Acura TL headlight bulb sizes include 9005, D2S, 9003, and D2R configurations for high and low beam applications. The replacement chart covers 1995 through 2014 model years 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 9003 bulb, used in the Acura TL for both high and low beam functions across the 1995-1998 model years, is a dual-filament halogen type rated at 12V with outputs of 60W on high beam and 55W on low beam. Its P43t base allows a single bulb to serve both beam functions within the same housing.
The 9005 bulb is a single-filament halogen type rated at 12V and 65W, built to the ANSI standard used in the United States and Canada. Because it carries only one filament, it handles the high beam function exclusively and is not interchangeable with dual-filament types such as the 9003.
The D2S and D2R bulbs are both HID xenon discharge types operating at 85V and 35W, and both require an external ignitor to strike and sustain the arc. Despite sharing the same electrical ratings, they are not interchangeable with each other, as the D2S is designed for projector-type housings while the D2R is designed for reflector-type housings, with the two types carrying different base standards: P32d-2 and P32d-3, respectively.
In the Acura TL, the 2009-2014 model years use the 9005 for high beam and the D2S for low beam, meaning the vehicle's headlight system combines a halogen source for high beam output with a xenon discharge source for low beam output.
The 2004-2006 model years also pair the D2S for low beam with the D2S for high beam, making those years the only ones in the TL's specification history where both beam positions use the same HID bulb type.
The 1999-2003 model years represent a transitional period in the TL's headlight configuration. The low beam position shifted from the dual-filament 9003 halogen type to the D2R HID type starting in 1999, while the high beam position moved from the 9003 to the single-filament 9005 halogen type starting in 1999 as well.
The D2S and D2R bulbs follow the ECE standard, which governs lighting regulations across Europe and much of the world, in contrast to the ANSI standard that applies to the 9003 and 9005 types used in the United States and Canada.
Because the D2S and D2R share identical voltage and wattage ratings but differ in base type and housing compatibility, substituting one for the other would result in an improper fit and incorrect light distribution for the housing design.