Ford Explorer Headlight Bulb Size

Additional Notes

• The 9005 bulb is the most frequently specified type across the Ford Explorer's headlight history, appearing in both high beam and low beam positions across multiple generation spans. It is a single-filament halogen bulb operating at 12V and 65W, built to the ANSI standard used in the United States and Canada, and fitted with a P20d base.
• The 9008 is a dual-filament halogen bulb rated at 12V with separate filaments drawing 65W for high beam and 55W for low beam. Its P26t base and dual-filament design allow it to serve both beam functions within a single bulb, which is reflected in its use for both the high beam and low beam positions on the Ford Explorer for the 2006-2010 model years.
• The 9007 and 9004 bulbs are also dual-filament halogen types operating at 12V. The 9007 uses a PX29t base with a 65W/55W output split, while the 9004 uses a P29t base with a 65W/45W split. Both similarly serve high and low beam functions within a single unit, as seen in their shared high beam and low beam fitment on the Explorer for 1995-2001 and 1991-1994, respectively.
• The D3S is an HID (high-intensity discharge) xenon bulb operating at 42V and 35W. It is mercury-free, built to the ECE standard, and incorporates an integral ignitor with a PK32d-5 base. Its design is specific to projector-type housings, which distinguishes it fundamentally from the halogen types listed in these specifications.
• For the Ford Explorer model years 2011-2015, two distinct headlight system types were offered: halogen capsule headlamps using the 9005 bulb and HID headlamps using the D3S bulb. These two bulb types are electrically and mechanically incompatible, as the D3S operates at a significantly higher voltage and requires a projector housing, making the headlamp system type a critical factor before any bulb is selected for those years.
• The 9005 and 9006 bulbs, though both single-filament halogen types at 12V, are not interchangeable. The 9005 is rated at 65W with a P20d base, while the 9006 is rated at 55W with a P22d base. On the Explorer, the 9005 is specified for the high beam and the 9006 for the low beam during the 2002-2005 model years, reflecting their distinct output levels and base configurations.
• The 9004 and 9007 bulbs share a dual-filament halogen design and both operate at 12V, but they use different bases and carry different wattage ratings. The 9004 has a P29t base rated at 65W/45W, and the 9007 has a PX29t base rated at 65W/55W. These differences in base design and power draw make the two types non-interchangeable despite their functional similarities.
• The high beam position on the Ford Explorer for the 2016-2019 model years is specified exclusively for the 9005 bulb, with no dual-system or HID variant listed for those years, in contrast to the 2011-2015 range where both halogen and HID options were present.