The 'headlight lens' issue

[cuteasabug]

Well, the lens on my (driver's side) headlamp fell off at some point (2003 GLS). As many of you are no doubt well aware, VW doesn't do 'replacement lenses' - an entirely new headlamp assembly is in order. And, again, as many of you are aware, they are EXPENSIVE and apparently difficult to find if you aren't in the market for full-price dealership installation. So like so many others before me, I've been on a quest to find a replacement assembly ...

I am not a techy person. I don't do the maintenance work on my Baby. Can someone direct me to a place where I can get the actual part number for the headlamp? I don't know from stock or OEM or anything else, but I'm not (mostly) stupid and usually can figure things out pretty well when it comes to ordering online. I think it would help to have the stock part number ...

I have a mechanic, but he is so small-scale (and small town) that he doesn't have all the access to parts suppliers and whatnot that a more established independent shop would have. He also doesn't have an account with VW, so they won't give him the time of day. So, I'm trying to find the part, too, since he isn't having much luck with his sources.

Help would really be appreciated! Direction, something ... TIA.

[oceanjoe89]

eight seconds on ebay turned up this... how much does dealer want??

2001-2004 VW VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE HEADLIGHT 2002 2003 LH:eBay Motors (item 380192331235 end time Jan-27-10 13:58:16 PST)

seller has good feedback as well...

[boogety boogety]

/\ +1... and I just have to ask...

The lens... fell... off?

It would appear them's rough roads in the Land of Enchantment...

[kaiser]

Originally Posted by oceanjoe89

eight seconds on ebay turned up this... how much does dealer want??

2001-2004 VW VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE HEADLIGHT 2002 2003 LH:eBay Motors (item 380192331235 end time Jan-27-10 13:58:16 PST)

seller has good feedback as well...

that headlight is a TYC or DEPO, made in taiwan and will leak.
i used to sell those for a while until every unit came back due to water in the lens.
i have found from time to time real hella lamps for 1/2 the price of the dealer, still expensive though.

[cuteasabug]

Originally Posted by boogety boogety

/\ +1... and I just have to ask...

The lens... fell... off?

It would appear them's rough roads in the Land of Enchantment...

LOL. It fell off in California, actually. Pretty smooth roads in the big city. Just plumb ... fell off. And I didn't know about it for a while ... Alas.

[cuteasabug]

Originally Posted by kaiser

that headlight is a TYC or DEPO, made in taiwan and will leak.
i used to sell those for a while until every unit came back due to water in the lens.
i have found from time to time real hella lamps for 1/2 the price of the dealer, still expensive though.

Well, okay then. What would you suggest?? Really, I hate driving Baby around 'unlensed'.

[turbos03]

Originally Posted by cuteasabug

Well, the lens on my (driver's side) headlamp fell off at some point (2003 GLS). As many of you are no doubt well aware, VW doesn't do 'replacement lenses'

Help would really be appreciated! Direction, something ... TIA.

don't know why everyone keeps saying this..??? but, YOU CAN BUY THE LENS FROM VW WITHOUT HAVING TO BUY THE WHOLE HEADLIGHT..!!!!

https://www.1stvwparts.com/partscat.html

[stinkybisquit]

Mine fell of last week, somewhere on a two hundred mile drive. VW USED to sell just the lens; it was recently changed so the lens so they sell the lens attached to the outer reflector (not sure of the part name); most suppliers still just have the lens listed. Mine came in yesterday after ordering it on Saturday; hope to put it on tomorrow.

By the way, I've seen other posts on how to polish the lens (which I'll have to do to the old to match the new one). What I've used in the past is micro sandpaper, which I happened to have for putting a mirror finish on carving tools:

micro sandpaper at Lee Valley

It was originally made for making airplane cockpit windows optically clear. It's cheap, and lasts forever.

[cuteasabug]

Originally Posted by turbos03

don't know why everyone keeps saying this..??? but, YOU CAN BUY THE LENS FROM VW WITHOUT HAVING TO BUY THE WHOLE HEADLIGHT..!!!!

https://www.1stvwparts.com/partscat.html

OK then. My dealer wouldn't do it, my mechanic says he can't do it. When I was at that very site before, I couldn't find one (tho' I just did now). Guess you've got the magic touch. LOL.

Maybe no mechanic wants to take responsibility for simply gluing on a lens that's doomed to fall off ... again? Maybe it's easier to get the whole assembly, then the manufacturer or VW takes the blame if/when the same thing happens again?

[stinkybisquit]

Here are the old and new ETKA listed parts:

OLD


NEW

[cuteasabug]

Wow, I am impressed so far. I just ordered this lens from 1stVWparts ... they sent me a shipping notice within 10 minutes. Also, answered questions promptly (twice!). So far, so good. And no one else had the lens (that I could find).

[70autostick]

Can you purchase the oem seals as well?I'd check,but my mobile can load only so fast.

[Deserion]

The rubber gasket should come with a lens. Not sure if it can be ordered separately.

[MichelleRoze]

$144 for just the lense? Seems a bit extreme to me. From what I saw they have the old part listing up, so the lense is just the lense, not the lense and reflector area. Again, seems extreme. Hope my lense never comes off. Though I need more than just the lense now

[stinkybisquit]

They have just the lens listed, but if you order it, they email back and say it's not available; just the lens & reflector. That's where I ordered mine. Ordered it on a Saturday around 3pm, and they mailed it that day; received it three days later, and it worked perfectly. Better than just the lens probably, because I didn't have to fool with the sealant. they're the ones who sent me a PDF of the newest parts list.

[cuteasabug]

Originally Posted by MichelleRoze

$144 for just the lense? Seems a bit extreme to me. From what I saw they have the old part listing up, so the lense is just the lense, not the lense and reflector area. Again, seems extreme. Hope my lense never comes off. Though I need more than just the lense now

I agree it's expensive. But the assembly is much more (even used, online), so it's still an improvement, as far as my budget is concerned. And, yes, as far as I could tell, the lens IS just the lens.

[cuteasabug]

Originally Posted by stinkybisquit

They have just the lens listed, but if you order it, they email back and say it's not available; just the lens & reflector. That's where I ordered mine. Ordered it on a Saturday around 3pm, and they mailed it that day; received it three days later, and it worked perfectly. Better than just the lens probably, because I didn't have to fool with the sealant. they're the ones who sent me a PDF of the newest parts list.

I ordered the lens, just the lens, they have emailed with confirmation that it is JUST the lens. Not sure how you get both ... ? I don't need the reflector, but it's odd that you'd order the same part from the same place and have a completely different experience. *shrug*

[stinkybisquit]

Could be the year? mine's an '01.

[Dragonspirit12]

I had an 02 and had a lens fly off while going down the freeway scared me to death from what I read after that its actually a fairly common issue...

[Turbomania]

This may be a salvage yard part... It would be best to find a whole headlight assembly with gasket so there would be no leaking. Good salvage yards are all connected on a network and can locate parts close to you or ship them to you when they are too far to drive to. I checked my headlights looking for any sign of a loose lens and they were just as they have been since I bought the car 10.5 years ago. Does Anyone know how the lens can become loose and fall off. My 99 has one time clip on lenses with plastic clamps that are very secure. There also appears to be a bead of sealant all around the mating surface of the headlight body-reflector and the lens. Good luck finding this part if it happens again. JK