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 49–72 of 156. Search by model, catalog or part.
BMW option codes: what 337, 704, 2NH and 552 mean for parts
BMW option codes are the three-character codes BMW gives each factory option, printed in its own price lists in a column headed SA-Nr.: 337 is the M Sport package, 704 M Sport suspension, 2NH the M Sport brakes and 552…
Vehicle identificationBMW VIN decoder: WBA, WBS, 5UX and what each position means
A BMW VIN decoder reads the first three characters before anything else: WBA marks a BMW passenger car from BMW AG, WBS a car from BMW M GmbH, WBY a BMW i car and WBX an SUV, while 5UX, 5YM and 4US point to BMW’s plant…
Diagnostics & repairEPC light meaning: the Electronic Power Control warning on VW, Audi, Škoda and SEAT
The EPC light stands for Electronic Power Control, and it means the engine management system of a Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda or SEAT has found a fault in the electronics that control engine power, such as the throttle or…
Parts dataETKA for Mac: running the VW parts catalog on macOS
There is no macOS version of the installed ETKA catalog, so on a Mac you either run Windows alongside macOS or open ETKA online in a browser. Boot Camp only works on Intel-based Macs, and on a Mac with Apple silicon the…
Diagnostics & repairWiring diagram by VIN: where to get one, and what the parts catalog adds
A wiring diagram by VIN comes from the manufacturer’s service information system, the same portal that holds its repair manuals, and not from the parts catalog. In the EU, carmakers must sell independent repairers access…
Parts sourcingSpark plugs by VIN: why the engine code picks the plug
To find spark plugs by VIN, decode the VIN to the exact engine and read the original equipment plug from the catalog for that engine. The model name is not enough, because one model can carry several engines, and a…
Vehicle identificationGM RPO codes: where to find them and how the catalog reads them
GM RPO codes are three-character Regular Production Option codes that record the engine, axle, suspension and equipment a Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac or Buick left the factory with. You find them on the Service Parts…
Parts dataPorsche option codes: where to find them and what they change
Porsche option codes are the short factory codes, often written with an M in front, that record how a car was built: M030 for sport suspension, M450 for ceramic composite brakes, X51 for a powerkit. You find them on the…
Vehicle identificationTesla VIN decoder: 5YJ, 7SA, the motor code and the factory
A Tesla VIN decoder reads the first three characters as the maker and factory region: 5YJ for US-built Model S and Model 3, 7SA for US-built Model X and Model Y, 7G2 for the Cybertruck and the Semi, LRW for Giga Shanghai…
Vehicle identificationVolvo VIN decoder: YV1, YV4, the Chinese and US codes, and the plant
A Volvo VIN decoder starts with the maker code: YV1 is a Volvo passenger car and YV4 a Volvo SUV, LVY and LYV mark Volvos built in China, and 7JR and 7JD mark cars from the plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina. Position…
Vehicle identificationLand Rover VIN decoder: SAL, the model letter and the plant
A Land Rover VIN decoder reads SAL as Land Rover, position 4 as the model line and position 11 as the plant: A for Solihull, H for Halewood and 2 for Nitra in Slovakia. On cars built for North America, positions 6 to 8…
Vehicle identificationMercedes VIN decoder: WDD, W1K, 4JG and what the middle of the VIN means
A Mercedes VIN decoder starts with the first three characters: WDB, WDD and W1K mark Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, WDC and W1N mark the SUVs, and 4JG and 55S mark cars from the Alabama plant. After that, a Mercedes built…
Vehicle identificationFord VIN decoder: US builds, Ford of Europe and the engine in position 8
A Ford VIN decoder reads the vehicle type from positions 1 to 3, the restraint or weight rating from position 4, the model line and body from positions 5 to 7 and the engine from position 8. Position 10 is the model year…
Vehicle identificationSubaru VIN decoder: engine in position 6, plant and gearbox in position 11
A Subaru VIN decoder reads the model line from position 4, the body from position 5 and the engine from position 6, then the model year from position 10. Position 11 is the unusual one: on a Subaru it names the plant and…
Vehicle identificationNissan VIN decoder: engine first, then the model line and its generation
A Nissan VIN decoder reads the engine from position 4 on cars built for North America, the model line from position 5 and the model generation from position 6. Position 10 gives the model year and position 11 the plant.…
Vehicle identificationHonda VIN decoder: the three-character model code and what it tells you
A Honda VIN decoder starts from a three-character model code in positions 4 to 6, which names the model, the body and the engine in one go. Position 7 adds the body style and transmission, position 8 the trim grade and…
Vehicle identificationToyota VIN decoder: reading the plant, the engine letter and the model line
A Toyota VIN decoder reads the maker and country from positions 1 to 3, the body, engine and model line from positions 4 to 8, and the model year and plant from positions 10 and 11. On a Toyota built for North America…
Parts sourcingAre Acura parts the same as Honda? Many are, and the VIN decides
Are Acura parts the same as Honda parts? Many are: Acura is Honda’s luxury division, many Acuras share a platform and engines with a Honda, and Honda publishes both brands in one parts catalog with one numbering system.…
Parts sourcingAre Infiniti parts the same as Nissan? Often, with a few exceptions
Are Infiniti parts the same as Nissan parts? Often: Infiniti is Nissan’s luxury division, many Infinitis are Nissan models sold under another badge, and both brands use Nissan part numbers in one catalog. The exceptions…
Parts sourcingDoes Volvo use Ford parts? Cars from the Ford years often do
Does Volvo use Ford parts? Volvos designed while Ford owned the company, from 1999 to 2010, share platforms and many components with Fords, such as the S40 with the Focus and the XC60 with the Mondeo. Volvos on SPA and…
Parts sourcingDoes Mazda use Ford parts? On some generations, and the VIN shows which
Does Mazda use Ford parts? Some Mazdas do: models developed while Ford owned a large stake in Mazda share platforms, engines and many components with Fords, while Skyactiv-era Mazdas from 2011 onward are Mazda’s own…
Parts sourcingAre Lexus parts the same as Toyota? Partly, and the VIN tells you which
Are Lexus parts the same as Toyota parts? Partly: Lexus is Toyota’s luxury division, and many Lexus models sit on a Toyota platform and share engines, gearboxes and many hidden components with a Toyota. Body panels,…
Diagnostics & repairCheck recalls by VIN: NHTSA, the UK, Canada and the EU
To check recalls by VIN in the United States, enter the 17-character VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup, which shows open safety recalls from the past 15 calendar years for major automakers and motorcycle makers. The UK,…
Vehicle identificationTrim level by VIN: what the VIN encodes and where the trim shows up
You can often read the trim level by VIN on a car built for North America, because US rules make positions 4 to 8 identify the series along with the body, the engine and the restraints. On European VINs the trim is…