The Mitsubishi Cordia high beam headlight uses a 9004 or H4651 bulb size, while the low beam headlight requires a 9004 or H4656 bulb size. The replacement chart covers vehicle production years from 1983 to 1988 with corresponding bulb specifications.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
The Mitsubishi Cordia used two distinct headlight technologies across its production run: sealed beam units for the 1983-1987 model years and a dual-filament halogen bulb for the 1988 model year.
The H4651 and H4656 are both ANSI-standard 4x6-inch rectangular sealed beam units operating at 12V. In a sealed beam design, the lens, reflector, and filament are fused into a single glass unit, meaning the entire assembly is replaced rather than an individual bulb.
The H4651 served as the high beam unit on the 1983-1987 Cordia, while the H4656 filled the low beam position for the same years. Although both share the same physical form factor, they are not interchangeable due to differing filament configurations optimized for each beam function.
The 1988 Cordia uses the 9004 bulb for both high and low beam positions, consolidating two separate sealed beam units into a single dual-filament halogen bulb with a P29t base.
The 9004 operates at 12V with a wattage rating of 65W on the high beam filament and 45W on the low beam filament. The higher wattage on the high beam filament produces greater light output for long-range visibility.
Because the 9004 is a replaceable halogen bulb rather than a sealed beam unit, the 1988 model year represents a fundamentally different service procedure compared to the 1983-1987 years, where headlight replacement involved removing the entire sealed lens assembly.
All bulb types listed across the full model range conform to ANSI standards applicable in the United States and Canada, indicating regional market standardization rather than proprietary specifications.