Volkswagen Thing front and rear side marker bulbs utilize a 3893 bulb size. The replacement chart covers 1973 to 1974 vehicle production years 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 Volkswagen Thing uses the 3893 bulb across all listed side marker positions for both the 1973 and 1974 model years.
The 3893 is an ANSI-standardized bulb recognized in both the United States and Canada, meaning it conforms to a defined set of electrical and physical standards shared across those markets.
The 3893 is a dual-filament bulb, which means it contains two separate filaments within a single envelope, allowing it to serve more than one lighting function.
The 3893 uses a BAY15d bayonet base, a base type characterized by two offset pins that lock the bulb into its socket with a push-and-twist motion. The offset pin placement of the BAY15d is specifically designed to ensure correct filament alignment.
The 3893 operates at 12 volts, consistent with the standard electrical system voltage found in most passenger vehicles of that era.
The 3893 is classified as a specialty application bulb, indicating it is not among the most broadly distributed bulb types and may have a narrower range of direct substitutes.
The same bulb number, 3893, is specified for both the front and rear side marker positions on the Volkswagen Thing, meaning both positions share identical electrical and base requirements.
Because the 3893 carries a BAY15d base rather than the more common BAY15s single-filament base, substituting a single-filament BAY15s bulb in its place would not be electrically equivalent, even if the physical fit were similar.