# How to: Audi TT Mk2 (8J) Fog Light Grill Removal



## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

Removal of the fog light grill is covered in workshop manual_ A005TT01320 - Electrical System_ which you can find in the KB, however doesn't really give all the details to get this done. I've attached an excerpt at the bottom of this post.

If your fog light lens is broken and you need to replace the fog light assembly, or if you need to access the front Tow Eye Bolt point on the right side of the vehicle these instructions will help you get this done..

It is not necessary to go through all this just to replace the fog light bulbs. If that's all you need, then follow this link - https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... &t=1904819

This is pretty straight forward and as noted in the workshop manual, all it requires is a screwdriver. However the use of nylon pry-bars is a must IMHO, so if you need an excuse for a few panel pry-bars, now's the time to get them. If you don't have pry-bars handy, a stiff plastic card (plastic hotel keys) works great to slip between the grill and bumper to hold the catches free. In this post, I've shown the removal of the right grill, but it's the same procedure for the left one too.

*FOG LIGHT GRILL REMOVAL*

There are two catches inboard of the grill; one upper and one lower. The design is identical for both.









You'll need to insert the screwdriver into the slots and lever the catches free from the bumper. On the lower catch, lever the screw driver downward, and slip the pry-bar in place to hold the catch off the bumper. Then do the same thing with the top one, but this time, pry the screwdriver upwards and insert another pry-bar into the side of the grill so you can start to pry the entire inboard edge of the grill away from the bumper.

















Once the two inboard catches are free, you should be able to slip your fingers behind the grill to pull it forward.

























It takes a bit of force as there are four more catches which will just pull free.









Once the grill is out of the way, you will have access to the fog light and tow eye-bolt point.









Installation is the reverse of removal; start with the outboard edge near the fog light and work inboard. Simply position the grill in place and give it a good sharp shove and it will just snap back into place.

*FOG LIGHT ASSEMBLY REMOVAL*

To remove the fog light and/or change the bulb, unscrew the two screws inboard of the light assembly. NOTE - if you only need to replace the H11 bulb, you don't have to this. You can simply remove the headlight to access the socket from above the fog light assembly.








Hold the fog light assembly in one hand while you remove the second screw as it will want to drop out of place. Once the fog light assembly is out, simply rotate the connector counter-clockwise to access/remove the H11 bulb. You'll note in this picture, the screws are now back in place. This is just an old habit of mine to put them back for safe keeping pending reinstallation.








Installation is the reverse of removal.

NOTE - When changing the bulb, be sure you do NOT touch the glass with your bare fingers. The oils on your skin can create a hot spot and will cause the lamp to fail.









* RED TAPE TRIM*
For anyone who's interested in adding colored tape trim to their fog light grill, here's how I did mine -
https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... e#p9165039

*YELLOW FOG LIGHT RETROFIT*
For anyone who wants to change their fog lights to yellow, you can follow this link -
https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... &t=1894957

Here's the workshop manual excerpt -
View attachment A005TT01320 - Electrical System - Fog Light Removal.pdf

The entire workshop manual, and several others, can be downloaded here -

*FAQ - Audi TT (8J) Workshop Manuals & Repair Groups*
https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... &t=1833829

.


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## Rawler (7 mo ago)

Any tips/tools required for getting the fog grill back in. I noticed mine had come lose and I couldn't click it back in. A bit of jiggling and the whole grill came out. Clicks in by the fog light, but no where else and it's all intact.


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## Wormrider (6 mo ago)

Unfortunately, my car didn’t come with fog lights.  However, the procedure is well done!


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## Beryl (4 mo ago)

That how-to is so attractively put together.


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## TT'sRevenge (Feb 28, 2021)

The removal can also be summarised by one word: *pull*. LOL. Seriously you can just pull these out and they, well, come out. You do have some risk of breaking a clip I suppose but as long as you kind of finagle it where the clips are located, you should be okay to remove it. Clips seem to be more commonly broken as a result of putting them _in_ improperly/forcing them.



Rawler said:


> Any tips/tools required for getting the fog grill back in. I noticed mine had come lose and I couldn't click it back in. A bit of jiggling and the whole grill came out. Clicks in by the fog light, but no where else and it's all intact.


Unfortunately both the bumper and the clips/grille can warp slightly over time, thus allowing not all the clips to click in well or at all. If you have a problem with too many of them and it's not holding in well, remove the grille and ensure you haven't outright bent or broken any. After that you may need to bend them out a little _gently and slowly_. A few of mine were bent quite a bit but I was actually able to bend them back without damaging--the plastic seems to have a lot of flex to it but be careful. One _did_ break entirely, I fixed it with some expoxy and seemed to go in fine--might break on a subesquent removal but I'll just fix it again if/when that happens lol. I also put a dab of epoxy "behind" the ones I had to bend back which were a little weakened, just to reinforce them.



Wormrider said:


> Unfortunately, my car didn’t come with fog lights.


Them's the breaks with an RS lol. I think you can probably still just pull them out to get access behind there for whatever reason. Some cars like A4, etc. have a screw or two but I don't think any TT has those, though you should definitely look first of course.


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## Beryl (4 mo ago)

I haven’t had a go yet at removing trim but have bought one of the many kits on eBay. You see some cavalier attitudes to removing stuff to get to other stuff but I’m thinking it’s going to go back at some point and I’d want my car being just like it was originally, not with some soundtrack of buzzes and rattles that weren’t there before. Just saying…


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## 8JVR6 (May 13, 2013)

Thanks for the write-up, I didn't know about those slots to press the tabs. I would just yank mine out like a caveman every time I needed to get towed. I had to buy a new set because they were warped and didn't quite fit right. 

I think I'm going to drill an opening for the tow hook, pulling those grills off on the side of the road at night really sucks.


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