# How do I remove the trunk light cover for the 2019 vw tiguan?



## Audib517 (Feb 3, 2015)

Hi,

Does anyone know how I can replace the trunk light for the 2019 vw tiguan? I’m afraid to crack the plastic cover over the light. I would like to replace the bulb with an led one I purchased from DeAutoLED. 



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## TofuBoyz (Jul 10, 2018)

You can use a wide flathead screwdriver or a plastic trim tool. Like most of these things, you feel like you’re about to snap something with the amount of force it takes to pop it out.


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## LennyNero (Aug 25, 2018)

As a general note with plastic interior/exterior trim. I try to not mess with it in winter months unless it can be warmed to at LEAST 70F. While the plastics are very resiliant, they do get more brittle with decreasing temperatures. A hair dryer (not heat gun...too much heat!) is your friend when working on this stuff in winter. Or, alternatively, leave the car running with the heat on max for an hour and everything inside will be soft and pliable.


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## mattchatr (Jan 26, 2018)

Did this the other day. Have a look at the glovebox light as it comes out easier, then you'll see the metal prong you are trying to reach to push in. The trunk light is pretty much the same just a much tighter fit. You need a pretty small flathead to slide in from the backside of the car at the right angle to get between the lense and the plastic paneling to push that metal clip in, then it just pops out from that backside. I put a super bright 8 chip LED in there and its much better!


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## DanSan (Oct 3, 2007)

i did this swap a few months back, it was a pain in the butt - wouldn't come out to save its life. what i found that helped was get something under the left side and try and slide it to the right side. I ended up breaking part of the lense but you cant even notice


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## blueimp (Sep 5, 2019)

there is a tab you have to reach (very minimal effort to actually disengage).

reach in with a small screwdriver from the side with the indent (or anything narrow and relatively flat).

push in (straight) until it pops out.


seems easy enough to be common knowledge, but i too struggled with this, coming from 20 yrs of driving and working on mainly japanese cars. did not find it very intuitive but it seems it's common across many VW's...

nearly obliterated the thing from frustration lol (i even popped the panel above it to try and push the housing out from behind... to no avail). had to find a vid of an led bulb install online which answered my question.


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

blueimp said:


> ....seems easy enough to be common knowledge, but i too struggled with this, coming from 20 yrs of driving and working on mainly japanese cars. did not find it very intuitive but it seems it's common across many VW's........


i have an engineering background and have fiddled with many devises and vehicle. The means VW uses is extremely common in all things and has been for decades and decades.


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## HarryPooter (Mar 21, 2016)

What bulb goes in there? A 194?


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## mattchatr (Jan 26, 2018)

HarryPooter said:


> What bulb goes in there? A 194?


Nope, its a Festoon style, can't remember the size but its the larger ones, like a 40mm or something. Check out the sylvania bulb finder website and see if its listed. I had loads of Philips Festoon LEDS and some other spare 8 chip that I was able to match sizes with.


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## socialD (Sep 19, 2011)

Pics in this thread. Just a notch on the left you want to pry from.
https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?8925897-Trunk-LED-Strip-DIY-install


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## blueimp (Sep 5, 2019)

socialD said:


> Pics in this thread. Just a notch on the left you want to pry from.
> https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?8925897-Trunk-LED-Strip-DIY-install


wanna dd, the word "pry" is a bit misleading. there is tab that needs to be pressed to release the housing. (from the same thread as socialD posted) - that metal tab at the top is what you're aiming for when you slide a small flat head or pick where the indent is.


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## Audib517 (Feb 3, 2015)

Thank you everyone! I was able to remove the trunk light cover.


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## Peter N (Jan 27, 2020)

*Fuse for trunk light?*

I was testing out after market LED lights with a festoon adapter. Now the LED lights don't work and the original bulb doesn't work. I might have touched the wires together and blown a fuse.

The rest of the interior lights work. So I am not sure if it is a fuse. I've found list of the fuses and I don't see one for the trunk/cargo area light. 

Any ideas of fuse or other issue that might be causing the light not to work?


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## OEMplusCC (Jan 27, 2013)

Peter N said:


> I was testing out after market LED lights with a festoon adapter. Now the LED lights don't work and the original bulb doesn't work. I might have touched the wires together and blown a fuse.
> 
> The rest of the interior lights work. So I am not sure if it is a fuse. I've found list of the fuses and I don't see one for the trunk/cargo area light.
> 
> Any ideas of fuse or other issue that might be causing the light not to work?


I have not look specifically into Tiguan wiring diagram ..... But I have been around VW long enough to tell you that there is probably no fuse on that circuit. Usually circuits like that are powered by the convenience modules which have build-in circuitry that shuts off the circuit if it detects high current. In many cases just reinstalling the original bulb and cycling cars power resets the circuit. In some cases,( if you really screwed up) you blow the whole module and you will need to replace it. Thats the worst case scenario, just try the first recommendation for now.


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## bobbysanders22 (Jul 9, 2014)

I hate that they went to a plastic tab on this instead of the metal tab on the older cars. Thought I was a moron trying to pry that light out lol. Literally broke mine getting it out to drop in a $8 LED bulb. Bent a small piece of aluminum to mimic the tab on the older cars, super glued it on and popped it back in.


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## OEMplusCC (Jan 27, 2013)

I purchased new light with metal tab from ebay last year. It was $4.50 from China, OE quality

https://www.ebay.com/itm/For-VW-GOL...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649


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## Peter N (Jan 27, 2020)

OEMplusCC said:


> I have not look specifically into Tiguan wiring diagram ..... But I have been around VW long enough to tell you that there is probably no fuse on that circuit. Usually circuits like that are powered by the convenience modules which have build-in circuitry that shuts off the circuit if it detects high current. In many cases just reinstalling the original bulb and cycling cars power resets the circuit. In some cases,( if you really screwed up) you blow the whole module and you will need to replace it. Thats the worst case scenario, just try the first recommendation for now.


I put the original bulb back in, and now all is good. Thanks. Next time I will not let the red wire touch the black wire.


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