Motors Replacing ashtray bulb on '98 Passat

The ashtray bulb on my '98 Passat is not lighting up. How can I access the bulb to replace it? I can see the bulb through a small hole, but there is no way of getting to it.. I tried pulling the plastic cover around the cigarette lighter around a bit, but I cannot get it off.
Hope I don't have to go to a VW shop just to change the ashtray bulb
And btw, if I ever gain access to it, it will hopefully be replaced by a white LED...

 

just pull the ashtray out hard.

the light on the in dash clock on my last car (Citroen ZX) went and I just had to force it out using a screwdriver between the lip of the plastic and the dash.

 

Well, I can get the ashtray out, but that is for emptying purposes. If I try to pull out the plastic underneath, I would also yank out the cigarette lighter, which probably has some wires running to it...

 

Ashtrays are for the weak anyway.

Didn't you know that's why the front windows open?

 

Well I use it to stuff my parking receipts in, and if I used the window, I would probably get fined for littering..

 

Get a Haynes manual