How to find your car's bulb and wiper sizes in the handbook

The handbook is the best single source for your car because it was written for that generation. But it doesn't always give every answer, and wiper sizes in particular are often missing.

Where is the bulb chart in the owner's manual?

Handbooks are laid out differently by each manufacturer, but the bulb information tends to be in one of these:

The table normally lists each lamp position (dipped beam, main beam, front fog, sidelight, indicators, brake and tail, reverse, rear fog, number plate) next to a code such as H7, W5W or P21/5W. If the codes look like gibberish, our guide to reading a car bulb code explains them.

Why does the handbook list more than one bulb for the same light?

Because one handbook often covers several versions of the same car. You might see two headlight entries, one for halogen and one for xenon or LED headlamps, or different rear light bulbs for the hatchback and estate.

To pick the right line, you need to know your trim and headlight type. Our guide to halogen, xenon or LED headlights shows how to tell. Some entries will say "LED" with no bulb code, which means that light isn't a replaceable bulb.

Does the handbook tell you the wiper blade size?

Not always. Many handbooks explain how to change the blades but don't give their lengths. Where they do, sizes may be in mm rather than inches. Remember that 1 inch is 25.4 mm, so 600 mm is 24", 650 mm is 26" and 700 mm is 28".

If the size isn't there, don't measure the old blade and assume it's right. A previous owner may have fitted the wrong length. Our guide on how to measure wiper blade size covers why.

I've lost my car handbook. What now?

You have a few options:

• Check the glovebox and boot properly. Handbooks are often in a wallet with the service book, and sometimes tucked under the boot floor.
• Look for a digital handbook. Many recent cars show the handbook on the infotainment screen or in the manufacturer's app. Many manufacturers also publish handbooks for their recent models on their own websites; search the manufacturer's site for "owner's manual" with your model.
• Ask a franchised dealer. They can often supply a replacement handbook or point you to the right digital version.
• Use a verified reference. Our car pages list each bulb and wiper size with the source shown.

Make sure any handbook you use is for your generation. Our guide to which generation your car is shows how to check.

Why do bulb lists online disagree with each other?

If you've searched for your car's bulbs and found conflicting answers, there are usually good reasons:

• Facelifts. A mid-life update can change the headlights or rear lights.
• Trim levels. Halogen, xenon and LED headlamps take completely different bulbs, or none.
• Body styles. A hatchback and an estate can have different rear lights.
• Other markets. Data for left-hand-drive or non-UK versions can differ, especially for wiper blades, where flat blades are often asymmetric and sets for left-hand-drive cars can sit wrong on a UK car. See driver and passenger blades on a UK car.
• Unchecked copying. Generic lists get copied from site to site without anyone checking a handbook.

Real cars do vary in ways a quick guess would miss. The Vauxhall Corsa D front fog is listed as H3 or H10. The VW Golf Mk7 main beam is an H15, which also runs the daytime running light. The Kia Sportage QL uses HB3 for both dipped and main beam, and its front fog is an H27/1 (880).

How does FitsMyCar check its bulb and wiper sizes?

Every value on our car pages is checked against the owner's handbook or two independent sources, and the source is shown next to the answer. Where a value splits by facelift, trim or body style, the page shows the split rather than picking one. You can read the full process on how we check and in our editorial policy.

The most common answers in our data show why it's worth checking: of the 360 UK car generations where we've verified the dipped beam, 201 use an H7 bulb, 74 an H4, 20 an H11, and 43 have factory LED units with no replaceable bulb.

Check your car

Look up your car's bulbs and wipers with the source alongside each value. Start at bulbs by car, wipers by car or choose your make. Popular lookups:

• VW Golf Mk7 bulbs
• Vauxhall Corsa D bulbs
• Renault Clio V bulbs, where the headlights are LED and not replaceable as bulbs
• Ford Focus Mk3 wipers
• Peugeot 208 wipers

Common questions

Is the bulb type printed on the bulb itself?

Usually, yes. The code and wattage are normally stamped on the metal base or the glass. It's a useful check, but you have to remove the bulb to read it, and a previous owner may have fitted the wrong type.

Does the handbook show the wiper fitting type?

Rarely. It may show how to release the blade, which hints at the fitting, but it seldom names it. Our wiper pages give the fitting type where we've verified it.

What if my handbook says "see your dealer" for a light?

That usually means the light is an LED unit or is hard to reach, so the manufacturer expects a workshop to do it. Check whether it lists a bulb code at all.

Can I trust the bulb finder in a shop?

Use it as a starting point, then check against your handbook or a verified source, particularly if your car has xenon or LED lights or has been facelifted.

Checked against our verification rules. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.