types and none of them working on one side, even when i put a known working one in from the pther side. Can someone post a pic of what the correct globe should look like, and confirm that indeed both reversing globes are meant to illuminate when car placed in reverse gear? I recently bought the car - so - Is it possible the PO has used a Vagcom tool to de-activate one rear right reversing globe and eliminate it from producing a dash warning?
Any help appreciated. 2004 a3 8p 3 door.
Edited to add image of each globe:
Thanks
m320
Last edited:
That's right ! On the 3 door the offside equivalent to the reversing light is the rear fog light that can only operate when the headlights have been switched on. You pull the switch out towards you to activate.
Nearside is the reversing light.
On the sportback both sides are identical.
Ahh, that must explain it, thank you. 
I do have fog lights installed, so will give them a try tomorrow and see if that brings the mystery light on!
I do have fog lights installed, so will give them a try tomorrow and see if that brings the mystery light on!
thebambam
P.I.M.P
Yeah you only have 1 reverse 1 fog , I moved to germany obviously had to change them and was confused when audi give me the wrong bulb. You can switch over the wiring if you get new light units. Not to hard 15 min jobby.
I was unsure after three different pieces of information:
a) The guy doing the MOT (australian equivalent anyway) informed me European cars only had 1 reverse light so I had no problems, then
b) a friend put his A4 into reverse gear and I saw two reverse lights come on, proving the above wrong, then
c) when I asked Audi if I should have 1 or 2 reversing lights, he said "computer says you should have two for your car".
What I didn't make clear to Audi however was that I have a 3dr, not a sportback - hence there's an answer in here somewhere. Will put the old globe + adaptor in tomorrow and see if it lights - with and without fog lights. I suspect it might.
Thanks for your help -
m
a) The guy doing the MOT (australian equivalent anyway) informed me European cars only had 1 reverse light so I had no problems, then
b) a friend put his A4 into reverse gear and I saw two reverse lights come on, proving the above wrong, then
c) when I asked Audi if I should have 1 or 2 reversing lights, he said "computer says you should have two for your car".
What I didn't make clear to Audi however was that I have a 3dr, not a sportback - hence there's an answer in here somewhere. Will put the old globe + adaptor in tomorrow and see if it lights - with and without fog lights. I suspect it might.
Thanks for your help -
m
thebambam
P.I.M.P
I have a 5 door A3 Sports-back (2005), im in the proccess of trying to change the reverse light bulbs for Cree LED bulbs, both lights look like they have reverse lights, however only one seems to work, im not sure if a bulb is out or if one of the bulbs is a reverse bulb and the other is a fog, it might make it easier if i could actually get the bulbs out but the method has alluded me, in other words i dont no what im doing, lol can someone let me know how i gain access to the bulbs please, i had a go earlier but couldnt gain access, i took the plastic cap off and i unplugged the wire but i couldnt get the plastic housing unit out which holds the bulbs, sorry for the novice Q this is my first A3, help would be appreciated, thanks!
