Can't get at reversing light bulb

[Kar Krazy]

Hi All

One of my reversing light bulbs has blown and I can't get the bulb carrier out. There's a small white connector block that won't come out. I've marked it with a yellow arrow in the photo. I've managed to get the black connector off and undo both the red clips, so it's just the white connector causing the trouble.

Does anyone know if there's some kind of retaining clip on this connector or should it just pull straight off? Thanks!

My car is a 59-plate A3 Sportback S-Line.

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[Guest 2]

That doesn't come out, only the black plug. Its a real pain getting it out but it does come eventually.

The two red clips prise up too. One immediately above the black plug and the other on the top left.

[Kar Krazy]

Hi Chris,

Thank you! I'll give it another go as soon as I can.

[Kar Krazy]

All done!

Being a bit underwhelmed by the light output from these reversing lights, I had a look online a found some suppliers saying my car used type 382 bayonet cap bulbs and some said type 921 capless wedge-base bulbs. So on Sunday I tried to have a look for myself. As the lampholder started to come out, the wire attached to that small white connector pulled tight, and caused the fitting to twist so the bulbs were pushing against the edges of their holes in the reflector. As I (gently, I thought!) straightened it up and pushed the whole thing back into place, there was a faint crunching sound that I took to be a bulb breaking. In fact, it was the reversing bulb coming out of its push-fit socket. It's been sitting disconnected inside its lens/reflector since then.

So last night, I decided to have another go. This time I moved the fitting out until the wire was nearly taut, then turned it around its vertical axis, kind of unwinding that pesky wire from around it. Hey presto! Out it came! Now I needed to get the loose bulb out of the reflector. There was a good chance it would fall into the space inside the hatch and be lost (and rattle!) forever, so I made a chute out of card and pushed it around the lower edge of the reflector. I opened the hatch and out slid the bulb first time!

So it's all back together now and the bulb is working fine.

So for all you drivers of 59-plate A3 Sportbacks out there, I can confirm that your reversing light is definitely a Type 921 wedge-base bulb!!!


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And thanks again to Chris for the help!