cattlerepairman
Veteran Member
First of all...WHY??
As a recent trip to Europe reminded me, the beam pattern of Euro headlights is simply better. The asymmetric low beams are focused, provide extended range of light on the right hand side (curb side), allowing one to pick out signs and obstructions sooner while the beam is cut on the left hand side (avoiding blinding oncoming traffic)
Why not do the "E-code" thing and plunk in a set of Euro headlights?
Price aside, the US-style fenders and front mask have a slightly different shape, making the Euro headlights a poor fit for US beetles.
What you need:
A set of Euro headlight inserts (off EBay etc.; they can be as cheap as EUR 20 for the pair).
A bit of patience
A T20 security Torx bit
A pair of needlenose pliers (nor necessary but helpful)
Last things first - what is the outcome?
Here is a picture comparison of the low beams before and after the conversion. Note the "lump" of light on the US version and the clear beam cutoff and extended right hand side of the beam on the Euro version (the spike that goes upwards on the wall will extend forward as the light beam hits the road in front of the car!).
The headlights are crudely aimed - I need to actually mark the wall and do a proper job one of these evenings!
Headlight inserts - comparison
Look at the metal blind behind the lens. Note the sharp downward angle in the Euro insert, causing the beam to extend on this side.
HOW - TO
1) Take the headlights out (refer to writeup here or on www.newbeetle.org)
Note the grey plastic tabs (4) that hold the clear lens to the housing.
2) Remove the lens from the housing by prying the tabs - use your fingers, be careful not to break the tabs.
This is what you see:
3) remove the rear black lid from the back of the housing to get access to the light bulbs. Remove both and also detach the ground wires (brown) from the bulb holders. Take care not to touch the glass surface of the bulbs.
The above picture shows the rear of the housing, bulbs still in place. The brown thing is the headlight insert that you are after!
3) The whole "silver" part, including the "white stuff" at its back pops out.
First, loosen the tab on the top:
4) then, loosen the tab on the bottom. You can get a finger in there and pry one side of the tab while you push the insert from behind:
5) Now - to understand how the insert is attached, look at these "after" pictures. It is otherwise hard/impossible to see with the assembly still in place:
On the same side as the last bracket that you just opened, is a CLOSED receptacle for a pin that sticks out from the insert. DO NOT PRESS ON THIS SIDE.
On the other side of the insert is an open-mouthed bracket.
Press from the back on this side. It takes a bit of force, but the insert will snap out!
Ta-dah!
6) Now you should have the insert in your hands and it will look like this:
7) Use the security Torx bit, unscrew the three screws and remove the low-beam headlight insert. Take care not to lose the 2 rubber spacers!
8) Place the new low-beam insert in the same spot and do not forget the rubber spacers. Tighten the screw that does not need a spacer first. Then tighten the other two screws to the point where the gap between metal insert and white plastic body is even:
9) Re-assemble the insert and the housing. Avoid touching the silver parts as much as possible. Ease the insert in, engaging the pin that goes into the closed tab first, then the "butterfly" tab that closes around the black round thingy in the bottom and then the open-mouthed tab on the other side. You can snap it into place by pulling from behind rather than pressing from the front.
11) Use your favourite brand of streak-free window cleaner to clean any dirt and finger prints off the silver parts and the lens (now you know why taking the bulbs out was a good idea!
)
12) Re-attach the clear plastic lens.
13) Insert the bulbs (you may want to clean the glass with glass cleaner as well).
14) Thoroughly clean the tracks on the headlight housing and the tracks in the headlight receptacle in the car.
Insert the headlights into the car and do not forget to re-aim them.
Here are two pictures comparing the beams on the road, before and after!
It is more impressive in real life.
Here are two pictures of the car seen by a standing person, about 15m in front of the vehicle:
The time required to do this mod is about 5 mins for taking the lights out, 15-20 mins per headlight to disassemble, change the insert, clean and re-assemble and another 10 mins to clean the tracks and put the lights back in!
I like the improved light pattern (the pics do not convey the better lighting as much as I had hoped for; people who run E-codes on their Golfs and Jettas know what I mean!
) and it was a low-budget modification.
Maybe one of the few things that are actually easier/cheaper on the Beetle compared to the Jetta/Golf!
As a recent trip to Europe reminded me, the beam pattern of Euro headlights is simply better. The asymmetric low beams are focused, provide extended range of light on the right hand side (curb side), allowing one to pick out signs and obstructions sooner while the beam is cut on the left hand side (avoiding blinding oncoming traffic)
Why not do the "E-code" thing and plunk in a set of Euro headlights?
Price aside, the US-style fenders and front mask have a slightly different shape, making the Euro headlights a poor fit for US beetles.
What you need:
A set of Euro headlight inserts (off EBay etc.; they can be as cheap as EUR 20 for the pair).
A bit of patience
A T20 security Torx bit
A pair of needlenose pliers (nor necessary but helpful)
Last things first - what is the outcome?
Here is a picture comparison of the low beams before and after the conversion. Note the "lump" of light on the US version and the clear beam cutoff and extended right hand side of the beam on the Euro version (the spike that goes upwards on the wall will extend forward as the light beam hits the road in front of the car!).
The headlights are crudely aimed - I need to actually mark the wall and do a proper job one of these evenings!
Headlight inserts - comparison
Look at the metal blind behind the lens. Note the sharp downward angle in the Euro insert, causing the beam to extend on this side.
HOW - TO
1) Take the headlights out (refer to writeup here or on www.newbeetle.org)
Note the grey plastic tabs (4) that hold the clear lens to the housing.
2) Remove the lens from the housing by prying the tabs - use your fingers, be careful not to break the tabs.
This is what you see:
3) remove the rear black lid from the back of the housing to get access to the light bulbs. Remove both and also detach the ground wires (brown) from the bulb holders. Take care not to touch the glass surface of the bulbs.
The above picture shows the rear of the housing, bulbs still in place. The brown thing is the headlight insert that you are after!
3) The whole "silver" part, including the "white stuff" at its back pops out.
First, loosen the tab on the top:
4) then, loosen the tab on the bottom. You can get a finger in there and pry one side of the tab while you push the insert from behind:
5) Now - to understand how the insert is attached, look at these "after" pictures. It is otherwise hard/impossible to see with the assembly still in place:
On the same side as the last bracket that you just opened, is a CLOSED receptacle for a pin that sticks out from the insert. DO NOT PRESS ON THIS SIDE.
On the other side of the insert is an open-mouthed bracket.
Press from the back on this side. It takes a bit of force, but the insert will snap out!
Ta-dah!
6) Now you should have the insert in your hands and it will look like this:
7) Use the security Torx bit, unscrew the three screws and remove the low-beam headlight insert. Take care not to lose the 2 rubber spacers!
8) Place the new low-beam insert in the same spot and do not forget the rubber spacers. Tighten the screw that does not need a spacer first. Then tighten the other two screws to the point where the gap between metal insert and white plastic body is even:
9) Re-assemble the insert and the housing. Avoid touching the silver parts as much as possible. Ease the insert in, engaging the pin that goes into the closed tab first, then the "butterfly" tab that closes around the black round thingy in the bottom and then the open-mouthed tab on the other side. You can snap it into place by pulling from behind rather than pressing from the front.
11) Use your favourite brand of streak-free window cleaner to clean any dirt and finger prints off the silver parts and the lens (now you know why taking the bulbs out was a good idea!
12) Re-attach the clear plastic lens.
13) Insert the bulbs (you may want to clean the glass with glass cleaner as well).
14) Thoroughly clean the tracks on the headlight housing and the tracks in the headlight receptacle in the car.
Insert the headlights into the car and do not forget to re-aim them.
Here are two pictures comparing the beams on the road, before and after!
It is more impressive in real life.
Here are two pictures of the car seen by a standing person, about 15m in front of the vehicle:
The time required to do this mod is about 5 mins for taking the lights out, 15-20 mins per headlight to disassemble, change the insert, clean and re-assemble and another 10 mins to clean the tracks and put the lights back in!
I like the improved light pattern (the pics do not convey the better lighting as much as I had hoped for; people who run E-codes on their Golfs and Jettas know what I mean!
Maybe one of the few things that are actually easier/cheaper on the Beetle compared to the Jetta/Golf!
