Mercury Cougar License Plate Bulb Size

The Mercury Cougar license plate light uses 12961, 194, 168, and 97 bulb sizes depending on the specific vehicle production era. Available data covers the range from 1967 through 2002 for the specified automotive lighting components.

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
1999-2002	12961
1985-1997	194
1983-1984	168
1977-1980	168
1967-1974	97

Bulb Specifications

Description	Bulb Size
Philips part number. Miniature wedge bulb (T10) with W2.1x9.5d base. 12V, 5W.	12961
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Miniature wedge bulb (T10). 12V, 3.78W.	194
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Miniature wedge bulb (T10). 12V, 4.9W.	168
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Single-filament bulb with BA15s bayonet base. Variant of 1156. 12V, 13W.	97

Other Locations

Additional Notes

The Mercury Cougar license plate position uses four distinct bulb sizes across its model history: 12961, 194, 168, and 97.
The 194 is an ANSI-standard miniature wedge bulb in the T10 form factor, rated at 12V and 3.78W, and it covers the Mercury Cougar license plate position for the 1985-1997 model years.
The 168 is also an ANSI-standard T10 miniature wedge bulb, rated at 12V and 4.9W, and it applies to the 1977-1984 model years.
Although the 194 and 168 share the same T10 wedge form factor and W2.1x9.5d base type, their wattage ratings differ, which is a relevant fitment consideration when substituting one for the other.
The 12961 is a Philips-branded miniature wedge bulb in the T10 form factor with a W2.1x9.5d base, rated at 12V and 5W, and it serves the 1999-2002 model years.
The 12961 and the ANSI 194 and 168 bulbs all share the T10 wedge form factor, though the 12961 carries a manufacturer part number rather than an ANSI designation.
The 97 is an ANSI-standard single-filament bulb with a BA15s bayonet base, rated at 12V and 13W, and it is specified for the Mercury Cougar license plate position from 1967-1974.
The 97 bulb is classified as a variant of the 1156 bulb family, both of which use the BA15s bayonet base rather than a wedge-type base, making it physically incompatible with the T10 wedge sockets used in later Cougar model years.
At 13W, the 97 bulb draws considerably more power than the T10 wedge bulbs used in later model years, reflecting a shift in automotive lighting standards over the Cougar's production span.
The three T10 wedge bulbs specified across the Cougar's later model years (194, 168, and 12961) each carry different wattage ratings of 3.78W, 4.9W, and 5W respectively, and direct substitution between them warrants attention to those differences.