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 169–192 of 196. Search by model, catalog or part.
Using assembly diagrams to plan a repair before the spanners come out
Opening an exploded diagram for one number can overlook associated hardware. Read the whole assembly with its parts list to prepare the order, then use the repair procedure for removal sequence, access and required…
Parts sourcingParts for imported and grey-market vehicles: when the local catalog doesn’t match
A familiar model can return part numbers that do not match the car in front of you. An import may have been built for another destination market, so check its specification and use the catalog data that actually covers…
Vehicle identificationWhere to find the VIN on a vehicle, and which one to trust when they disagree
A VIN is stamped on the body and repeated on the manufacturer's data plate, and on vehicles subject to the relevant US visibility rules it can also be read through the windscreen near the left pillar. Start at the bottom…
AftersalesWarranty and recall parts: matching the campaign’s repair instructions
Warranty and recall work must follow the applicable repair instructions. A campaign may specify revised parts, inspection or software rather than a replacement; the original number and the latest catalog number are not…
Workshop how-toWheels, tyres and TPMS by VIN: fitment, offsets and the sensor that gets forgotten
A rim can foul a larger brake, a pressure sensor may need a different protocol, and apparently identical cars can use different offsets. Wheel work needs build-specific identification, checks of the actual vehicle and…
Parts dataVariant traps: why similar-looking cars need different parts
Two cars on the forecourt look identical. Same shape, same badge, same year. One takes the part you ordered and one doesn’t. “It looks the same” is how the wrong part gets confidently sent.
Vehicle identificationModel year vs production date: choosing the right parts
A customer says “it’s a 2019”. That single number hides three different dates, and parts change between them. Treat them as one and you’ll order a part for a car built six months either side of the one you’re holding.
Diagnostics & repairReading torque specs & assembly notes from the catalog
The part reference identifies what to order; application and renewal notes add conditions to that choice. Read them with the repair procedure so that required hardware, tightening instructions and fitting conditions are…
Catalog dataFinding parts for classic & older vehicles in the EPC
Older vehicles can require a search through years of part-number changes. Where historic catalog data is available, use its diagrams, application notes and replacement chains to separate a changed reference from a…
Parts terminologyExchange parts, cores and deposits: what “reman” really means on the invoice
The invoice shows an unexpected deposit for a part the customer is handing back. An exchange unit can reduce repair cost, but the saving depends on the price, the old unit’s acceptance and the supplier’s return rules.
Parts dataHow parts kits work: bundles, repair kits and the loose-to-kit trap
Kits save time when you understand them and cost time when you don’t. The trap is ordering a loose part the manufacturer now sells only in a kit — or buying a whole kit when you needed one piece.
Parts counterCustomer-supplied parts: checking them against the catalog before they cost you
A customer arrives with an online purchase and a booked repair. If your workshop agrees to fit supplied parts, check the reference and application against the vehicle before starting. A catalog check helps identify…
Parts sourcingOE supplier brands: matching Bosch, Valeo and others from the OEM number
A customer wants a suitable part at a lower price than the dealer offer. An OE supplier may sell an appropriate alternative under its own brand. Start with the applicable genuine OEM number, then verify the supplier…
Parts sourcingKeys, locks and the parts that guard the car: ordering security components by VIN
A key must match the fitted mechanical lock and, where present, the immobiliser. VIN and key-code records can help an authorised supplier identify it, but current locks, access requirements and programming still need…
Workshop how-toClips, seals and fasteners: the small parts that cause the second trip
The caliper arrived on time, but the job stopped because the guide-pin boots, required new bolts and copper washer were missing from the order. Small hardware can delay a repair even when the main component is correct.
Collision & bodyWindscreens, glass and lighting: the see-through parts with invisible variants
A windscreen order can branch into rain-sensor, camera, heating, acoustic and head-up-display variants behind the same shape. Lighting can also hide different technologies behind one outline. Identify the fitted…
Workshop how-toBuilding the correct service kit by VIN: filters, fluids and the specs that bite
A service looks like the safe, routine job — until the oil filter is a different housing on this engine variant, or the gearbox wants a specific fluid the generic listing never mentions. Building the kit from the VIN…
Fleet & logisticsEPC for fleets: one identification workflow across a mixed fleet
A mixed fleet is a parts problem disguised as a vehicle problem. Twelve makes, twelve ways to look up a part, and a downtime clock running on every one. Standardising identification is where fleet maintenance gets…
Vehicle identificationFrom brass plates to seventeen characters: a short history of the VIN
The seventeen-character VIN gives modern vehicle records a common identifier. A parts desk in Lisbon can use it to look up available records for a car built in Nagoya. That shared format developed from…
Vehicle identificationThe data plate and option codes: reading the parts a VIN alone won’t show
A VIN tells the catalog which car you are holding. The data plate and its option codes tell you how that particular car was actually built — the paint, the trim level, the towing prep, the brake package. Miss them and…
Workshop economicsHow to quote a repair accurately with the EPC (and stop the quote from growing)
A quote that grows halfway through a job can cost you the awkward customer call and the trust spent explaining it. Start the parts list in the catalog, then check the repair procedure and the actual vehicle. A catalog…
Diagnostics & repairElectrical & wiring parts: why VIN-exact identification matters most here
Electrical work quickly exposes a poor match: a connector with one extra pin, a module with incompatible coding, or a harness for an option the car does not have. Start with the VIN and the manufacturer build record,…
Collision & bodyFinding body & collision parts in the EPC: clips, fasteners and the build traps
Body work punishes a wrong part harder than anywhere else. A bumper that’s “almost right” doesn’t bolt up, the sensor holes don’t line up, and the customer’s car sits in the booth while you reorder. The catalog is how…
Parts sourcingDiscontinued and NLA parts: what to do when the number comes back dead
“No longer available” sends a job to a halt and a customer to a competitor. Before you accept it, the catalog often has an answer the parts line didn’t mention.