The Polaris 500 RMK headlight bulb specifications include 886 and 894 sizes for high beam and 9003 size for low beam applications. A replacement chart documents bulb size data across 1997 to 2002 production years.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
The low beam headlight position on the Polaris 500 RMK uses the 9003 bulb across all listed model years from 1997-2002. The 9003 is a dual-filament halogen bulb operating at 12V with a rated output of 60W on high filament and 55W on low filament, fitted with a P43t base.
The high beam headlight position transitioned between two bulb sizes depending on model year. The 1997-1999 models use the 894, while the 2000-2002 models use the 886.
Both the 886 and 894 are single-filament halogen bulbs sharing the same PGJ13 base type and the same 12V operating voltage. Despite this shared base, they are not electrically interchangeable, as the 886 is rated at 50W and the 894 at 37.5W.
The 9003 bulb uses a P43t base, which is a physically distinct fitting from the PGJ13 base used by both the 886 and 894. This means no cross-substitution is possible between the low beam and high beam bulb positions.
All three bulb types listed carry ANSI standard designations recognized in both the United States and Canada, indicating conformance to a defined set of electrical and physical tolerances for each size code.
Because the 9003 contains two filaments within a single bulb, it serves the low beam function independently of the dedicated single-filament high beam bulb. The high beam circuit on the Polaris 500 RMK therefore relies on a separate bulb rather than the second filament of the 9003.