Headlamp removal stupid question!!!

[wolfie]

Sorry but daft question time. Winters here and sods law reigns and I have had a bulb fail (why do they never go in the summer when it's warm and dry?... )

Anyway, I thought I'd take the chance of sticking in some brighter bulbs but have fallen at the first hurdle. Removed the securing screws holding the headlamp assembly in place and slid it forwards no problem, but when I came to unlatch the connector couldn't twig how it unlatches. It freezing out so all the plastic trim is brittle anyway so I don't want to go pushing, squeezing and prying at it in case I break it. I'm sure it will practically fall off once I know the trick but up to now I've not sussed it.

Can anyone put me out of my misery and tell me where I should be pressing or inserting a screwdriver to make them release please.. (pictures would be nice.. )

It's a Polo 1.2Tsi with the twin H7's a parking light bulb. (big connector to the headlamp assy)

Cheers.

[RUM4MO]

veteran managed to get his headlight connector off and when I looked the one on my wife's LED headlights assembly, I seem to remember it was just the normal type where you ease back a latch, but before that pressing the connector in towards its mating part firmly to take the load off the latch, then rotate the latch "handle" upwards away from the mating connector, you can try just using your fingers to do this, or resort to sticking a small screwdriver into the rectangular hole in the latch "handle" and ease the screwdriver back - that should raise the latch up out of where it is prior to this, after that try easing the connectors apart - but initially you do need to press them firmly together to take the load of that latch - the silicon sealing gasket should still compress a bit to allow you to achieve that.

[wolfie]

Cheers.

I'd pushed it and pulled it gently, but not really tried pushing it fully-in to unlatch it, I'll give it a go tomorrow, it's just started snowing here.

I generally don't get defeated by daft things like connectors but as it's so cold I thought getting to enthusiastic with the pulling and pushing it might break the latch so thought I'd ask you kind gents.

[RUM4MO]

Yes easier to break when its cold, I'd don't envy you, good luck, just low temperatures up here - so far!

[wolfie]

Sorted thanks. The "push it forwards to release the latch" technique works a treat. Sure I did exactly the same yesterday but it's popped off without any trouble this morning. Then again yesterday my hands were freezing.

Cheers for the pointers.

For the moment I've put a std H7 back in (just because I had a spare) But I'm thinking of replacing them with brighter versions. Only thing is on mine the headlamps are the DRL's so are on all the time and I think the brighter bulbs generally have far shorter lifespan.

[veteran]

Wolfie,

Surely, the H7 bulb is in a different cluster to the one containing the DRL's, isn't it? If I remember correctly, and you've also the same Polo model-type as mine, the DRL/foglight cluster have their own individual connectors (only really fully visible once you've slid the big headlamp assembly out from the front of the vehicle), and so are unaffected by anything you do to, or with, the H7.

I'm pleased you've figured out a failsafe means to release the main headlamp connector, as I myself only managed to do it by twisting it and pulling it and generally struggling with it. Poking a screwdriver into that little hole didn't help much, as you need a third hand really.

The key to releasing it, I think, is depressing that pip sufficiently to unlatch and slide the connector, and that's tricky to do with just your fingers because the pip sits down that little hole, below the surface. I've since bought a pair of pliers (cost about £5) with inward-facing points that'll fit into that hole, so hopefully the next time I need to pull that connector off I'll not have the same problem as before. There's a similar releasing issue with the low-tension connectors on the sparkplug stacks, BTW (and there I think there might be a pip on both sides of the connector - but I confess I'm not 100% sure of that).

[wolfie]

Wolfie,

Surely, the H7 bulb is in a different cluster to the one containing the DRL's, isn't it? If I remember correctly, and you've also the same Polo model-type as mine, the DRL/foglight cluster have their own individual connectors (only really fully visible once you've slid the big headlamp assembly out from the front of the vehicle), and so are unaffected by anything you do to, or with, the H7.

Mine is an early version where it doesn't use the Foglight cluster for the DRL's, It simply uses dipped beam as a DRL, so it's just one of the H7 bulbs in the main cluster. (Basically looks like it has the headlamps on all the time) I'm not sure when they made the switch to using the foglight cluster (which I prefer) mines a 2011 and I've seen them like mine and in the lower cluster so it must have come in quite early. I wouldn't mind swapping to the later type if it was an easy swap.

[veteran]

The problem with the later type, the type I've got, is that because the DRLs are filament bulbs they'll in due course fail. Replacing them is no easy feat. I'm sure you'll agree that what's needed is an LED-array substitute for the DRLs and/or foglights. However, as far as I can gather, and perhaps excepting any post-2017 Polo models, VW have no plans to introduce a 'piggyback' or replacement LED kit. Any such kit, or any third-party LED product, would have to meet with the programming of such into the vehicle's ECU.

[wolfie]

Unfortunately even what you would consider quite minor changes now need to be coded. I think the days of the "DIY motorist" are numbered. I did have a little look at replacing some of the accessory and number plate bulbs with LED replacements, but choosing a suitable replacement that works well and doesn't upset the diagnostics isn't as straight forwards as you might expect.