Light bulbs for automobiles are made in several standardized series. Bulbs used for headlamps, turn signals and brake lamps may be required to comply with international and national regulations governing the types of lamps used. Other automotive lighting applications such as auxiliary lamps or interior lighting may not be regulated, but common types are used by many automotive manufacturers.
The World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (ECE Regulations) develops and maintains international-consensus UN Regulations on light sources acceptable for use in lamps on vehicles and trailers type-approved for use in countries that recognise the UN Regulations. These include Regulation 37, [1] which contains specifications for filament lamps, and Regulation 99 and its addenda [2] [3] which covers light sources for high-intensity discharge headlamps. Some UN-approved bulb types [4] are also permitted by some other regulations, such as those of the United States or of Japan, though Japan has begun supplanting the former Japanese national regulations with the international UN regulations.
UN Regulation 37 covers motor vehicle filament lamps. These are categorized in three groups: those without general restriction that can be used in any application, those acceptable only for signalling lights (not for road illumination lamps), and those no longer allowable as light sources for new type approvals but still permitted for production as replacement parts.
Category | Filaments | Nominal power (major/minor filament where applicable) | Cap (base) per IEC 60061 | Other approvals | Remarks | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1 | 1 | 6 V & 12 V: 55 W 24 V: 70 W | P14.5s | USA, Japan | 12V: ECE nominal luminous flux: 1,550 lm ±15% | |
H3 | 1 | 6 V & 12 V: 55 W 24 V: 70 W | PK22s | USA, Japan | 12V: ECE nominal luminous flux: 1,450 lm ±15% | |
H4 | 2 | 6 V & 12 V: 60 / 55 W 24 V: 75 / 70 W | P43t | Japan | Similar US bulb: HB2 (9003) 12V: ECE nominal luminous flux: 1,650 / 1,000 lm ±15% | |
H7 | 1 | 12 V: 55 W 24 V: 70 W | PX26d | USA, Japan | 12V: ECE nominal luminous flux: 1,500 lm ±10% | |
H8 | 1 | 12 V: 35 W | PGJ19-1 | USA | ECE nominal luminous flux: 800 lm ±15% | |
H8B | 1 | 12 V: 35 W | PGJY19-1 | USA | ||
H9 | 1 | 12 V: 65 W | PGJ19-5 | USA | ||
H9B | 1 | 12 V: 65 W | PGJY19-5 | USA | ||
H10 | 1 | 12 V: 42 W | PY20d | USA | ANSI № 9145 ECE nominal luminous flux: 850 lm ±15% | |
H11 | 1 | 12 V: 55 W 24 V: 70 W | PGJ19-2 | USA | ECE nominal luminous flux: 1,350 lm ±10% | |
H11B | 1 | 12 V: 55 W 24 V: 70 W | PGJY19-2 | USA | ||
H12 | 1 | 12 V: 53 W | PZ20d | USA | ANSI № 9055 ECE nominal luminous flux: 1,050 lm ±15% | |
H13 | 2 | 12 V: 60 / 55 W | P26.4t | USA | ANSI № 9008 ECE nominal luminous flux: 1,700 / 1,100 lm ±15% | |
H13A | 2 | 12 V: 60 / 55 W | PJ26.4t | USA | ||
H15 | 2 | 12 V: 55 / 15 W 24 V: 60 / 20 W | PGJ23t-1 | USA | ECE nominal luminous flux: 26/1350 ±10% Low-wattage filament for DRL function | |
H16 | 1 | 12 V: 19 W | PGJ19-3 | |||
H16B | 1 | 12 V: 19 W | PGJY19-3 | |||
H21W | 1 | 12 V & 24 V: 21 W | BAY9s | |||
H27W/1 | 1 | 12 V: 27W | PG13 | USA | ANSI № 880 | |
H27W/2 | 1 | 12 V: 27 W | PGJ13 | USA | ANSI № 881 | |
HB3 | 1 | 12 V: 60 W | P20d 90° | USA, Japan | ANSI № 9005 ECE nominal luminous flux: 1700 lm ±15% | |
HB3A | 1 | 12 V: 60 W | P20d 180° | USA | ANSI № 9005XS | |
HB4 | 1 | 12 V: 51 W | P22d 90° | USA, Japan | ECE nominal luminous flux:1000 ± 15% ANSI № 9006 | |
HB4A | 1 | 12 V: 51 W | P22d 180° | USA | ANSI № 9006XS | |
HIR1 | 1 | 12 V: 60 W | PX20d | USA, Japan | ANSI № 9011 | |
HIR2 | 1 | 12 V: 55 W | PX22d | USA, Japan | ANSI № 9012 | |
HP24W | 1 | 12 V: 24 W | Exclusively produced by Valeo | |||
HPY24W | 1 | 12 V: 24 W | Amber, Exclusively produced by Valeo | |||
HS1 | 2 | 6 V & 12 V: 35 / 35 W | PX43t | For motorcycles | ||
HS2 | 1 | 6 V & 12 V: 15 W | PX13.5s | For motorcycles | ||
HS5 | 2 | 12 V: 35 / 30 W | P23t | For motorcycles | ||
HS5A | 2 | 12 V: 45 / 40 W | PX23t | For motorcycles | ||
HS6 | 2 | 12 V: 40 / 35 W | PX26.4t | For motorcycles | ||
PX24W | 1 | 12 V: 24 W | PGU20-7 | |||
PSX24W | 1 | 12 V: 24 W | PG20-7 | ANSI № 2504 | ||
PSX26W | 1 | 12 V: 26 W | PG18.5d-3 | ANSI № 6851 | ||
S1 | 2 | 6 V & 12 V: 45 / 40 W | BA20d | For car headlights | ||
S2 | 2 | 6 V & 12 V: 35 / 35 W | BA20d | For motorcycles | ||
S3 | 2 | 6 V & 12 V: 15 W | P26s | For mopeds |
Category | Cap (Base) | Filaments | Nominal Power (Major/Minor where applicable) | Comments | Image | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C5W | SV8.5 | 1 | 6 V, 12 V, 24 V: 5 W [5] | ECE nominal luminous flux: 45 lm ± 20%; Old designation: C11, common name is "festoon" base | ||
H6W | BAX9s | 1 | 12 V: 6 W | |||
HY6W | BAZ9s | 1 | 12 V: 6 W | Amber | ||
H10W/1 | BAU9s | 1 | 12 V: 10 W | |||
HY10W | BAUZ9s | 1 | 12 V: 10 W | Amber | ||
H21W | BAY9s | 1 | 12 V & 24 V: 21 W | |||
HY21W | BAW9s | 1 | 12 V & 24 V: 21 W | Amber | ||
P13W | PG18.5d-1 | 1 | 12 V: 13 W | ANSI № 828| | ||
PW13W | WP3.3×14.5-7 | 1 | 12 V: 13 W | |||
PC16W | PU20d-1 | 1 | 12 V: 16 W | ANSI № 7010 | ||
PCR16W | PU20d-7 | 1 | 12 V: 16 W | Red | ||
PW16W | WP3.3×14.5-8 | 1 | 12 V: 16 W | ANSI № 7445 | ||
PWR16W | WP3.3×14.5-10 | 1 | 12 V: 16 W | Red | ||
PWY16W | WP3.3×14.5-9 | 1 | 12 V: 16 W | Amber, ANSI № 7448 | ||
PS19W | PG20-1 | 1 | 12 V: 19 W | ANSI № 5201 | ||
PSY19W | PG20-2 | 1 | 12 V: 19 W | Amber, ANSI № 2502 | ||
PW19W | WP3.3×14.5-1 | 1 | 12 V: 19 W | ANSI № 7446 | ||
PWR19W | WP3.3×14.5-5 | 1 | 12 V: 19 W | Red | ||
PWY19W | WP3.3×14.5-2 | 1 | 12 V: 19 W | Amber, ANSI № 7449 | ||
P21W | BA15s | 1 | 6 V, 12 V, 24 V: 21 W | ECE nominal luminous flux: 460lm ± 15% Old designation: P25-1 | ||
PR21W | BAW15s | 1 | 12 V & 24 V: 21 W | Red | ||
PY21W | BAU15s | 1 | 12 V & 24 V: 21 W | Amber ECE nominal luminous flux: 280 lm ±20% | ||
P21/4W | BAZ15d | 2 | 12 V & 24 V: 21 / 4 W | |||
PR21/4W | BAU15d | 2 | 12 V & 24 V: 21 / 4 W | Red | ||
P21/5W | BAY15d | 2 | 6 V, 12 V, 24 V: 21 / 5 W | ECE nominal luminous flux: 440/45 lm ±15%/20%. Old designation: P25-2 | ||
PR21/5W | BAW15d | 2 | 12 V & 24 V: 21 / 5 W | Red | ||
P24W | PGU20-3 | 1 | 12 V: 24 W | |||
PY24W | PGU20-4 | 1 | 12 V: 24 W | ANSI № 5200 | ||
PH24WY | 1 | 12 V: 24 W | Amber | |||
PS24W | PG20-3 | 1 | 12 V: 24 W | ANSI № 5202 | ||
PSX24W | PG20-4? | 1 | 12 V: 24 W | ANSI № 2504 Similar to PS24W, but with slightly different luminous flux tolerance | ||
PSY24W | PG20-4 | 1 | 12 V: 24 W | Amber, ANSI № 2503 | ||
PW24W | WP3.3×14.5-3 | 1 | 12 V: 24 W | ANSI № 7447 | ||
PWR24W | WP3.3×14.5-6 | 1 | 12 V: 24 W | Red | ||
PWY24W | WP3.3×14.5-4 | 1 | 12 V: 24 W | Amber, ANSI № 7450 | ||
P27W | W2.5×16d | 1 | 12 V: 27 W | ANSI № 3156 | ||
P27/7W | W2.5×16q | 2 | 12 V: 27 / 7 W | ANSI № 3157 | ||
PR27/7W | WU2.5x16 | 2 | 12 V: 27 / 7 W | Red | ||
PY27/7W | WX2.5x16q | 2 | 12 V: 27 / 7 W | Amber ANSI № 3757A | ||
R5W | BA15s | 1 | 6 V, 12 V, 24 V: 5 W | Old designation: R19/5 | ||
RR5W | BAW15s | 1 | 12 V & 24 V: 5 W | Red | ||
R10W | BA15s | 1 | 6 V, 12 V, 24 V: 10 W | Old designation: R19/10 | ||
RR10W | BAW15s | 1 | 12 V & 24 V: 10 W | Red | ||
RY10W | BAU15s | 1 | 6 V, 12 V, 24 V: 10 W | Amber | ||
T1.4W | P11.5d | 1 | 12 V: 1.4W | |||
T4W | BA9s | 1 | 6 V, 12 V, 24 V: 4W | Old designation: T8/4 | ||
W2.3W | W2×4.6d | 1 | 12 V: 2.3 W | T5 size | ||
WY2.3W | W2×4.6d | 1 | 12 V: 2.3 W | Amber | ||
W3W | W2.1×9.5d | 1 | 6 V, 12 V, 24 V: 3 W | T10 size Old designation: W10/3 | ||
W5W | W2.1×9.5d | 1 | 6 V, 12 V, 24 V: 5 W | ECE nominal luminous flux: 50 lm ±20% T10 size Old designation: W10/5 ANSI № 168 | ||
WR5W | W2.1×9.5d | 1 | 12 V & 24 V: 5 W | Red | ||
WY5W | W2.1×9.5d | 1 | 6 V, 12 V, 24 V: 5 W | Amber ECE nominal luminous flux: 30 lm ±20% | ||
W10W | W2.1×9.5d | 1 | 6 V & 12 V: 10 W | T13 size | ||
WY10W | W2.1×9.5d | 1 | 6 V & 12 V: 10 W | |||
W15/5W | WZ3×16q | 2 | 12 V: 15 / 5 W | for motorcycles | ||
W16W | W2.1×9.5d | 1 | 12 V: 16 W | T15 size ANSI № 921 | ||
WY16W | W2.1×9.5d | 1 | 12 V: 16 W | Amber, ANSI № 921NA | ||
W21W | W3×16d | 1 | 12 V: 21 W | T20 size ANSI № 7440 | ||
WY21W | WX3×16d | 1 | 12 V: 21 W | Amber ANSI № 7440NA | ||
WP21W | WY2.5×16d | 1 | 12 V: 21 W | |||
WPY21W | WZ2.5×16d | 1 | 12 V: 21 W | Amber | ||
W21/5W | W3×16q | 2 | 12 V: 21 / 5 W | T20 size ANSI № 7443 | ||
WR21/5W | WY3×16q | 2 | 12 V: 21 / 5 W | Red |
UN Regulation 99 covers gas discharge light sources for use in vehicle headlamps. All light sources acceptable under Regulation 99 are also acceptable under US regulations.
There is a German national regulation for vehicle bulbs, now superseded by international ECE regulations. Bulbs according to the old German regulation are still manufactured. The German regulation is contained in §22a, Subsection 1, No. 18 of the Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung (StVZO, Road Traffic Approval Regulation). Per the Fahrzeugteileverordnung (FzTV, Vehicle Parts Regulation), such light bulbs must bear an approval mark consisting of a sine wave and the letter 'K'. The technical requirements themselves are established by standards produced by DIN.
Category | Nominal power | Filaments | Cap (Base) | Comments | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Form K (DIN 72601, Part 4) | 6 V, 10 W | 1 | SV8.5-8 | 11 × 41 mm | |
Form K (DIN 72601, Part 4) | 12 V, 10 W | 1 | SV8.5-8 | 11 × 41 mm | |
Form K (DIN 72601, Part 6) | 6 V, 18 W | 1 | SV8.5-8 | 15 × 41 mm | |
Form K (DIN 72601, Part 6) | 12 V, 18 W | 1 | SV8.5-8 | 15 × 41 mm | |
Form K (DIN 72601, Part 6) | 24 V, 18 W | 1 | SV8.5-8 | 15 × 41 mm | |
Form R (DIN 72601, Part 6) | 6 V, 18 W | 1 | BA15s | ||
Form R (DIN 72601, Part 6) | 12 V, 18 W | 1 | BA15s | ||
Form R (DIN 72601, Part 6) | 24 V, 18 W | 1 | BA15s | ||
Form S (DIN 72601, Part 7) | 6 V, 18 / 5 W | 2 | BAY15d | ||
Form S (DIN 72601, Part 7) | 12 V, 18 / 5 W | 2 | BAY15d | ||
Form S (DIN 72601, Part 7) | 24 V, 18 / 5 W | 2 | BAY15d |
In the United States, entry 49 CFR 564 in the Code of Federal Regulations requires manufacturers of headlight bulbs, officially known as "replaceable light sources", to furnish the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with product specifications at least 60 days prior to first use. [6] The specifications supplied by the manufacturer, on approval by NHTSA, are entered in Federal docket NHTSA-1998-3397. [7] From then on, any light source made and certified by any manufacturer as conforming to the specifications is legal for use in headlamps certified as conforming to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108. Light sources for vehicle lamps other than headlamps are not Federally regulated.
In Canada, vehicle headlamps may use light sources (bulbs) conforming to either the US or the international ECE regulations. [8] : 108(5)(a)
Bulb Type | Trade Number | Cap (Base) | Filaments | Nominal power @ 12.8v (High/Low beam where applicable) | Comments | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HB1 | 9004 | P29t | 2 | 65 / 45 W | ||
HB2 | 9003 | P43t-38 | 2 | 60 / 55 W | H4 with stricter geometric tolerances | |
HB3 | 9005 | P20d (90°) | 1 | 65 W | ||
HB3A | 9005XS | P20d (straight) | 1 | 65 W | HB3 w/180° straight base | |
HB4 | 9006 | P22d (90°) | 1 | 55 W | ||
HB4A | 9006XS | P22d (180° straight) | 1 | 55 W | HB4 w/180° straight base | |
HB5 | 9007 | PX29t | 2 | 65 / 55 W | ||
H13 | 9008 | P26t | 2 | 65 / 55 W |
Category | Cap (Base) | Filaments | Nominal power | Comments | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PC194 | T10 (if removable) or fixed to holder | 1 | 14 V / 3.78W | Used on circuit boards for e.g. dash lights, gauge cluster backlights. Similar in size to W3W if with a T10 base. | |
PC74 | T1-3/4 (if removable) or fixed to holder [9] | 1 | 14 V / 1.4W | Used on circuit boards for e.g. dash lights, gauge cluster backlights. |
Category | Cap (Base) | Filaments | Electrical Characteristics | Comments | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3C | 1 | 6 V / 55W, 12 V / 55W, 24 V / 70W | Japan (USA for unregulated auxiliary lamps only) |
An incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe is an electric light with a filament that is heated until it glows. The filament is enclosed in a glass bulb that is either evacuated or filled with inert gas to protect the filament from oxidation. Electric current is supplied to the filament by terminals or wires embedded in the glass. A bulb socket provides mechanical support and electrical connections.
A flashlight (US) or electric torch (CE), usually shortened to torch, is a portable hand-held electric lamp. Formerly, the light source typically was a miniature incandescent light bulb, but these have been displaced by light-emitting diodes (LEDs) since the early 2000s. A typical flashlight consists of the light source mounted in a reflector, a transparent cover to protect the light source and reflector, a battery, and a switch, all enclosed in a case.
A headlamp is a lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage, headlamp is the term for the device itself and headlight is the term for the beam of light produced and distributed by the device.
High-intensity discharge lamps are a type of electrical gas-discharge lamp which produces light by means of an electric arc between tungsten electrodes housed inside a translucent or transparent fused quartz or fused alumina arc tube. This tube is filled with noble gas and often also contains suitable metal or metal salts. The noble gas enables the arc's initial strike. Once the arc is started, it heats and evaporates the metallic admixture. Its presence in the arc plasma greatly increases the intensity of visible light produced by the arc for a given power input, as the metals have many emission spectral lines in the visible part of the spectrum. High-intensity discharge lamps are a type of arc lamp.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the U.S. federal government, part of the Department of Transportation, focused on transportation safety in the United States.
Bicycle lighting is illumination attached to bicycles whose purpose above all is, along with reflectors, to improve the visibility of the bicycle and its rider to other road users under circumstances of poor ambient illumination. A secondary purpose is to illuminate reflective materials such as cat's eyes and traffic signs. A third purpose may be to illuminate the roadway so that the rider can see the way ahead. Serving the latter purposes require much more luminous flux and thus more power.
The color amber is a pure chroma color, located on the color wheel midway between the colors of yellow and orange. The color name is derived from the material also known as amber, which is commonly found in a range of yellow-orange-brown-red colors; likewise, as a color amber can refer to a range of yellow-orange colors. In English, the first recorded use of the term as a color name, rather than a reference to the specific substance, was in 1500.
A metal-halide lamp is an electrical lamp that produces light by an electric arc through a gaseous mixture of vaporized mercury and metal halides. It is a type of high-intensity discharge (HID) gas discharge lamp. Developed in the 1960s, they are similar to mercury vapor lamps, but contain additional metal halide compounds in the quartz arc tube, which improve the efficiency and color rendition of the light. The most common metal halide compound used is sodium iodide. Once the arc tube reaches its running temperature, the sodium dissociates from the iodine, adding orange and reds to the lamp's spectrum from the sodium D line as the metal ionizes. As a result, metal-halide lamps have high luminous efficacy of around 75–100 lumens per watt, which is about twice that of mercury vapor lights and 3 to 5 times that of incandescent lights and produce an intense white light. Lamp life is 6,000 to 15,000 hours. As one of the most efficient sources of high CRI white light, metal halides as of 2005 were the fastest growing segment of the lighting industry. They are used for wide area overhead lighting of commercial, industrial, and public places, such as parking lots, sports arenas, factories, and retail stores, as well as residential security lighting, automotive headlamps and indoor cannabis grow operations.
A daytime running lamp is an automotive lighting and bicycle lighting device on the front of a roadgoing motor vehicle or bicycle, automatically switched on when the vehicle's handbrake has been pulled down, when the vehicle is in gear, or when the engine is started, emitting white, yellow, or amber light. Their intended use is not to help the driver see the road or their surroundings, but to help other road users identify an active vehicle.
A motor vehicle has lighting and signaling devices mounted to or integrated into its front, rear, sides, and, in some cases, top. Various devices have the dual function of illuminating the road ahead for the driver, and making the vehicle visible to others, with indications to them of turning, slowing or stopping, etc., with lights also indicating the size of some large vehicles.
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 regulates all automotive lighting, signalling and reflective devices in the United States. Like all other Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, FMVSS 108 is administered by the United States Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Gas-discharge lamps are a family of artificial light sources that generate light by sending an electric discharge through an ionized gas, a plasma.
The World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations is a working party (WP.29) of the Inland Transport Committee (ITC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Its responsibility is to manage the multilateral Agreements signed in 1958, 1997 and 1998 concerning the technical prescriptions for the construction, approval of wheeled vehicles as well as their Periodic Technical Inspection and, to operate within the framework of these three Agreements to develop and amend UN Regulations, UN Global Technical Regulations and UN Rules, kind of vehicle regulation.
Selective yellow is a colour for automotive lamps, particularly headlamps and other road-illumination lamps such as fog lamps. Under ECE regulations, headlamps were formerly permitted to be either white or selective yellow—in France, selective yellow was mandatory for all vehicles' road-illumination lamps until 1993.
A parabolic aluminized reflector lamp is a type of electric lamp that is widely used in commercial, residential, and transportation illumination. It produces a highly directional beam. Usage includes theatrical lighting, locomotive headlamps, aircraft landing lights, and residential and commercial recessed lights.
A multifaceted reflector light bulb is a reflector housing format for halogen as well as some LED and fluorescent lamps. MR lamps were originally designed for use in slide projectors, but see use in residential lighting and retail lighting as well. They are suited to applications that require directional lighting such as track lighting, recessed ceiling lights, desk lamps, pendant fixtures, landscape lighting, retail display lighting, and bicycle headlights. MR lamps are designated by symbols such as MR16 where the diameter is represented by numerals indicating units of eighths of an inch. Common sizes for general lighting are MR16 and MR11, with MR20 and MR8 used in specialty applications. Many run on low voltage rather than mains voltage alternating current so require a power supply.
An LED lamp or LED light is an electric light that produces light using light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LED lamps are significantly more energy-efficient than equivalent incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps. The most efficient commercially available LED lamps have efficiencies exceeding 200 lumens per watt (lm/W) and convert more than half the input power into light. Commercial LED lamps have a lifespan several times longer than both incandescent and fluorescent lamps.
Vehicle regulations are requirements that automobiles must satisfy in order to be approved for sale or use in a particular country or region. They are usually mandated by legislation, and administered by a government body. The regulations concern aspects such as lighting, controls, crashworthiness, environment protection and theft protection, and might include safety belts or automated features.
Government regulation in the automotive industry directly affects the way cars look, how their components are designed, the safety features that are included, and the overall performance of any given vehicle. As a result, these regulations also have a significant effect on the automotive business by generally increasing production costs while also placing limitations on how cars are sold and marketed. Automotive regulations are designed to benefit the consumer and protect the environment, and automakers can face stiff fines and other penalties if they are not followed.
The H1 is a halogen lamp designed for use in automotive headlamps and fog and driving lamps. It has also been widely applied in emergency vehicle lights.
A lightbulb socket, lightbulb holder,light socket, lamp socket or lamp holder is a device which mechanically supports and provides electrical connections for a compatible electric lamp base. Sockets allow lamps to be safely and conveniently replaced (re-lamping). There are many different standards for lampholders, including early de facto standards and later standards created by various standards bodies. Many of the later standards conform to a general coding system in which a socket type is designated by a letter or abbreviation followed by a number.