What do you call this light inside the car?

I went to a shop and asked for a parking light, but they gave me the yellow light from outside. I need the inside light that turns on when I unlock my car with the key fob (2013 model).

That’s the parking or running light. The bulb number is 168.

Grayson said:
That’s the parking or running light. The bulb number is 168.

When I removed my bumper this weekend, the bulb seemed bigger than a 168. It actually looked like a headlight bulb, but I couldn’t get it all the way out. I left it blown and only replaced the headlights. Next time, I’m taking it to a shop. Thanks for the info .

@Pace
For future cases, you can use the Sylvania online tool to check bulb types for your car. It’s super useful.

Grayson said:
@Pace
For future cases, you can use the Sylvania online tool to check bulb types for your car. It’s super useful.

Thanks for sharing that. I have a Ford Fusion, and both my turn signal and headlight bulbs are out. Someone told me I needed a full headlight assembly. I’ve been trying to figure out what bulbs I need and find someone to fix it. This helps a lot .

@Jeremy
Glad it helped! Hopefully, you won’t have to replace the whole assembly.

@Pace
Do you mean the high beam bulb? It’s bigger, but it doesn’t light up when you unlock the car. Only the smaller one does. Mine’s been out for a while, but I’ve been too lazy to take the bumper off for just one bulb.

@Grayson
I’m confused because on my car, the outer yellow/orange light and the inner white lights both came on when I unlocked it. The inner ones went out, so I didn’t bother replacing them since my headlights worked. But now one headlight went out, and the replacement bulb they gave me looked too small and had an orange coating, which it didn’t have before.

@Pace
The headlight housing has these bulbs from inside to outside:

  • Parking/running light (168, clear/white, comes on when unlocking or with headlights)
  • High beam (H7)
  • Low beam (H11)
  • Turn signal (64132, flashes with the indicator)
  • Side marker light (Amber, usually LED and sealed in)

Only the inner and outer parking lights come on with unlocking. They don’t flash with the turn signal.

@Grayson
Thanks for clarifying! Looks like the 168 is what I need after all.

Grayson said:
That’s the parking or running light. The bulb number is 168.

I thought the high beam on half power works as DRL?

Dylan said:

Grayson said:
That’s the parking or running light. The bulb number is 168.

I thought the high beam on half power works as DRL?

Running lights are not the same as daytime running lights. Running lights are white or amber and are the first setting before low beams. Daytime running lights are usually low or high beams at reduced power. For the 2013-2016 Fusion, they’re the low beam bulbs.

@Grayson
Oh, that’s confusing. I have a 2017 Fusion with LED DRLs, much simpler.

Dylan said:
@Grayson
Oh, that’s confusing. I have a 2017 Fusion with LED DRLs, much simpler.

The newer models do make it easier, but some parts aren’t as sturdy. The subframe and wiring harnesses are lighter and not as prepared for upgrades.

@Grayson
I’ve got the low and high beams, plus the orange bulb for the turn signal. Older models had more bulbs in the high beam area, I think. The newer ones are simpler but feel a bit cheaper.

That’s a running or driving light.

It could be a 168, 194, or T10 bulb. They all fit, but with different wattages. It’s known as a DRL, running light, or parking light.

It’s just called a parking light.

That’s a parking light. It comes on with the outer amber light. I’d recommend using a 194 bulb instead of a 168. The 194 has lower wattage, produces less heat, and puts less strain on the system, so it lasts longer.

Where did you find the outside yellow flasher bulb? Was it coated? I’ve been searching everywhere. O’Reilly has one that fits the base but is much smaller and not coated. Napa and AutoZone don’t have it either. So frustrating.