I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE YOU CAUSE TO YOUR OWN VEHICLE. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK.
IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE GET A PROFESSIONAL TO INSTALL THESE HEADLIGHTS.
ECODES ARE FOR OFF ROAD USE ONLY.
Difficulty: 2/10
Time: 2-4 hours
Tools Required: 1/4" Ratchets, if you are lowered - a jack, T20, T25, T30 sockets, different length extensions, 10mm extended socket, rivet removal tool (optional), phillips head, latex gloves, phillips head screwdriver, flathead to help remove harnesses
Step 1: Remove Bumper - I used this DIY and stole some pictures for this writeup. Not all the information was 100% accurate so I decided to make my own instructions. You can follow either, they will both get the job done.
Remove rain tray above bumper
Push down the center of these plastic rivets until they click into place. Be careful not to press it too far in.
Here is what it should look like after it is in place:
NOTE: When you reinstall the rivets, you will want to push the center tab the opposite direction (see this image), slide the rivet carefully into the slot, and then push the center tab down until it clicks into place, flush.
Then, use a rivet tool to remove all the rivets like so:
Next, you want to slide the tray out from underneath two tabs on the top of each headlight (not pictured). After this, pull up firmly from underneath the rain tray. Here is a picture of the tabs underneath so you can get an idea.
Detach belly pan from bumper
Remove all Belly pan torx T25 bits at the front of the belly pan. There will be about 7 or so. Here's a picture circling a bunch of them, but really you can just look under and its easy to see which ones need removal.
Remove Front spoiler torx bits (5x T25). There is a lip attached in the middle of the belly pan. remove all 5 of those and the lip will come down with it.
Remove quarter turn Phillips head fasteners. there are 3 on each side, right by each wheel.
Pull belly pan towards rear of vehicle, flexing to remove 4 tabs that are slid into the bumper. Here is a picture of those tabs:
Once removed, you will see 4 silver T25 belly pan bolts. remove those. Now the bumper is free from the belly pan.
Detach bumper from Fender
Remove fender liner screws (4) - these are Easy to find and T25. Basically you want to be able to peel back the fender liner. Here is a picture, but its one of those things which is easier to just do than plan.
Loosen 10mm nut behind fender liner. Once you peel back the fender liner you will see this nut that secures the quarter panel to the bumper. Once this is loosened, the tabs for the bumper are free to come out. You pull directly out on the edge of the bumper by the nut, and there are 3 tabs here (not pictured). pull them free when you are ready to pull the bumper. Here is a picture of the nut, but once again, if you pull back the fender liner it will be painfully obvious what you need to loosen.
Remove top bumper bolts (T20, one per side). These bolts are right behind the grill at the top of the bumper. here is a picture of one:
Now its time to pull the bumper. Find something to rest the bumper on once it is off, as the connections are very short. Disconnect two harnesses connected by the homelink module at the center of the grill. Then, pull each side's tabs out, and the bumper should come free with a little effort. Remove the connection on each side to the fog light.
Step 2: Remove headlight
The headlight has 3 bolts, two on top and one at the rear bottom. Remove all three - These are T30.
remove the headlight connection. There is only one plug going to it. Now, there is a weird hose thing routed to the front of the radiator (you can see the hose in the picture of the headlights a few steps below). Get that to a place where it is not restricting the headlight's movement. Try to squeeze the headlight out. if you can, excellent. I didn't want to flex it too much so I took one final step.
Loosen the headlight tray. Remove top bolt, remove two rear facing bolts, remove side bolt, remove bolt going into crash bar. Green dot shows the bolts you must loosen from behind the tray. you may have to get creative to get to these.
When putting the headlight tray back into place, its very important you get this piece locked into place before tightening the top bolt. It needs to slide in from the top, before you can tighten down the other tray bolts.
Remove headlight by wiggling and angling it over the headlight tray, towards the middle of the car and spinning to get around the fender. It is a tight squeeze - be patient. The rear portion of the headlight tray has four clips that have to line up with the slots in the bottom of the headlight - this is a huge PITA when putting it back together - the smart / easy way to do it is to remove the front portion of the tray entirely, clip the headlight in, and slide the combined assembly back in. but the front part of the tray has an airbag sensor in it, which i like to avoid removing/ touching if possible, so i just kept wiggling it out of the way instead. Here is a pic of the four clips that go underneath the headlight for reference:
Step 3: Swap electronics over
Swap the metal things attached to your headlight over to the e-code. also swap the weird noodle appendage thingymajigger. Be careful while handling these electronics - make sure no debris gets inside the housing. IMO you should swap over to the new plastic covers that came with your ecodes - that way the gasket fits perfectly. Reusing your old gaskets may allow humidity into the headlight - bad news bears.
This step is pretty self explanatory - T20 i think for all these. needless to say, be careful when removing the plugs. if you have to force it, you are doing something wrong.
To remove the bulb, you must play with a circular lock that sits around the bulb. There are two tabs that allow you to manipulate the lock. Turn clockwise to unlock, then pull bulb out straight. it will come out with minimal effort. Be very careful especially while handling this bulb. it is fragile and sensitive to oils. I used a fresh set of latex gloves while swapping the bulb over - highly suggest you do as well. You can even see my 100pk box of gloves in the above picture haha.
That's it! JK Put your car back together first. It's mostly the reverse order of how you pulled it apart, and anyone who made it this far will be able to figure that much out i think.
A little VCDS Magic turns off the side marker bulbs, which the ecodes don't have. You can do this at any time before the install, so next time you see a friend with a cable have him do this. Likewise, if you don't do this you will have an error code in your dash until you do get to a VCDS cable but it is harmless.
Originally Posted by pwdrskr
Next, have some beers and admire the beauty of your new headlights. Here is a picture of them installed, and a picture of the light cutoff.
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jut takes time, mostly to remove those damn belly pan bolts. Without the belly pan this process takes half as long. You'll be fine, text me if you have any questions during install, I'm always on FaceTime / Skype helping people figure things out remotely.
Thanks again for the awesome service drum.
. Did those VCDS instructions help? If so that should do it. if not, i will update with the correct instructions when i get home and test it. I had already disabled them a few weeks before install so forgot to add that step originally but it is in the DIY now.
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