Volkswagen Dasher front and rear side marker bulbs use 3893 or 1895 size specifications. The replacement chart covers 1974 to 1981 production years with corresponding bulb size data.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
The Volkswagen Dasher uses two distinct bulb types across its model years for both front and rear side marker positions: the 3893 and the 1895, each with different base types and electrical characteristics.
The 3893 is a dual-filament bulb with a BAY15d bayonet base, rated at 12V, and classified as a specialty application under the ANSI standard recognized in both the US and Canada.
The 1895 is a T5 miniature wedge bulb, also operating at 12V, with a rated output of 0.9W, and similarly carries ANSI standard recognition in the US and Canada.
The BAY15d base on the 3893 is a indexed bayonet fitting with two offset pins, which prevents incorrect installation and is not interchangeable with single-filament bayonet bases such as the BA15s.
The T5 wedge format of the 1895 relies on the bulb's glass envelope itself to make contact within the socket, requiring no separate base hardware, which differs fundamentally from the bayonet retention system of the 3893.
Because the 3893 and 1895 use physically incompatible base types, one cannot substitute for the other regardless of voltage compatibility.
The Volkswagen Dasher (1978-1981) uses the 3893 for both the front and rear side marker positions, with no difference between the two locations in those years.
The 1895 applies to both the front and rear side marker positions on the Dasher for model years 1974-1977, again with no distinction between front and rear fitment within that range.
The transition from the 1895 to the 3893 occurred between the 1977 and 1978 model years, representing a shift from a single-filament wedge bulb to a dual-filament bayonet bulb across all side marker positions.
The dual-filament construction of the 3893 means it contains two separate tungsten filaments within one envelope, a configuration typically associated with applications requiring two independent lighting functions from a single socket.