[Mathew87]

I want to share my find with all other forum members interested in upgrading the light output of their pre-LCI tail lights.

I felt like the standard P21W bulbs only signal that the car is in reverse and do not actually light up the area behind our cars when reversing. So I searched a lot for an OEM-style solution that does not involve changing the technology of the bulb to LED and coding out the check bulb electric impulses to avoid the inevitable flickering.

And eventually I found it in the form of 795 bulbs made by Philips that use the same BA15S base with 180 degree pins, but with a much higher power of 50 W instead of 21W. Their light output is around three times higher and they actually illuminate the area behind the car when reversing for safer parking at night. No error codes are thrown by the car with these bulbs and even the filament position is the same as the one found in P21W bulbs. The stock car wires also support the additional current draw, since they are very thick, unlike the very thin wires found in the housing of the headlights, which sometimes melt their insulation even with standard power bulbs.

I bought the 795 bulbs for only $3 a piece from rockauto.com (clearance price), but they can also be found on Ebay for a higher price. A great find.