Chevrolet Caprice High Beam Indicator Bulb Size

Additional Notes

• The Chevrolet Caprice high beam indicator bulb specifications span the 1969-1992 model years, with four distinct bulb sizes used across that range: 73, 161, 168, and 194, plus a single-year application of the 1895.
• The 168 bulb is the most frequently specified size in these records, covering the 1981-1984 and 1987-1989 model years. It is a T10 miniature wedge bulb rated at 12V and 4.9W, making it the highest-wattage bulb among those listed.
• The 194 bulb is the second most common specification, applied across the 1969-1980 model years with the exception of 1971. It shares the T10 wedge form factor with the 168 but operates at a lower wattage of 3.78W.
• Although the 168 and 194 bulbs share the same T10 wedge form factor and 12V operating voltage, their wattage ratings differ significantly, at 4.9W and 3.78W respectively. This distinction is relevant to fitment, as substituting one for the other may affect indicator brightness and circuit load.
• The 161 bulb, specified for the 1985-1986 and 1990 model years, is also a T10 wedge bulb at 12V but is rated at only 1W, the lowest wattage among the T10 bulbs in these specifications.
• The 73 bulb, used in the 1991-1992 model years, is a T5 miniature wedge bulb rated at 12V and 1.4W. The T5 form factor is physically smaller than the T10, meaning the 73 is not interchangeable with any of the T10 bulbs listed for earlier model years.
• The 1895 bulb, specified solely for the 1971 Caprice, is also a T5 wedge bulb but rated at 0.9W, the lowest wattage of all bulbs in these specifications. Despite sharing the T5 form factor with the 73, the two differ in wattage and are not listed as interchangeable.
• All five bulb sizes in these specifications conform to ANSI standards applicable in both the United States and Canada, indicating standardized electrical and physical tolerances across the range.
• The shift from the 194 bulb to the 168 for the 1981 model year represents a change in wattage from 3.78W to 4.9W within the same T10 form factor, a distinction that is relevant when sourcing a replacement for a specific model year.
• The 1990 Caprice returns to the 161 specification after two years of the 168, while 1991 transitions to the physically smaller T5-based 73 bulb, reflecting that the T10 and T5 sockets are not compatible with one another.