my passenger side sidelight came off easy, however the driver side was a pain, took a lot of twisting and turning to loosen and pull it out.
I used my mates NWS ergonomic 45' long nosed pliers. He's a sparky so he has all sorts of pliers.
![](https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmakezineblog.files.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F01%2Fnws-ergo-grip-long-nose-pliers-hand-angle.jpg&hash=84f87bd55e4d0cbf39433b7e862abb49b57e7daa)
I know his pliers will be quite expensive though. I can also get the bulbs out easily with normal pliers.
Practice makes perfect!!!
Remember, just PULL straight back on the bulb holder. Do NOT Twist.
It gets easier every time.