Volvo 242 headlight bulbs utilize H4651, H6024, H4652, and H4656 sizes depending on beam configuration and model year. The replacement chart covers 1975 to 1984 production years with corresponding bulb size specifications.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
The H6024 is a 7-inch round sealed beam unit operating at 12V and conforming to ANSI standards for the US and Canadian markets. It serves as both the high beam and low beam headlight on the Volvo 242 for model years 1975-1980, making it the only bulb type used across all ten positions for that period.
Sealed beam units such as the H6024, H4651, H4652, and H4656 do not contain a replaceable filament or bulb element. When a sealed beam fails, the entire unit is replaced as a single assembly, as the lens, reflector, and filament are fused into one sealed housing.
For model years 1981-1984, the Volvo 242 transitions to 4x6-inch rectangular sealed beam units across both high and low beam positions. The H4651 handles the high beam role for all four of those years, while the low beam position varies by year.
The low beam headlight on the 242 does not use a single bulb type consistently across 1981-1984. The H4652 is fitted for 1982 and 1984, while the H4656 is fitted for 1981 and 1983, meaning alternating years carry different low beam units despite sharing the same physical 4x6-inch rectangular format.
The H4651 and H4652 are both ANSI-standard 4x6-inch rectangular sealed beam units operating at 12V, with the H4652 classified as a variant of the H4651. The distinction between them relates to beam pattern, as the H4651 is a high beam unit and the H4652 is a low beam unit within the same sealed beam family.
The H4656 is also a 4x6-inch rectangular sealed beam unit at 12V conforming to ANSI standards, and it occupies the low beam position for 1981 and 1983 on the 242. It is a distinct type from the H4652, though both share the same physical format and voltage rating.
All four bulb types listed across the 242 specifications, H4651, H4652, H4656, and H6024, operate at 12V and carry ANSI certification applicable to the US and Canadian markets. None of them are interchangeable across high and low beam positions, as each type is designated for a specific beam function.