The Acura NSX high beam headlight uses a 9005 bulb size while the low beam headlight requires either a D2S or 9006 bulb size. The replacement chart covers vehicle production years spanning 1991 to 2005 with corresponding bulb size specifications.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
The 9005 bulb is the high beam headlight size across all Acura NSX model years listed, spanning 1991-2005. It is a single-filament halogen bulb operating at 12V and 65W, built to the ANSI standard used in the United States and Canada, and it uses a P20d base.
The low beam headlight position uses two distinct bulb types across the listed model years, with the specific type depending on the year of the vehicle.
The 9006 halogen bulb serves as the low beam headlight for the Acura NSX from 1991-2001. Like the 9005, it follows the ANSI standard and operates at 12V, though it draws less power at 55W. It uses a P22d base, which is physically different from the P20d base of the 9005, making the two halogen types non-interchangeable despite their similar appearance.
From 2002-2005, the NSX low beam headlight transitions to the D2S bulb, a High Intensity Discharge (HID) xenon type. This bulb operates at 85V and 35W and uses a P32d-2 base, which is entirely incompatible with the halogen sockets found in earlier model years.
The D2S bulb requires an external ignitor to initiate the electrical arc that produces light, unlike halogen bulbs, which operate directly from the vehicle's standard 12V circuit. This means the 2002-2005 low beam system involves additional hardware beyond the bulb itself.
The D2S is designed specifically for projector-type housings. Installing it in a reflector-style housing, as found in vehicles not engineered for HID, produces uncontrolled light scatter that reduces visibility and increases glare for other road users.
The 9005 and 9006 share a similar single-filament halogen construction and voltage rating, but their base types differ. This base difference is a deliberate design feature that prevents a higher-wattage 9005 from being seated into a socket rated for the lower-wattage 9006.
The D2S bulb conforms to the ECE standard, which governs lighting regulations across Europe and many other markets worldwide, as opposed to the ANSI standard that applies to the 9005 and 9006 halogen types.