Changing a light source on your car may seem daunting, but it's actually quite simple. With our HELLA lamp and bulb guide, we detail which bulbs are best for low beams or licence plate lights.

What are the different car bulb types?

Given that there are fewer accidents at night, though the proportion of fatal accidents is higher then daytime, it's important to limit the risk of nighttime accidents by ensuring all car lights and headlamps are in proper working condition. Thus, as soon as lamp performance begins to deteriorate on your car, it's time to replace the bulbs.

You might find a variety of lamps on the car, but they will typically be halogen, LED or xenon light sources. We will explore the differences between these types of lighting in the next few sections.

When changing a light source, it is crucial to not only know the accurate name for the car lamps but also which bulb types are needed. That's why we have created this guidebook showing you all of the different kinds of lamps and bulbs available. You'll find an overview of the various base plates too! Soon enough, you will be considered a lamp expert!

The various automotive lamps: an overview

Before purchasing replacement bulbs for your car, you must take into account the type of light emitting from your current bulbs (LED, halogen, or xenon), as well as the socket type. More older models contain halogen bulbs while newer vehicles are gradually

switching to LED lights.

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.

All halogen lamps contain H (for halogen) and a number for the specific designation, such as H1, H3, etc. In most cases, you can find out which bulb you need by consulting your car's 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.

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.