Chevrolet Lumina License Plate Bulb Size

Additional Notes

• The Chevrolet Lumina license plate position uses three distinct bulb sizes across its production run: the 168, 194, and 24.
• The 168 and 194 are both T10 miniature wedge bulbs operating at 12V, though they differ in wattage. The 168 draws 4.9W while the 194 draws 3.78W, making them electrically incompatible substitutes despite sharing the same physical base type.
• The 168 bulb is specified for the Chevrolet Lumina across the 1996-2001 model years, representing the longest continuous fitment period in the specifications.
• The 194 bulb applies to the 1990-1992 and 1994 model years. All four of these years share the T10 wedge base and 12V operating voltage.
• The 1993 model year uses the size 24 bulb, which carries a BA9s bayonet-style base rather than a wedge base. This makes it physically distinct from the 168 and 194 bulbs used in surrounding model years.
• The BA9s base on the size 24 bulb is a single-contact bayonet fitting, a construction that is not interchangeable with the wedge-style socket used by T10 bulbs.
• At 2W, the size 24 bulb operates at a lower wattage than both the 168 and 194, reflecting its different base construction and socket requirements.
• Although the 168 and 194 share the T10 wedge form factor, substituting one for the other in the Lumina would result in a wattage mismatch relative to the factory specification for that model year.