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Which car headlight bulb types does your car need?

Before you can change the light source on your car, you should first of all know which bulb is suitable for which car. In the HELLA lamp and bulb guide, we therefore answer the most important questions about which car bulb types is suitable for the low beam or which bulb for the licence plate light.

What are the different car bulb types?

Although there are fewer accidents at night than during the day, the proportion of fatal accidents at night is higher than during the day. To limit the risk of accidents in the dark or in poor visibility, it is important that all lights and headlamps on the car are always in perfect working order. So as soon as the performance of the lamps on your car starts to deteriorate, it is high time to replace the bulbs.

There is a variety of different lamps to be found on the car, but they are always either halogen, LED or xenon light sources. We will explain what the difference is between these different types of lighting in the next sections.


When changing the light source, it is not only important to know the correct designation of the car lamps, but also which bulb types are needed. That is why we will now show you here the most important types of lamps/bulbs. You will also find an overview of the possible base plates available. With our guide you will become a real lamp expert!

The various automotive lamps: an overview

If you want to know which bulb suits your car, you must first find out whether your car has LED, halogen or xenon lights, as well as the car bulb socket type. Especially in older models these are likely to be halogen bulbs, while in newer vehicles, more and more of these car bulb types are being replaced by LED ones.

Halogen lamps are currently still the most common. These produce the typical amber glow for the low beam and are also used for direction indicators, licence plate lights, stop lights and for interior lighting. Depending on the intended use, different kinds of halogen lamps must be used.

In the meantime, xenon bulbs, which produce a cold, blue light, have also been installed in many cars for the low and high beams. But the future of car lamps clearly belongs to LED diodes, which are replacing not only the halogen or xenon low beam lights in modern cars, but also many other lights such as direction indicators, stop lights and the like.

The various halogen lamps always consist of an H (for halogen) and a number for the exact designation. For example H1, H3, H6, H4 or H7. In most cases you can find out which bulb you need for the car light in question in the owner's manual.

Which base plate types are available for car lamps?

As already mentioned, you should not only know which bulbs are needed for your car, but also which car bulb socket type you need. In contrast to the conventional light bulb, the car bulb socket is not always a screw type.

Overview of the most important car bulb socket types:

  • W: Bulb with glass base plate
  • P: Flat base plate
  • E: Threaded base plate
  • SV: Lamp with two caps
  • R: Lamp diameter 19 mm, base plate diameter 15 mm
  • P: Lamp diameter 26.5 mm, base plate diameter 15 mm

How to find the right bulb for your car lights


To ensure that you always have the right light source for your car lights to hand, we now would like to offer you a search mask for the right bulbs, with which you can quickly find the right type for your vehicle. Simply enter the manufacturer, your car model and the light for which you need a new bulb and we will present you with the right bulbs for your car.