Lincoln Town Car Dome Light Bulb Size

The Lincoln Town Car dome light utilizes bulb sizes 578, 912, 211-2, and 561 depending on the specific vehicle production period. Provided data covers the range of 1981 through 2011.

The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.

Bulb Size by Year Range

Years	Bulb Size
1998-2011	578
1992-1997	912
1990-1991	211-2
1989	561
1981-1988	912

Bulb Specifications

Description	Bulb Size
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Festoon bulb, 41mm length, end-cap contacts. 12V, 12W.	578
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Wedge bulb (T15). Variant of 921. 12V, 12W.	912
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Festoon bulb, 41mm length, SV8.5 base. 12V, 12W.	211-2
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Festoon bulb, 44mm length, end-cap contacts. 12V, 12W.	561

Other Locations

Additional Notes

The Lincoln Town Car dome light bulb specifications span the 1981-2011 model years, with four distinct bulb sizes used across that period: 578, 912, 211-2, and 561.
The 912 is the most frequently specified bulb across the Town Car's history, covering the 1981-1988 and 1992-1997 model years.
The 578 is the second most common fitment, specified for the 1998-2011 model years. It is a festoon-type bulb with a 41mm length and end-cap contacts, operating at 12V and 12W.
The 912 is a T15 wedge-base bulb rated at 12V and 12W. It is a variant of the 921 bulb, meaning the two share a physical base type but are not identical and should not be treated as direct substitutes without confirming the specific rating requirements.
The 578 and 211-2 share the same 41mm festoon length and the same 12V, 12W electrical rating, but they differ in base type. The 578 uses end-cap contacts while the 211-2 uses an SV8.5 base, making them physically non-interchangeable despite their identical length and wattage.
The 211-2 was specified for the Lincoln Town Car (1990-1991) and uses an SV8.5 base, which is a bayonet-style festoon mount rather than simple end-cap pressure contacts.
The 561 festoon bulb, specified for the 1989 model year only, has a 44mm length compared to the 41mm length of the 578 and 211-2. This 3mm difference makes it physically incompatible with fixtures designed for the shorter festoon sizes.
All four bulb types across the full specification range share the same 12V, 12W electrical rating, meaning voltage and wattage alone are insufficient to determine cross-compatibility between them.
The transition from the 912 wedge bulb to the 578 festoon bulb between the 1997 and 1998 model years represents a change in both base type and bulb form factor, indicating a fixture change rather than a simple bulb substitution.
All four bulb sizes listed are ANSI-standardized for the US and Canadian markets, meaning they conform to defined specifications that allow for equivalent replacements from multiple manufacturers within each size designation.