Chevrolet Corvette Engine Compartment Light Bulb Size

Additional Notes

• The Chevrolet Corvette engine compartment light draws from seven distinct ANSI-standard bulb types across its production history, all rated for 12-volt electrical systems.
• The 561 festoon bulb, used in the Chevrolet Corvette from 1997-2004, measures 44mm in length and makes contact through end-cap terminals rather than a base socket, operating at 12W.
• The 211-2 and 212-2 are both 41mm festoon bulbs sharing the SV8.5 base and a 12V, 12W rating. The 211-2 was fitted from 1986-1994, while the 212-2 replaced it for 1995-1996, making the two types close but not identical in designation despite their shared physical characteristics.
• The 1156 and 93 bulbs both use the BA15s single-contact bayonet base, meaning they share the same socket type. However, the 1156 operates at 21W while the 93 operates at 13W, so the two are not electrically interchangeable despite fitting the same socket.
• The 1003 bulb, fitted to the Corvette for 1978-1979, is a single-filament BA15s bayonet type rated at 12V and 21W, placing it in the same wattage class as the 1156.
• The 94 bulb, used from 1955-1961, is a dual-filament type with a BAY15d bayonet base rated at 21/5W. The BAY15d base has offset pins to prevent incorrect installation of a single-filament bulb in its place.
• The BAY15d base of the 94 bulb is physically distinct from the BA15s base shared by the 1156, 93, and 1003 bulbs, making cross-substitution between the 94 and those single-filament types mechanically impossible without modification.
• Festoon bulbs such as the 561, 212-2, and 211-2 are held in place by spring-loaded clips at each end of the housing rather than a rotational bayonet lock, which is a fundamentally different retention method from the bayonet-base bulbs used in earlier Corvette model years.
• The 1156 bulb was used non-consecutively across several Corvette model years, including 1962-1963, 1965, 1968-1969, 1981, and 1984, reflecting varied sourcing decisions across different production generations.
• The 93 bulb, a lower-wattage BA15s variant relative to the 1156, was specified for 1964, 1966-1967, 1970, 1980, and 1982, indicating it was selected for the engine compartment application in years where the higher 21W output of the 1156 was not required.