Audi A6 License Plate Bulb Size

Additional Notes

• The Audi A6 license plate position uses the DE3423 bulb across the 1998-2014 model years, with the exception of 1995-1997, which use the 3893 bulb instead.
• The DE3423 is a festoon-type bulb, meaning it is a cylindrical lamp that makes electrical contact through metal caps at each end rather than through a base socket.
• The DE3423 measures 41mm in length, which is a standard festoon size found across a wide range of European and domestic vehicle applications.
• The 3893 bulb used in the 1995-1997 Audi A6 carries a BAY15d bayonet base, a two-pin offset base design that physically prevents incorrect installation by staggering the pin heights.
• The 3893 is a dual-filament bulb, meaning it contains two separate filaments within a single envelope, a construction typically associated with combined stop and tail light functions rather than simple illumination duties.
• Both the DE3423 and the 3893 operate at 12 volts and conform to ANSI standards applicable in the United States and Canada.
• The DE3423 and the 3893 are not interchangeable. Their base types differ fundamentally, with the festoon end-cap design of the DE3423 being physically incompatible with the bayonet socket that accepts the 3893.
• The shift from the 3893 to the DE3423 occurred between the 1997 and 1998 model years of the Audi A6, reflecting a change in the license plate lamp socket design.