Parts identification, done right
Practical articles on vehicle variants, factory equipment and OEM references. Check the conditions that decide whether a part fits before you send the order.
Articles 25–48 of 156. Search by model, catalog or part.
How to verify car parts on eBay and avoid counterfeits
To verify the authenticity of car parts on eBay and avoid counterfeits, get the genuine part number for your VIN before you shop, then make every listing prove it with a clear photo of that number on the label and on the…
Parts sourcingHow to verify genuine Toyota parts when counterfeiters copy the box
Toyota’s own brand protection team says counterfeiters copy the packaging as well as the part, so to verify genuine Toyota parts you trust the source first and the box last. Then confirm that the ten-character number on…
Parts sourcingHow to verify OEM Hyundai and Kia parts from a Mobis box
Verify OEM Hyundai parts, and Kia parts the same way, by matching the number on the Mobis label to the number the catalog gives for your VIN, then looking hard at the box. Hyundai Mobis is the Hyundai Motor Group company…
Parts sourcingHow to verify authentic Honda OEM parts before they go on the car
You verify authentic Honda OEM parts by where they came from and by the number on them, and the box comes last. A Honda number such as 15400-PLM-A02 has to match what the Honda catalog lists for your VIN. Counterfeiters…
Parts sourcingHow to verify OEM BMW parts authenticity when the box looks right
To verify OEM BMW parts authenticity, make three numbers agree: the 11-character BMW number on the box label, the seven-character identifier printed on the part, and the number BMW’s ETK catalog lists for your car’s VIN.…
Vehicle identificationHow many numbers are in a VIN? Seventeen characters, and not all of them numbers
How many numbers are in a VIN? Seventeen characters, on every road vehicle sold in the United States since the 1981 model year, and they mix digits with capital letters. So the everyday answer, 17 numbers, gets the…
Parts sourcingAre the Peugeot Boxer and Fiat Ducato the same? Shared parts and the engine split
The Peugeot Boxer and the Fiat Ducato are the same van, built by Sevel, the Fiat and PSA joint venture, and Citroën sells a third version as the Jumper, called the Relay in the UK. The body, the cab and the chassis are…
Diagnostics & repairPeugeot BSI replacement: the right part number, then coding to the car
A Peugeot BSI replacement takes two steps: a unit with the right part number for the car, and coding after fitting that ties it to the VIN, the keys and the engine ECU. The BSI is the body control unit of Peugeot,…
Parts sourcingDo Peugeot and Citroën use the same parts? Platform twins and where they differ
Peugeot and Citroën use the same parts under the skin on most models of the same generation, because both brands build on shared PSA platforms with shared engines and gearboxes. Body panels, lights and trim stay…
Parts sourcingPublic Service Box: what the Stellantis portal offers and who can use it
Public Service Box, at public.servicebox.peugeot.com, is the Stellantis portal that gives independent repairers the parts catalog and technical documentation for Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhall. Registration is…
Parts dataPeugeot paint code: where to find it and how to read the letters
A Peugeot paint code is three capital letters, such as EWP for Blanc Banquise white or KTV for Noir Perla Nera black, printed on a label in the driver’s door opening. Citroën labels use the same format, so the search…
Diagnostics & repair1.2 PureTech timing belt: intervals by build date, the wet belt and the parts
The 1.2 PureTech timing belt runs in engine oil, and its replacement interval depends on the build date: 10 years or 175,000 km for Peugeot, Citroën and DS cars built up to March 2017, and 6 years or 100,000 km from…
Vehicle identificationPeugeot engine codes: EB2, EP6, DV6, DV5, DW10 and the three-character type code
A Peugeot engine code comes in two forms: a family name such as EB2DT, and a three-character type code such as HNZ that parts catalogs print next to it. The 1.2 PureTech 110 is HNZ (EB2DT), and you want both halves,…
Parts dataPeugeot part numbers: how to read a PSA reference like 98 189 149 80
A Peugeot part number is a PSA reference of ten digits that ends in 80, often printed in groups such as 98 189 149 80. Citroën and DS use the same system, and cross-reference lists also carry short references such as…
Vehicle identificationCitroën VIN decoder: VF7, VR7, VS7 and where your Berlingo or C3 was built
A Citroën VIN decoder starts with the maker code: VF7 for Citroën, VR7 for Citroën under Stellantis and VS7 for Citroën built in Spain, while DS Automobiles uses VR1. The rest of the VIN follows the same PSA layout as a…
Vehicle identificationPeugeot VIN decoder: VF3, VR3 and the engine code in the middle
A Peugeot VIN decoder reads four things from the 17 characters: the maker code in positions 1 to 3, the model and body in positions 4 and 5, a three-character engine type code in positions 6 to 8, and the plant in…
Parts sourcingMINI Cooper Peugeot engine: which MINIs share the Prince engine with PSA
The MINI Cooper Peugeot engine is the Prince, a 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol four that BMW developed with PSA Peugeot Citroën and fitted to the second-generation MINI from 2006. MINI calls its versions N12, N14, N16 and N18,…
Vehicle identificationMINI model codes: every chassis code from R50 to J01 and U25
MINI model codes are BMW’s chassis codes for each generation and body: R50 and R53 for the first hatch, R56 for the second, F56 for the third, and J01 and F66 for the fourth. The code tells you more about which parts fit…
Vehicle identificationMINI VIN decoder: reading the maker, model, year and plant
A MINI VIN decoder reads the maker from the first three characters, WMW for MINI cars and WMZ for MINI SUVs, then the model, the model year and the plant. For parts, the full decode in BMW’s ETK catalog adds the engine,…
Parts sourcingWho makes BMW parts: the suppliers behind the BMW box
Who makes BMW parts depends on the part: ZF builds the 8HP automatic gearbox, and on the N55 six-cylinder Bosch supplied the engine control unit and BorgWarner the turbocharger. Getrag built the seven-speed dual-clutch…
Parts dataBMW part number structure: main groups, subgroups and lookup by VIN
A BMW part number has eleven characters: a two-digit main group, a two-digit subgroup and a seven-character identifier for the part itself. Read the first two digits and you know the system before you open a catalog, so…
Vehicle identificationBMW chassis codes: E, F, G and U series, from the E30 to the U11
BMW chassis codes are the internal names BMW gives each generation of a model, a letter plus two digits: the 3 Series has run from the E30 through the E36, E46, E90 and F30 to the G20, and the current X1 is the U11. The…
Vehicle identificationBMW engine code by VIN: N47, B47, N55, B58 and how to tell them apart
To get a BMW engine code by VIN, decode the VIN in BMW’s parts catalog, which reads the car’s build record and returns the engine designation, such as N47D20 or B58B30. The 17 characters of the VIN do not spell the…
Vehicle identificationBMW build sheet by VIN: the vehicle order, the catalog and BMW Group Classic
A BMW build sheet by VIN is the factory record of one car: its type code, production date, plant, paint code, upholstery code and the option codes it left the factory with. BMW keeps it as the vehicle order, and you can…