“One of my headlights wasn’t lighting properly, so I decided to try replacing the headlight bulb myself, but I was surprised by how tight the working space was when looking from under the hood.
When I searched for reference information, the proper method apparently involves removing the front bumper and headlight unit.
This was beyond my capabilities, so I researched further and found a method on a certain video streaming site showing how to easily replace it by approaching from the tire housing. I tried again, but because it was completely blind work without direct vision, I couldn’t do it properly and eventually gave up.
I thought it would be easy to replace, so I purchased an inexpensive HID burner to try, but please handle the replacement including parts procurement.”
We accepted this HID burner replacement job for a Golf 7 from a regular customer.
2013 model DBA-AUCZJ with 46,000km mileage
Since the owner handles minor tasks like engine oil changes themselves, I think it’s natural to think, “I should be able to replace a bulb myself.”
However, we are often frustrated by such tricky structures.
Unlike the Alfa 147, GT, etc., which absolutely require front bumper and headlight unit removal for bulb replacement, watching the video they shared gave the impression that the work could be done sufficiently from inside the tire housing.
Since this is our first time working with the headlight area structure on this vehicle model, we’ll remove the tire and fender liner to get a better view.
Doing so revealed the headlight unit’s back cover in an accessible location.
Among the five T20 Torx tapping screws around the cover marked with red circles, the one indicated by the arrow must be accessed from the engine room side and is very narrow and recessed.
Standard tools interfere with other parts, so let’s create a custom tool using scrap materials.
This time, the customer provided us with clear video footage taken with their latest mobile device.
In about 10 minutes, we created a functional wrench.
The long reach makes it very easy to use.
The customer commented, “We amateurs immediately buy and rely on pre-made tools, but professionals solve problems on the spot. It was very enjoyable to see that process today.”
We appreciated this kind feedback.
Last month when replacing the BMW E65 power window regulator, there was also a T30 Torx in a tight space, so we made an improvised tool, but we really should get a proper set of tools for tight spaces.
We successfully removed the back cover and faced the HID burner.
What surprised us was that the genuine part closely resembled the inexpensive one in appearance.
The quality aftermarket part was from the same brand as the genuine part but differed in various aspects of appearance. The quality aftermarket part costs less than half the price of the genuine part, and amazingly, the cheap part costs about 1/20 of the price.
Since this is a location where high current and high voltage occur, we cannot recommend installing unknown parts just because they’re cheap. They often cause beam misalignment, and there are statistics showing that the headlight area is the number one cause of vehicle fires (believed to be due to inappropriate parts or installation methods).
While you may not need to insist on expensive genuine parts, please at least purchase from a reputable manufacturer.
Thank you for staying with us during this lengthy procedure.
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