How To Replace Headlights and Bulbs 1998-2001 VW Passat
Created on: 2012-01-18
Watch this video to learn how to replace broken headlights and headlight bulbs in a 98-01 Volkswagen Passat.
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step 1 :Replacing Drivers Side Headlight Bulbs
- Remove the dust cover
- Squeeze retainer clip
- Pull the light out carefully.
- Bulb pulls free from socket
- Replace bulb
- Put the light back into place by squeezing the retainer clip
- But the dust cover back on
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step 2 :Replacing Passenger Side Headlight Bulbs
- Remove the air intake panel
- Using a Phillips screwdriver remove the screws on the air intake duct behind light
- Remove the dust cover
- Squeeze retainer clip
- Pull the light out carefully.
- Bulb pulls free from socket
- Replace bulb
- Put the light back into place by squeezing the retainer clip
- But the dust cover back on
- Line up and replace the air intake duct and screws
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step 3 :Removing a Headlight Assembly
- Pull the white ring behind the headlight
- Reach in behind the light and pull the side light free
- Remove the two caps above the light to access the screws
- Remove the two T20 screws on the top and the one on the side of the headlight
- Pull the light free. First away from the grill and then out
- Disconnect the wires
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step 4 :Reinstalling a Headlight Assembly
- Plug the wiring harness in to the light
- Line up the tabs on the light and push it into place. Sliding the light to the side to secure it
- Replace the T20 screws by hand, and tighten firmly
- Twist the bulb for the side light back into the assembly
- Line up the tabs and push the light in to place
- Pull back the white ring and latch it to secure the light
- Replace the screw caps
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step 5 :Aiming Your Headlights
- Park 20' from a wall
- Using a Phillips screw driver in the holes above the light, adjust the angle
- One adjusts the light vertically
- The other adjusts the light horizontally
- Low beam should be pointing straight ahead. The concentration of light should be one inch below the bulb
- High beam should be pointing straight ahead. The concentration of light should be lined up with the bulb
Tools needed
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T20 Driver
Phillips Head Screwdriver
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Hi, I'm Mike Green. I'm one of the owners of 1A Auto. I want to help you save time and money maintaining and repairing your vehicle. I'm going to use my 20-plus years' experience restoring and repairing cars and trucks like this, to show you the correct way to install parts from 1AAuto.com. The right parts, installed correctly: That's going to save you time and money. Thank you, and enjoy the video.
In this video, I'm going to show you how to service the headlights on this 2001 Volkswagen Passat, same as a 98-01. I'm going to show you both changing the bulbs in the first part of the video, and then I will show you changing the whole headlight assembly. You'll want to change your headlight assembly if it's been broken obviously or if it's dull, faded, scratched, or chipped. The tools you'll need: You'll need a T20 torx driver, as well as a Phillips screwdriver for the passenger side.
Okay, if you're just looking to service the bulb, just come back here, pull these dust covers off, and little hard to film, but inside there, back in here there's a little retainer you kind of press in, squeeze. You see it comes back. Okay, got to kind of work your bulb free here. I'm just fast-forwarding here a little bit. Basically the wires are just tangled in that retainer a little bit, so you just got to kind of figure out which ones to pull which way. Then eventually the light will come out.
Got your bulb out, just kind of by pulling. We insert, take your bulb. Put it back in. Make sure it seeps down in there correctly. Push the retainer back in. Make sure your wires go around it, and lock it back in place. Okay, then put your dust boot back on. It's the same process for your other side.
Passenger side is pretty much the same. There's just an air intake duct in the way. Here, this just comes right up and off, right there. Two Phillips screws. Okay, grab the back of your duct, pull it off, and pull that out. Okay, now you can see you can get right back there, just like the other side. Put the duct in. It's in place. Make sure this part here is in place correctly. Then snap that together, and put your screws back in. Goes right here, and your tabs, goes right in there. Get that lined up, and then the back one usually pretty much lines itself right up.
That was a quick explanation on how to replace the bulbs. Now we'll go through replacing the entire assembly. You probably want to replace it obviously if you've had one broken by a rock or something like that, as well as if they're dull, yellow, faded, or chipped.
Here, there's actually a little ring here. You pull that, and release it. Just kind of reach in behind. Break the light loose. Pull it forward. At this point you can either take the bulb out, or you can just let that light hang off to the side. Kay, once you have that off, there's two screws, right under the caps, right here. Okay, so those two T20 screws there, and then there's one over on the side right here. Remove those. Okay, and I'll fast-forward, as I'm just removing those three T20 screws. Okay, once you have those out, you can kind of push the light to the side and pull it, right out. Connector right here Press on this wire. Disconnect it.
Reinstallation obviously. Line this up. Press the wire. Make sure it locks on. Okay, there's a tab right over here. It goes into a hole in your radiator support. So put it in place. Light goes in. Slide it over. Make sure it's in there. Here I'll fast-forward again as I put those screws in first. I put them in by hand and then tighten them up. You want to tighten them firm. You don't have them overly tight, though.
Put it in place, bulb in. Just make sure you line everything up, clockwise, lock it. Okay, there's a few tabs in the back, and then a tab here that goes into a tab on the headlight, or a slot in the headlight. Just make sure you put the light in correctly. Okay, and then again, pull back, and lock it up right there. Okay, let's put on these fixtures, put these caps back on top.
To adjust your lights, use Phillips screwdriver, right down through these two holes. They're the adjustors. One of them moves the headlight left and right, depending on which way you turn it, and one moves it up and down, depending on which way you turn it. According to Massachusetts law, for the low beam, what you want to do is park your car basically 20 feet away from a wall. The low beam should be pointing straight ahead, and the concentration of the beam should be at the same ... It should be one inch below the height of the bulb, and the high beam, same thing. It should be pointing straight ahead, and the concentration of the beam should be the same height as the bulb.
We hope this helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet. Please feel free to call us toll-free 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.
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