Mercury Montego License Plate Bulb Size

Additional Notes

• The Mercury Montego license plate position uses two distinct bulb types across its production years: the 168 for the 2005-2007 models and the 97 for the 1968-1973 models.
• The 168 bulb is a T10 miniature wedge type, operating at 12 volts and drawing 4.9 watts. Its wedge base design means it requires no separate socket locking mechanism, as the bulb body itself acts as the retention element.
• The 97 bulb is a single-filament type with a BA15s bayonet base, operating at 12 volts and drawing 13 watts. The BA15s designation indicates a single-contact bayonet fitting with a 15mm base width.
• The 97 bulb is noted as a variant of the 1156. While the two share a BA15s bayonet base, they are not identical in wattage, and substituting one for the other without confirming socket compatibility and circuit ratings is inadvisable.
• Both the 168 and 97 are ANSI-standardized bulbs recognized in both the United States and Canada, meaning their electrical and physical specifications conform to a defined industry standard rather than being proprietary to a single manufacturer.
• The wattage difference between the two bulb types is substantial. The 97 draws 13 watts compared to the 4.9 watts of the 168, reflecting the different circuit and socket designs used across the two production periods of the Mercury Montego (Mercury Montego).
• The 168 and 97 bulbs are physically and electrically incompatible with each other. The wedge base of the 168 and the bayonet base of the 97 serve entirely different socket types, making cross-substitution between the two model generations impossible without socket modification.