The Acura CL brake light utilizes 7443 and 2057 bulb sizes for the rear lighting system. Data for the specific components covers the period from 1997 through 2003.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
The Acura CL uses three distinct brake bulb types across its production years: the 7443, 2057, and 7440, all of which conform to ANSI standards recognized in the United States and Canada.
The 7443 is a dual-filament wedge bulb in the T20 form factor, rated at 12V with a 21W high filament and a 5W low filament. This type serves the brake lights on the 2001-2003 Acura CL.
The 2057 is a dual-filament bulb with a BAY15d bayonet base, rated at 12V with a 26.9W high filament and an 8W low filament. This type serves the brake lights on the 1997-1999 Acura CL.
The BAY15d bayonet base of the 2057 is a two-pin offset base, a physical configuration that differs from the wedge-style base of the 7443. These two bulb types are not interchangeable despite both being dual-filament.
The 2057 is a brighter variant of the 1157, sharing the same BAY15d base but drawing more wattage on its high filament. This distinction is relevant when considering substitutions in the 1997-1999 brake light circuit.
The 7440 is a single-filament wedge bulb in the T20 form factor, rated at 12V and 21W. It serves as the center high mount stop light bulb across all Acura CL model years from 1997-2003.
The 7440 and 7443 share the same T20 wedge form factor and voltage rating, but the 7443 carries a second filament for dual-function use. Substituting a 7440 in a socket designed for a 7443 would result in the loss of one lighting function.
The brake light bulb specification for the Acura CL changed between the 1999 and 2001 model years, shifting from the 2057 with a BAY15d bayonet base to the 7443 with a T20 wedge base. These two generations of the vehicle require different socket types.