bulb #'s for vanity/make-up mirror & map light

I have indiglo gauges, HVAC and HL so I have those covered. And I have the 2 license plate, trunk light and dome light (used the license plate bulb, just needs to be modified a bit) done w/ Polarg's, they look great. I'm trying to do everything w/ Polarg's

Now all I need to change are the reverse lights (1156's), courtesy lights (168's).

And...the vanity lights (which so far from the replies may be #194) and map lights.

If you can find and verify these two out (vanity and map) please post and let me know

EDIT: I think the map light is referred to what alot of companies market as "city lights". So those may work. I have seen dimensions of some companies bulbs and they are 1 inch long, have the pins on the side to twist into the socket and have one terminal on the base which the map light aslo has. Looks light a correct fit.

This may be a little confusing but see if you follow me:
From a couple websites I was on, the 194 looks to measure a hair under 1 inch at .95 . I measured the vanity light and it is like exactly 3/4 of an inch so I don't think the 194 would work. The 194's base is probably too big.

Next I found that it also looks like some sites have the 194 and the 168 under the same classification and being able to be replaced by the same bulb.

So now I am looking at the 168 (courtesy light and it measures .95 inches which looks to fit the 194 or 168) and the vanity right (.75 inches) beside eachother and the courtesy is clearly bigger. Bigger bulb and bigger base. So the vanity cannot be either the 168 or the 194.

The search continues

Good info. My notes that I have also agree w/ yours.

Map light can be interchanged w/ m-17 (8w) or L-05 (4w). I may chance the m-17 b/c even though the L-05 is supposed to be brighter than a normal 4w. I would hate dim map light. Plus for as long as you have them on (just a few minutes at a time) the M-17 should be ok.

Not having a bulb to replace the vanity sucks though.

I still need to find something that will work for that. Are you positive it is a #74? Do you have a gauge cluster bulb and the vanity beside each other to compare side by side? If I cannot find it in Polarg maybe I will try PIAA.

Originally posted by teamSVTour:
Not having a bulb to replace the vanity sucks though.

I still need to find something that will work for that. Are you positive it is a #74? Do you have a gauge cluster bulb and the vanity beside each other to compare side by side? If I cannot find it in Polarg maybe I will try PIAA.

I will compare today as soon as I get home from work. But so far I'm 99% sure they are both 74.

Also, anyone reading this thread and getting confused about all the bulbs, don't worry. I'm compiling a complete list of all the interior bulbs to convert all to white lights.

I have most of them already. I'm not just finding bulbs that will fit either. I'm making sure they are correct wattage as some of them will fit but wattage is waaaay too high.

good deal. I'm glad I have someone who is doing the same mod and is as interested in completing and doing right. It's great when you have someone to bounce ideas off of.

P.S. Sylvania has 161 for instrument (general). Which is what you are saying is the same bulb for the vanity. That being said, I don't know if "instrument - general" means bulbs behind the gauges etc. (that you were saying might be #74's). I know I have bought LED's that were no base #74's for the gauge lighting in the past but sylvania lists it as 161 #. Maybe 161 and #74 are the same. I have not been successful finding an aftermarket bulb in 161 though.

All I need is a vanity aftermarket and I will be done!

Ok, I retract my previous statement about the vanity bulb. It is not a 74. Looking at it quickly, it appears to be but compare the vanity bulb and gauge bulb (74) side by side, it's obvious they are not.

Here is a picture:

The vanity bulb is tiny bit shorter, and has a slightly smaller base. So it's larger than the clock, but smaller than the gauge bulb.

Also, Sylvania is wrong about the "instrument" bulbs. The only 161 bulbs are in the HVAC panel.

Is the clock and the vanity base the same size? It looks close?

This vanity bulb is being a PITA

Its the last piece of the puzzle. I don't want this lighting make-over to be 90% complete. I'm going to continue to look.

Originally posted by teamSVTour:
Is the clock and the vanity base the same size? It looks close?

Nope. Not the same, clock is very small.

Here is something interesting.....

superlumination.com listed 74 and 37 together in the same category.

Quote:

#74 bulbs replace the following bulbs:17 18 37 70 73 79 85 86 2721

Yet, I tried to squeeze the 74 bulb into the vanity bulb socket, and it will not fit. I guess if you can find a 74 bulb in the correct color, file down the base a little thinner, it will fit right in. The bulb size is not the issue. It's the base that's wider on the 74.

EDIT: Crap, I left out the whole thing before about the vanity being a 37 bulb.

When I pulled it out of the mirror, it had GE 37 labeled on it. I searched around the net and confirmed based on volts, watt, and size that it is a 37 bulb.

The best thing to do for your clock is to chage it to leds. I used two blue leds and it looks awesome.

Originally posted by KerryKool:
The best thing to do for your clock is to chage it to leds. I used two blue leds and it looks awesome.

Already done that.

My interior is all red.

Originally posted by CSVT1214:

Originally posted by KerryKool:
The best thing to do for your clock is to chage it to leds. I used two blue leds and it looks awesome.

Already done that. My interior is all red.

To all three cars? I did all of my interior to blue.

Originally posted by KerryKool:

Originally posted by CSVT1214:

Originally posted by KerryKool:
The best thing to do for your clock is to chage it to leds. I used two blue leds and it looks awesome.

Already done that. My interior is all red.

To all three cars? I did all of my interior to blue.

No, just my black SVT. The 2000 is staying totally stock in appearance. And the other 98 is just for parts.

Originally posted by CSVT1214:

Originally posted by teamSVTour:
Is the clock and the vanity base the same size? It looks close?

Nope. Not the same, clock is very small.

Here is something interesting.....

superlumination.com listed 74 and 37 together in the same category.

Quote:

#74 bulbs replace the following bulbs:17 18 37 70 73 79 85 86 2721

Yet, I tried to squeeze the 74 bulb into the vanity bulb socket, and it will not fit. I guess if you can find a 74 bulb in the correct color, file down the base a little thinner, it will fit right in. The bulb size is not the issue. It's the base that's wider on the 74.

EDIT: Crap, I left out the whole thing before about the vanity being a 37 bulb. When I pulled it out of the mirror, it had GE 37 labeled on it. I searched around the net and confirmed based on volts, watt, and size that it is a 37 bulb.

Ok cool. When I pulled my vanity I saw a smudged "37" on it but was not sure this was the bulb #. So....now that we are certain that it is a 37, I'm assuming there is no aftermarket bulb w/ that number other than trying a #74. Only problem is the bulbs I have been switching over w/ are glass so I can't file them. I have not been happy w/ LED's in the past so I would rather not go w/ them.

ok a little update. I went out and tried pluging in a #74 no base led (single LED) into the vanity and it snaps in perfectly. It was a red LED but I just wanted to try. It is nowhere near bright enough.

I might try either getting a white no base LED in #74 or seeing if there is one of those multi LED bulbs that is a #74 to give a little more extra light.

Just thought I'd post this, maybe it will help.
http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProducts/AutomotiveLighting/LampReplacementGuide/AutoLRG-Results.htm

It lists all the lights on the Contour and what's needed

Originally posted by Guntaker:
Just thought I'd post this, maybe it will help.
http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProducts/AutomotiveLighting/LampReplacementGuide/AutoLRG-Results.htm

It lists all the lights on the Contour and what's needed

1. Link does not work.
2. Sylvania is missing bulbs on that list.
3. Sylvania has wrong information listed.
4. We are looking for aftermarket replacements for factory bulbs.

You know what that vanity light looks like to me?

The door handle lights on pre98s... they were tiny and dipped in green to give off the color.

Couldn't find replacements anywhere, so I put blue LEDs in my 96GL...

Ok, I need to make corrections to what I posted about the map lights. This is getting to be a huge pain so far but I know in the end it will pay off.

I found out today by accident that the Polarg bulbs I listed for the map lights are incorrect. I needed to find one more bulb today, which was my Mystique rear dome light. Removing the bulb, found it marked 12814. Searching for 12814 immediately turned up 2 Polarg bulb types.

L-07 (Convex lens) and M-17 (Standard lens). Well if you saw, I posted the M-17 as the bulb replacement for the map lights. Well looking at the 2 bulbs side by side, it's obvious both locations will not take the same bulbs.

The map lights according to Sylvania are 64111 but the bulb itself is labeled 3886. So far I have not been sucessful finding the map light in a 3886 Polarg. The L-05 (Convex lens) that I posted before saying it will fit, may still be correct. No websites list what bulbs type L-05 is for though. The L-05 looks to be a smaller version of the L-07, so it may still work. But the M-17 is definitely not going to work for the map light.

The search continues tonight.

this is a brain teaser. If you come up w/ the right #'s tonight let us know. I'm going to be researching myself. I'm hoping to order the rest of the bulbs this week.

Ok, I didn't find the correct bulbs for the map lights yet but I did find something better for the dome light and trunk light.

The dome and trunk according to Sylvania call for a 6411, which we found out can use a Polarg M-28 bulb (length of a 6418 bulb), but the tabs have to be bent to closer to grab the smaller bulb. Well the M-28 measure 1.5" long. The M-16 measures 1.25" and the M-88 measure 1.75". Since the M-28 is slightly too small, the M-88 will be the correct length for the dome and trunk light.

So instead of installing a smaller M-28 for the dome and trunk, I'm going with the M-88.

good choice. Either will work but if you dont want to bend the tabs a bit then thats you best bet.

I wish manufacturers would be consistent w/ the bulb colors. There is super white, hyper white, plasma white,

and then depending on the manufacturer the color varies even if they are the same color white. And then trying to find 1 brand w/ all the bulbs in the same color to keep it consistent.

I just want all my interior lighting to be around 4200-4300k so that they match my headlights. A nice crisp HID looking white. Is that too much to ask

Originally posted by teamSVTour:
good choice. Either will work but if you dont want to bend the tabs a bit then thats you best bet.

I wish manufacturers would be consistent w/ the bulb colors. There is super white, hyper white, plasma white, and then depending on the manufacturer the color varies even if they are the same color white. And then trying to find 1 brand w/ all the bulbs in the same color to keep it consistent.

I just want all my interior lighting to be around 4200-4300k so that they match my headlights. A nice crisp HID looking white. Is that too much to ask

Yup, exactly why I'm trying as best as possible to stay with only Polarg. I don't want to mix brands and colors.

I'm doing it for the same reason as you also. I'm picking up HIDs within this month and want everything matching.

Errr, if I have to make one more correction I'm going to go insane.

Well, the original M-17 bulb for the map lights is correct. The M-17 is a BA9S base.

Searching for my rear dome bulb, 12814, Polarg does show up with the M-17, but if I kept looking, I would of seen other sites show up with the 12814 as a BA15S base.

The BA9S is a 1" tall bulb while the BA15S is 1.4" tall bulb.

Easy way to put it, M-17 bulb DOES NOT work in place of the 12814, and Polarg is wrong! It will work for the map light as stated originally though.

The correct Polarg bulb for the Mystique rear dome is G-50. They do not have a bulb in the BA15S size in Super White. Only a different series and color is labeled "Visual White".

BA15S

BA9S

So that completes my list of bulbs minus the vanity bulbs. I still need to decide which ones I will go with for that. Again, anyone reading all this, it will be in a very simple FAQ soon. I want to buy mine, install them to test and be 100% sure everything works correctly and sizes are correct. I will take pictures and post all Polarg models to order.

Scratch that. Found the correct Hyper White series bulb for the rear dome. Don't need the Visual White bulb anymore.

M-25.