Chevrolet El Camino Parking Brake Indicator Bulb Size

Additional Notes

• The bulb size 168 is the most frequently specified parking brake indicator bulb across the Chevrolet El Camino range, covering the 1971-1972 and 1976-1987 model years. It is an ANSI-standard miniature wedge bulb in the T10 form factor, rated at 12V and 4.9W.
• The 194 bulb shares the same T10 wedge form factor as the 168 but draws less power at 3.78W versus 4.9W. Despite this physical similarity, the two types are not listed interchangeably in these specifications, as the 194 is assigned to the 1967-1968 and 1978-1979 model years while the 168 covers adjacent years.
• The T10 wedge base used by both the 168 and 194 bulbs is a pin-free design that seats by friction, which is a common trait of miniature wedge-type bulbs in instrument panel applications.
• The 1959-1960 and 1964-1966 Chevrolet El Camino model years share the bulb size 257, an ANSI-standard instrument bulb rated at 12V and 2W, available in either a festoon or BA9s base configuration.
• The 1445 bulb, specified for the 1973 model year, uses a BA9s bayonet-style base and is rated at 12V and 2W, placing it in the same wattage class as the 257 bulb despite being a distinct ANSI type.
• The 1895 bulb, assigned to the 1969-1970 model years, is a T5 miniature wedge type rated at 12V and 0.9W, making it the lowest-wattage bulb across all years in these specifications.
• The BA9s base type, a small single-pin bayonet fitting, is associated with both the 1445 and potentially the 257 bulb, as the 257 is listed with either a festoon or BA9s base. These two base styles are not physically interchangeable, so the specific socket configuration of the vehicle determines which variant of the 257 is applicable.
• Across the full span of these specifications, five distinct bulb types are used for the same parking brake indicator function, reflecting changes in instrument panel design across different production generations of the El Camino.