# Replacing the Backup Light Bulb (TOC) (Photos re-hosted)



## efk141 (Sep 9, 2006)

I just found out my left rear backup light is out and I would like to try to replace it myself. I found that the trunk lid cover is only "snapped" in, but what else do I need to know to move it away far enough to access the left backup bulb and replace it?
I just had brake work and belt replaced in the last two weeks, and I thought I could at least do this one by myself. (P.S., thanks to all those who replied about me shopping around for the brake job and the serpentine belt. It paid off and did save me some big bucks.) Eileen


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Replacing Backup Bulb (efk141)*

Hi Eileen:
It's easy to do, and coincidentally, I have to do the exact same thing myself later today - not because my backup light bulb is burned out, but because I have condensation in the lens assembly (indicating failure of the rubber seal), and I need to replace the rubber seal.
So, if you can wait until about 8 PM Pacific time this evening, to give me enough time to do the work and take the pictures, I will then have a fully illustrated "how to do it" post here on this thread, ready for your reading pleasure.








Michael


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## efk141 (Sep 9, 2006)

Hi Michael, and yes, you are the greatest. I can wait 'til tomorrow because I haven't even puchased the bulb (don't know its part no. yet). You are always so thorough and I know everyone appreciates your help. Thank you.
Eileen


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## scottmm (Mar 11, 2009)

*taillight bulb*

Michael, that doesn't look like any bulb I've seen before, is it unique to VW or the Phaeton? For most cars, the owner's manual will have a list of the correct bulbs for the car, using common bulb designations. Is there such a list for this car in the manual?
-Scott


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Replacing Backup Bulb (efk141)*

Hi Eileen:

Thank you for your kind words. Here's the tutorial about how to replace a backup light bulb.

Be aware that I removed the _entire lamp assembly_ from my vehicle because I had a problem with moisture inside the lamp assembly - something I subsequently discovered was caused by a tiny crack around the perimeter of the lens. It is absolutely not necessary for you to remove the whole lamp assembly from your vehicle to change the backup light bulb, in fact, I recommend that you do not remove the whole assembly, you will only risk introducing other problems (the famous 'Phaeton iatrogenic grief' that comes from excessive disassembly) if you take the whole lamp assembly out of the trunk lid.

To do this work, you will need a Volkswagen trim removal tool (see this post: Volkswagen Trim Removal Tool, a number 20 size stubby (short handled) Torx screwdriver, and a nail clipper. You use the pointy end of the nail clipper handle to help release the electrical connector from the lamp assembly. If you don't have a nail clipper handy, you can use your fingernail, but you will probably wind up busting your fingernail, which means you will have to go find a nail clipper later on to cut it off, so you might as well get the nail clipper before you begin work. 

Open the trunk lid about 2/3 of the way up. Remove the long thin trim strip that surrounds the trunk lid latch using the trim tool to pop out the two snap-fasteners. I have an electrically operated trunk lid, which is why I have a push-button on the right side, but the concept is the same for both the motorized and non-motorized trunk lids. 

*Using the trim tool to remove the bezel around the trunk lid latch*








http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/BackupLight1.jpg

*The two snap fasteners you need to pry out with the trim tool*








http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/BackupLight2.jpg

If you have a warning triangle fitted to the inside of your trunk lid (not likely unless you installed it yourself, because they are not provided as standard equipment on North American vehicles), remove the warning triangle from the bracket, remove the two screws that hold the bracket in place, then remove the bracket.

*Bracket for Warning Triangle*








http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/BackupLight3.jpg

*How to Begin*
First remove this screw, which is hidden inside the grab handle on the right hand side of the hard felt trunk lid liner.









http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Install4.jpg

Now you can begin to remove the hard felt liner from the inside of the trunk lid. Always begin the removal process at the FRONT of the trunk lid (portion closest to the rear window glass). Just poke the trim tool in between the hard felt liner and the metal trunk lid, and give it a twist to dislodge one or more of the clips. The photos below show how it all works.

*Now, begin to pry the snap fasteners loose*








http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/BackupLight4.jpg

*What it looks like once you have one fastener loose*








http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/BackupLight5.jpg

Work your way along the very front edge of the trunk lid liner first (the part closest to the rear window glass, then work your way up one side, then finally up the other side. It might not be necessary to remove the aft edge of the trunk lid liner from the trunk lid, so, after you have the forward edge and the two sides popped loose, go get a coffee and/or enjoy a cigarette and contemplate your progress so far. It should look more or less like this:

*Trunk lid liner with three of the four sides popped loose*








http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/BackupLight6.jpg

As you can see in the photo above, you now have pretty good access to the normally hidden portion of the lamp assemblies inside the trunk lid. My guess is that this is more than sufficient access to allow you to reach in there, unplug the electrical connector from the lamp assembly, then, with the short-handled number 20 Torx screwdriver, remove the two fasteners from the bulb assembly, and get the bulb out.

I don't know this for sure, because when I did the work this afternoon, I had to remove the entire lamp assembly from the car (NOT a recommended course of action if you just need to change the backup light bulb) because I had a different problem with the lamp assembly. Anyhow, if you think you have sufficient access to the normally hidden side of the bulb, leave the trunk lid liner still attached to the aft edge. If you would like unfettered access to the lamp assembly, continue working around the aft edge of the trunk lid liner with your trim tool, and pop all the fasteners out. 

Now you have to disconnect the "New Jersey Escape Handle" from the wiring harness of the car. This is not too difficult to do if you know the trick. It will, however, take you a while to figure out how to poke / squeeze / fool with the electrical connector to get it to come apart. If you are short on time or patience, just close the metal trunk lid halfway, the felt liner will now rest on the floor of the trunk without applying tension to the electrical cable, and you then don't have to bother disconnecting the thing.

*Only bother with this if you want to completely remove the trunk lid liner and get it right out of the way. *








http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/BackupLight11.jpg

Finally, you have access to the electrical connector for whichever inboard (trunk lid mounted) rear lamp assembly has the burned out backup light bulb.
Remove the electrical connector (the wiring harness) from the lamp assembly. Here is where you use the pointy end of the nail clipper handle to either depress or lift up (I can never remember which, half the connectors on the car work one way, the other half work the other way) the little tab on the wiring connector to allow you to pull it apart.

*IMPORTANT NOTE:*  The following photos were taken with the inboard lamp assembly fully removed from the vehicle. This sure made it easy to take photos, and I had to do this to fix my moisture problem, but you *DON'T* need to take the lamp assembly out of the trunk lid to just replace a bulb. So, just apply the knowledge gained from these photos to the same part of the lamp assembly when it is installed in the car.

At this point, you are probably thinking "hey, I'm home free, all I have to do is take the bulb out", but the fun is not quite over yet. The backup bulb assembly is sandwiched between the electrical connector of the lamp assembly and the main body of the lamp assembly, just like the meat patty in a hamburger. You cannot easily remove the electrical connector because you really don't want to pull out the two bus bars that go into the main body of the lamp. So, remove the two Torx 20 screws from the body of the electrical connector on the lamp assembly, sort of fool with and pry up and outboard the electrical connector until you can get the bulb out, then take the bulb out.

Now that you have the bulb out, use someone else's car to go to the VW dealership to pick up your bulb. If you apply power to your car with the connector disconnected, the bulb out, etc., your car will display about 15 fault messages that you never new existed. Before you go to to the VW dealer, take inventory of the number of spring clips that you have lost or broken during the trunk lid cover removal process - you can pick up replacements at the dealer, they are about 25¢ each, and the dealer will have a box full of thousands of them. It is normal to bust or lose about 10% of the spring clips whenever you take a part such as this apart.
Here's the photos that show how the bulb fits into the lamp.

*Before any disassembly*
Note the two bus bars on the right








http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/BackupLight7.jpg

*After taking the two screws out of the electrical connector*
You can see how I am trying to get that bulb out of the 'sandwich' without unplugging the two bus bars








http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/BackupLight8.jpg

*Victory! *
Note that the bulb consists of the plastic 'meat patty' in the sandwich as well as the glass bulb.








http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/BackupLight9.jpg

*Another perspective on the whole thing*
I don't know whether the bulb can be removed from that plastic assembly that it sits in or not. When you find out, let us know. The parts person at your VW dealership will know for sure.








http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/BackupLight10.jpg

Be aware that with the lamp assembly still fully installed in the trunk lid, it might not be possible to bend the electrical connector up at a 45° angle to get the backup bulb assembly out as shown in the photos above. If this is the case, then you will need to use your trim tool to pry the two bus bar connectors out of their pinch fittings in the lamp assembly. This is no big deal, after you have replaced the bulb, just use the trim tool to push the two bus bars back into the pinch fittings.

Re-assembly is pretty much the same as dis-assembly. I discovered that my car became quite cranky after I put it all back together - the left battery had gone flat (probably because the trunk lid lights were on for so long), which meant I had to twist the ignition key fully back and forth a couple of times to start the car. This, of course, is part of the fun that come with these DIY projects.

Let us know how it all goes, post a few pictures if you think I have overlooked anything important.

Michael


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: taillight bulb (scottmm)*


_Quote, originally posted by *scottmm* »_For most cars, the owner's manual will have a list of the correct bulbs for the car, using common bulb designations. Is there such a list for this car in the manual?

Hi Scott:
I think there is a list of what the different bulbs are in the owner manual. But, I figure that since one has to go to the VW dealer to get the bulb anyway, there's not much point in looking up the bulb type. I kind of doubt that it would be a 'common' bulb type available at the aftermarket level - it is a halogen bulb.
By the way, sorry for messing up the sequencing of this thread - I needed to correct a formatting error in my post, so, I deleted it, corrected the error, and reposted it, and in the 60 seconds it took me to do that, you had posted your reply. 
Michael


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## scottmm (Mar 11, 2009)

Michael, I just looked up that bulb at RockAuto.com, it's listed as a 921, and I'm much relieved that it's not difficult to find. I'm not sure how you'd get the spade connector loose from that complex looking socket. Maybe the socket eliminates any possibility of loosening or mis-alignment? Impressive socket, anyway, wonderfully over-engineered.
-Scott


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## scottmm (Mar 11, 2009)

*Re: taillight bulb (PanEuropean)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PanEuropean* »_I kind of doubt that it would be a 'common' bulb type available at the aftermarket level - it is a halogen bulb.

Your picture sure looks different from a 921, but I see it also listed as a 921 on AutoZone. Perhaps the both rely on the same faulty database. If it is halogen, better mention proper handling, no touching the glass!
-Scott


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: taillight bulb (PanEuropean)*

Ooops - one last re-assembly instruction that I forgot to mention:
When re-installing the hard felt trunk lid liner, begin by installing the aft-most snap fasteners (the ones that you removed last, in other words, the ones on the edge that surround the trunk lid latch), then, push in the snap fasteners on the two sides of the trunk lid, then, finally, push in the snap fasteners along the edge that is closest to the rear window glass.
If you have fully removed the hard felt liner, the re-assembly sequence goes like this:
*1)* Replace any damaged or missing snap fasteners in the hard felt trunk lid liner. Also inspect to make sure that all the snap fasteners are properly seated in their retaining clips in the hard felt trunk lid liner.
*2)* Re-connect the electrical connector for the lamp assembly (don't laugh, it is easy to forget details like this).
*3) *Re-connect the electrical connector for the New Jersey Escape Handle.
*4)* Kind of juggle with and fool around with the whole trunk lid liner until you get that moulded hand-grabbing part (where the single screw was) fitted into the recess of the metal trunk lid where it belongs.
*4)* Either:
.....*a)* Install the single screw, or;
.....*b)* Push in the snap fasteners along the aft edge of the trunk lid, then install the single screw. Do whatever seems to be easiest.
*5)* Push in the snap fasteners along both sides of the trunk lid.
*6)* Push in the snap fasteners along the forward edge of the trunk lid.
*7)* Replace the trim strip that surrounds the trunk lid latch. Again, inspect the condition and the placement of the snap fasteners before you re-install this part - it is not uncommon to break or displace some of these fasteners during disassembly.
Michael


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (scottmm)*


_Quote, originally posted by *scottmm* »_Michael, I just looked up that bulb at RockAuto.com, it's listed as a 921...

Hi Scott:
I looked in the owner manual and could not find a bulb specification. I looked in the Self-Study Guide (a VW publication for technicians) and found the illustration below, which identifies the bulb as an 'HPL'. It is possible that this is a European designation and there may be a different equivilent specification in the USA.
All that notwithsanding, I suggest buying the bulb at a VW dealer. It is a PITA to get in there and replace the bulb, we know that the OEM bulbs last quite a long time, and if the electrical resistance of an aftermarket bulb is significantly different than the OEM bulb (not because of quality differences, but because of specification differences), the car is going to display a 'defective bulb' warning message because the values measured in the lighting circuit will not be within the range specified.
Michael


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: Replacing Backup Bulb (efk141)*

Eileen:
FYI, if you do not happen to have a Torx 20 specification screwdriver handy (to remove the single screw from the trunk lid grab handle, and the two screws from the lamp assembly), you might want to have a look at the recent post on page 2 of this thread, which shows a picture of a 'bit set'.
Cleaning the Snow Screens in the Phaeton Air Intake.
On the other hand, a single Torx 20 screwdriver probably costs less than $7 at a local store - so, I guess it depends on whether or not you think the bit set would be useful to have for other purposes around the house.
Michael


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## efk141 (Sep 9, 2006)

Michael,
I am sorry to tell you that you did scare me with all the work involved in replacing the bulb. And yes, it is a bulb with assembly as one complete package which costs $24.32. After reading all of your notes, I realized it is not as simple as changing lights on any of my prior cars (all American made [except for my '62 Beetle] with very simple bulb replacement). So I am going to have my VW service man make the change. I certainly hope I did not cause you too much trouble in going through the photographing and placement of all the info on the web. I know you spent hours making it all right. Again, I am sorry if I did cause you a lot of trouble. If you are ever in Florida, I owe you at least lunch. Thanks so much.
By the way, the total price will be in the area of $80 to $90. I think it might be about .6 hr. labor.
Eileen


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

*Re: (efk141)*

Hi Eileen:

You didn't cause me any problems or trouble at all. I had to take my lamp assembly (the one with the backup light bulb) out of my car to fix a small crack in the lens that was allowing water to get into the lamp.

I do agree, for a total cost of $80 to $90 bucks, I would have the dealer do the job too.  It was, I suppose, 'entertaining' to take everything apart once and find out how it all fit together (I had a habit of doing that when I was a child, guess I never outgrew it), but I can assure you that if a backup bulb ever burns out on my car in the future, I'm just going to add it to the list of stuff for the VW dealer to do at the next oil change.

It would be a delight to have lunch with you, if I ever get to Florida, I will send you a note. Right now I am camped at the very opposite corner of the continent, on Vancouver Island, holed up here writing technical publications for an aircraft I am responsible for.

Michael

*Fixing the crack in the lens assembly*








http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae275/Paneuropean/Welding_Lamp_Assembly.jpg


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## Kuwaity (Apr 2, 2004)

*Re: (PanEuropean)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PanEuropean* »_Hi Eileen:

I had a habit of doing that when I was a child, guess I never outgrew it
_Modified by PanEuropean at 5:24 PM 3-25-2009_


My father used to say that whenever I work with my car, bike, R/C car, etc....
It seems that I have distroyed too many toys








Any ways, great work Michael.


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## PanEuropean (Nov 3, 2001)

Photos re-hosted. 

Michael


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## blemon01 (Nov 20, 2016)

*Replacing the trunk mounted tail light assembly*

Please show how to remove and replace the trunk mounted tail light assembly. I have removed all the trunk trim pieces and am looking at the tail light assembly still attached to the trunk metal. Help!


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## CUCURELLO (Mar 8, 2014)

*UPDATE/CORRECTION Changing backup bulb on 07 EOS*

I do understand that replying to a 9 year old post may be futile
HOWEVER
Contrary to what this post indicates there is no need whatsoever to remove (or partially remove) the trunk lid liner to perform a backup bulb replacement
At least that is the case with my 07 EOS 3.2.
While considering removal of the liner I also considered cutting an access hole directly behind the backup light.
While eying up the location for the hole I found, to my surprise & delight, that VW had already done so.
Behind each backup light there is a trapezoidal shaped removable insert.
It could not be any simpler or more direct.

I hope this helps someone

Best

Edward


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## n968412L (Apr 23, 2009)

Hi Edward... I think you might have drifted into the wrong forum....??

Another phrase that doesn't tranlate well too... what's the light bulb in the title a backup to? to be immediately understood in Britain it would be "reversing" light bulb. A back-up is a standby or a duplicate.....

Regards

m


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## phaetonjohn (Oct 24, 2014)

n968412L said:


> in Britain it would be "reversing" light bulb. A back-up is a standby or a duplicate.....
> 
> Regards
> 
> m


Another reason why England is better! 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Paximus (Aug 26, 2011)

Photos re-hosted.

Chris


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