Chevrolet Cavalier Instrument Panel Bulb Size

The Chevrolet Cavalier instrument panel utilizes bulb sizes 161, 168, 194, PC74, and PC161 across various production versions. Available data covers the specific time range from 1982 through 2002.

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
2000-2002	PC74
1994	161
1993	PC161
1990-1992	194
1989	168
1987-1988	194
1986	161
1982-1985	194

Bulb Specifications

Description	Bulb Size
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Miniature wedge bulb (T5) with printed circuit board twist-lock socket, for instrument clusters. 12V, 1.4W.	PC74
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Miniature wedge bulb (T10). 12V, 1W.	161
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Miniature wedge bulb (T10) with printed circuit board twist-lock socket, for instrument clusters. 12V.	PC161
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Miniature wedge bulb (T10). 12V, 3.78W.	194
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Miniature wedge bulb (T10). 12V, 4.9W.	168

Other Locations

Additional Notes

The Chevrolet Cavalier instrument panel uses five distinct bulb types across its model years: PC74, 161, PC161, 194, and 168, all conforming to ANSI standards applicable in the United States and Canada.
The 194 bulb is the most frequently specified type in the Cavalier instrument panel, covering the 1982-1985, 1987-1988, and 1990-1992 model years. It is a T10 miniature wedge bulb rated at 12V and 3.78W.
The PC74 bulb is specified for the 2000-2002 model years. It is a T5 miniature wedge bulb rated at 12V and 1.4W, and it uses a printed circuit board twist-lock socket designed specifically for instrument cluster applications.
The "PC" prefix in bulb designations such as PC74 and PC161 indicates a printed circuit board twist-lock socket configuration. This socket type is not interchangeable with standard wedge-base sockets of the same bulb family.
The 161 and PC161 bulbs share the same T10 wedge form and 12V rating, but the PC161 incorporates a printed circuit board twist-lock socket. The 1994 model year uses the standard 161, while the 1993 model year uses the PC161, making direct substitution between these two years inadvisable without confirming socket compatibility.
The 168 bulb, specified solely for the 1989 model year, is a T10 miniature wedge type rated at 12V and 4.9W. At 4.9W, it carries the highest wattage among all bulb types listed in these specifications.
Although the 194 and 168 bulbs share the T10 wedge form factor and 12V rating, their wattage values differ substantially, 3.78W versus 4.9W respectively. Substituting one for the other may affect instrument panel illumination intensity.
The 161 bulb is rated at 1W, making it the lowest-wattage non-PC bulb in the specifications. It shares the T10 wedge form with the 194 and 168 types but draws significantly less power than either.
The T5 designation of the PC74 bulb indicates a tubular envelope roughly 5/8 inch wide, which is physically smaller than the T10 envelope shared by the 161, PC161, 194, and 168 bulbs. This size difference makes cross-substitution between T5 and T10 types physically incompatible.
The PC161 specification for the 1993 model year does not include a listed wattage value, unlike the standard 161 bulb rated at 1W, meaning the two types cannot be assumed to be electrically identical despite sharing the T10 wedge form.