The Volvo 244 brake light requires P21/5W, P21W, and 1156 bulb sizes depending on the specific production version. Available information covers a span of time starting in 1975 and ending in 1989.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
The Volvo 244 brake light specifications cover model years 1975 through 1989, with the center high mount stop light (CHMSL) data applying to 1988-1989.
Two distinct bulb types appear across the brake light positions: the 1156 (ANSI standard) and the P21/5W (ECE standard), both operating at 12V with a 21W output rating.
The 1156 is a single-filament bulb with a BA15s bayonet base, governed by ANSI standards and primarily associated with the North American market.
The P21/5W is a dual-filament bulb with a BAY15d bayonet base, governed by ECE standards and used across European and worldwide markets. Its two filaments output 21W and 5W respectively.
The Volvo 244 used the 1156 for brake lights across model years 1975-1984, while the P21/5W replaced it for model years 1985-1989.
Although the 1156 and P21/5W share the same 12V/21W brake filament rating, their bases are not interchangeable. The 1156 uses a BA15s single-contact bayonet base, while the P21/5W uses a BAY15d offset dual-contact bayonet base.
The physical offset pins on the BAY15d base of the P21/5W are designed to prevent incorrect installation of a single-filament bulb in a dual-filament socket, making cross-substitution between these two types mechanically incompatible.
The center high mount stop light on the 1988-1989 Volvo 244 uses the P21W bulb, which is a single-filament ECE-standard bulb with a BA15s bayonet base rated at 12V and 21W.
The P21W and the 1156 share the same BA15s base type and the same 12V/21W rating, meaning they are electrically and physically similar, though they belong to different regulatory standards (ECE and ANSI respectively).
The P21/5W used in the 1985-1989 brake light position differs from the P21W used in the CHMSL position primarily in base type and filament count, making them non-interchangeable despite sharing the same 21W primary filament rating.