Chevrolet Cavalier Engine Compartment Light Bulb Size

The Chevrolet Cavalier engine compartment light uses 561 and 1156 bulb sizes across the model line. The replacement chart covers vehicle production years from 1982 to 1991 with corresponding bulb specifications.

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
1991	561
1982-1989	1156

Bulb Specifications

Description	Bulb Size
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Festoon bulb, 44mm length, end-cap contacts. 12V, 12W.	561
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Single-filament bulb with BA15s bayonet base. 12V, 21W.	1156

Other Locations

Additional Notes

The Chevrolet Cavalier engine compartment light uses one of two bulb types across its model years: the 1156 and the 561, each with distinct physical formats and electrical characteristics.
The 1156 is a single-filament bulb with a BA15s bayonet base, rated at 12V and 21W. The BA15s designation indicates a single-contact bayonet fitting with a 15mm base width.
The 561 is a festoon-style bulb measuring 44mm in length, making contact through end-caps rather than a bayonet or screw base. It is rated at 12V and 12W, drawing notably less power than the 1156.
Both the 1156 and 561 conform to ANSI standards recognized in the United States and Canada.
The Chevrolet Cavalier uses the 1156 bulb for the engine compartment light across the 1982-1989 model years, with the sole exception of 1990 data not being present in the specifications.
The 1991 Cavalier engine compartment light uses the 561 festoon bulb rather than the 1156, representing a change in base type from bayonet to end-cap contact.
Because the 1156 uses a BA15s bayonet base and the 561 uses end-cap contacts, the two bulb types are not physically interchangeable despite sharing the same 12V operating voltage.
The wattage difference between the two bulbs is significant: the 1156 operates at 21W while the 561 operates at 12W, meaning the two draw different amounts of current from the vehicle's electrical system.