Chevrolet Cavalier front side marker bulbs utilize 12961, 3357, or 194 bulb sizes, while rear side marker bulbs use 194 or 24 sizes. The replacement chart covers vehicle production spanning 1982 to 2005 with corresponding bulb size specifications.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
The Chevrolet Cavalier front side marker position uses three distinct bulb types across its production span: the 194, the 3357, and the 12961, each representing a different generation of fitment.
The 194 is the most frequently specified bulb across both front and rear side marker positions in the Cavalier. It is an ANSI-standard miniature wedge bulb in the T10 form factor, rated at 12V and 3.78W, and uses a wedge-style base requiring no locking mechanism.
The Chevrolet Cavalier front side marker for 2003-2005 uses the 12961, a Philips-designated miniature wedge bulb in the T10 form factor with a W2.1x9.5d base, rated at 12V and 5W. Although the 12961 and the 194 share the T10 form factor, their wattage ratings differ, and the 12961 carries a manufacturer-specific part number rather than an ANSI designation.
The front side marker for 2000-2002 uses the 3357, a single-filament wedge bulb in the T25 form factor rated at 12V and 27W. At 27W, the 3357 draws significantly more power than either the 194 or the 12961, and its larger T25 body makes it physically incompatible with housings designed for T10 bulbs.
The rear side marker for the Cavalier uses only two bulb types: the 194 and the 24, with the 24 specified for 1988-1992 model years.
The bulb 24 is an ANSI-standard single-filament bulb rated at 12V and 2W, and it uses a BA9s bayonet base. The BA9s base is a pin-and-socket fitment, which is mechanically incompatible with the wedge-style base used by the 194, making the two bulbs non-interchangeable despite their similar low-wattage ratings.
The 1994 rear side marker returns to the 194 after the 1988-1992 span of 24 fitment, while the 1987 rear side marker also uses the 194, placing the 24 exclusively within the 1988-1992 range for that position.
The front side marker for 1982-1994 is uniformly specified as the 194, representing the longest uninterrupted single-bulb fitment across any position in these specifications.
The 12961 and the 194 both occupy the T10 form factor and share a wedge base, but the 12961 operates at 5W versus the 194's 3.78W. Substituting one for the other in a housing calibrated for a specific wattage may affect light output and could exceed the design tolerance of the socket.
Rear side marker data for 2000-2002 is not present in the specifications, while front side marker data for 1995-1999 is also absent, indicating those model years are not covered for those respective positions in this dataset.