Chevrolet Cavalier Courtesy Bulb Size

The Chevrolet Cavalier courtesy light utilizes 168, 912, 562, 74, 561, and 906 bulb sizes. Data for the listed components covers the range from 1982 through 2005.

The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.

Bulb Size by Year Range

Years	Bulb Size
2005	168
2004	912
2003	168
2000-2002	562
1992	74
1991	561
1987-1990	168
1985-1986	906
1982-1984	168

Bulb Specifications

Description	Bulb Size
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Miniature wedge bulb (T10). 12V, 4.9W.	168
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Wedge bulb (T15). Variant of 921. 12V, 12W.	912
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Festoon bulb, 44mm length, end-cap contacts. 12V, 12W.	562
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Miniature wedge bulb (T5). 12V, 1.4W.	74
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Festoon bulb, 44mm length, end-cap contacts. 12V, 12W.	561
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Miniature wedge bulb (T10). 12V, 8W.	906

Other Locations

Additional Notes

The 168 bulb is the most frequently specified courtesy bulb across the Chevrolet Cavalier model years listed, appearing in nine of the seventeen years covered, including 1982-1984, 1987-1990, 2003, and 2005.
The 168 is a T10 miniature wedge bulb rated at 12V and 4.9W, conforming to ANSI standards for the US and Canadian markets.
The 906 bulb also follows the T10 wedge form factor but is rated at 8W, making it a higher-wattage alternative to the 168 despite sharing the same base type. The Cavalier uses the 906 for the 1985-1986 model years.
The 562 and 561 are both 44mm festoon bulbs with end-cap contacts, each rated at 12V and 12W. Festoon bulbs make contact at both ends of the tube rather than through a wedge base, which distinguishes them physically from the wedge-type bulbs in this specification set.
Although the 562 and 561 share the same physical length, voltage, and wattage, they are listed as distinct part numbers and are not confirmed as interchangeable within these specifications. The Cavalier uses the 562 for 2000-2002 and the 561 for 1991.
The 912 is a T15 wedge bulb rated at 12V and 12W, described as a variant of the 921. Its larger T15 envelope and higher wattage distinguish it from the T10 wedge bulbs also present in this specification set. It is specified for the 2004 Cavalier.
The 74 is a T5 miniature wedge bulb rated at 12V and 1.4W, the lowest wattage of any bulb in this specification set. It is specified solely for the 1992 Cavalier.
The wedge base types present in these specifications span three envelope sizes: T5 (74), T10 (168, 906), and T15 (912). These size designations reflect the bulb envelope width in eighths of an inch, meaning a T10 is 10/8 or 1.25 inches wide.
Substituting a higher-wattage bulb such as the 906 or 912 into a socket specified for the lower-wattage 168 carries a risk of exceeding the thermal and electrical tolerances of the socket and surrounding components.
All bulbs in this specification set conform to ANSI standards applicable to both the US and Canadian markets, indicating a shared standardization framework across the full range of model years listed.