Buick Centurion Dome Light Bulb Size

Additional Notes

• The Buick Centurion dome light draws from two distinct bulb families across its 1971-1973 model years: the festoon type for 1972 and 1973, and the miniature wedge type for 1971.
• The festoon bulbs used in the 1972 and 1973 Centurion, designated 211-2 and 212-2 respectively, share the same 41mm length and SV8.5 base configuration.
• Both the 211-2 and 212-2 operate at 12 volts and 12 watts, placing them in the same power class for dome lighting applications.
• The SV8.5 base designation on festoon bulbs refers to a cylindrical lamp held in place by spring-loaded contacts at each end, a common mounting method in enclosed dome light housings.
• Although the 211-2 and 212-2 share physical and electrical characteristics, they carry distinct ANSI designations, which may indicate differences in filament construction or light output not reflected in the shared voltage and wattage ratings.
• The 1971 Centurion uses a 194 bulb, a T10 miniature wedge type that operates at 12 volts and 3.78 watts, a significantly lower wattage than the festoon bulbs used in subsequent model years.
• The T10 wedge base on the 194 bulb is a self-retaining design that requires no separate socket hardware, as the bulb's plastic wedge base makes direct contact with the fixture's terminals.
• All three bulb types, the 211-2, 212-2, and 194, conform to ANSI standards applicable in both the United States and Canada.
• The physical and electrical differences between the 194 wedge bulb and the 211-2 or 212-2 festoon bulbs mean these types are not interchangeable across model years.