Chevrolet Caprice Instrument Panel Bulb Size

Additional Notes

• The instrument panel bulb specifications for the Chevrolet Caprice span the 1966-1992 model years, with five distinct bulb types appearing across that range: the 194, 168, 161, 1895, and 57.
• The 194 is the most frequently specified bulb across the Caprice instrument panel fitments, appearing in fourteen of the twenty-seven model years listed. It is an ANSI-standard miniature wedge bulb in the T10 form factor, rated at 12V and 3.78W.
• The 168 is the second most common bulb in these specifications, covering seven model years. Like the 194, it is an ANSI-standard T10 miniature wedge bulb operating at 12V, though it draws more power at 4.9W.
• Although the 194 and 168 share the same T10 wedge base and 12V operating voltage, their wattage ratings differ. The 168 draws approximately 1.12W more than the 194, which means the two types are not interchangeable without accounting for that difference in power consumption.
• The 161 is an ANSI-standard T10 miniature wedge bulb rated at 12V and 1W, making it the lowest-wattage T10 type in these specifications. It is specified for the 1983, 1987, and 1990 model years.
• The 1895 is specified only for the 1975 Caprice. It is an ANSI-standard miniature wedge bulb in the smaller T5 form factor, rated at 12V and 0.9W. Its T5 base is physically distinct from the T10 base shared by the 161, 168, and 194, making cross-substitution between the 1895 and those types a matter of physical incompatibility.
• The 57 is specified only for the 1966 Caprice. Unlike all other bulb types in these specifications, the 57 uses a BA9s bayonet base rather than a wedge base. It is rated at 12V and 1W.
• The BA9s base of the 57 bulb is a pin-and-socket bayonet fitting, which is mechanically incompatible with the wedge-style sockets used by the T10 and T5 types also present in these specifications.
• Three of the five bulb types in these specifications, the 161, 168, and 194, share the T10 wedge base. While their sockets are physically compatible, their wattage ratings of 1W, 4.9W, and 3.78W respectively represent meaningful differences that affect whether substitution between them is appropriate for a given application.
• All five bulb types in these specifications carry ANSI standardization for the US and Canadian markets and operate on a 12V circuit, consistent with standard automotive electrical systems.