Replacing back Brake light bulb

[missviper]

As anyone replaced any bulbs in their New shape A3?
If so how did you do it and was it easy?
Looking at the light it does not look straight forward and dealers said they would need to fit and would cost £24 for fitting and another £1 - 2 for the bulb
Please can somone help as it seems a lot of money to pay out for a bulb???

 

[h5djr]

I have not tried to change any rear light bulbs myself yet but here are some links to pages from the Elsawin electronic workshop manual which show what needs to be done. It looks quite straightforward.

rear lights-overview

rear lights-remove

rear lights-install

 

[marriedblonde]

Takes 2 minutes to change the rear bulbs. If you look inside the boot you can see a cover that pops off and under it is a nut, undo this and the lens comes off. Change the bulb, replace the covers, tighten the nut and jobs a good un.

J.

 

[missviper]

Thanks guys

 

[Worze]

Local dealer wanted to charge £30 to change a 49p bulb.

It's easy, took me all of 5 minutes. Instructions in the manual, you have to wiggle the light cluster a little to get in to unclick but it's only 4 screws and bob's your uncle.

 

[missviper]

Does anyone no what bulb part no: i would need and where to get them from???
As i have been to Halfords who have said they do not sell bulbs for my car according to their computer.
Can i only get them from a dealership??

 

[marriedblonde]

what bulb is it?

 

[silver75]

brake light?

 

[marriedblonde]

LOL...yep your right it's in the title of the thread!

They are not special lights! You want a P21/5w bulb.

J.

 

[IanMcA3]

You guys must have more bottle than me. It is easy to undo screws but I could not get the unit to pull out, kept on thinking I was going to snap a socket. Took it to the stealer in the end, felt like a right looser - Can you please change a bulb? £15 plus the cost of the bulb! Goodwill?

 

[Booster]

God some dealers really take the p1ss!
Everytime one of my bulbs has gone I go down to the my dealer and someone comes out and changes the bulb. I have never been charged labour and I think they have only asked me to pay for a bulb twice in 8 years of driving Audis.

 

[missviper]

God some dealers really take the p1ss!
Everytime one of my bulbs has gone I go down to the my dealer and someone comes out and changes the bulb. I have never been charged labour and I think they have only asked me to pay for a bulb twice in 8 years of driving Audis.

How do you manage that what dealer do you go to??

 

[missviper]

LOL...yep your right it's in the title of the thread!

They are not special lights! You want a P21/5w bulb.

J.

Well according to Halfords you can't buy them for the car and need to go to a dealers for item.

 

[ianspibs]

Have you taken the old bulb out yet ?
Like MB says, there is nothing special about the bulbs in an A3.
Only thing I can think of is when I've been to Halfords and looked through the list/guide that they have near the bulbs, is that they are not listed in there for the A3.

 

[Worze]

I've had to change 2 in the past year. Got the first in Halfords (can't remember the code...sorry) and it cost £2.50. Last bulb I got at the dealer for 49p.

Halfords offer a fit-it-while-u-wait service but they don't offer this on the Audi but it is really very simple to do yourself.

 

[Redwing289]

Well according to Halfords you can't buy them for the car and need to go to a dealers for item.

They were definitely available from Halfords a month ago as I bought a pack of two. As marriedblonde says, they're standard 12V 21/5W bulbs, the ones I bought were Bosch, Bulb Type 380, taken straight off the shelf at Halfords.

So either Halfords have changed their stock in the last month or the employee you spoke to clearly knows nowt....... I would suspect the latter is more likely

 

[marriedblonde]

Well according to Halfords you can't buy them for the car and need to go to a dealers for item.

Miss Viper I assure you halfords do stock them (checked last night!). They are just a standard stop/tail bulb. They might not have the A3 listed in there book but there are pretty much standard fitment on hundreds of cars!

J.

 

[marriedblonde]

You guys must have more bottle than me. It is easy to undo screws but I could not get the unit to pull out, kept on thinking I was going to snap a socket. Took it to the stealer in the end, felt like a right looser - Can you please change a bulb? £15 plus the cost of the bulb! Goodwill?

You just undo the nuts and give it a tug. Nice and easy.

J.

 

[silver75]

You just undo the nuts and give it a tug. Nice and easy.

J.

im not saying anything

 

[IanMcA3]

I thought the nuts were undone after the tug?