Guides for parts professionals
Plain-English explainers on EPC catalogs, VINs, OEM parts and choosing the right tools.
What is an EPC (Electronic Parts Catalog)?
An EPC is the manufacturer's own parts database. Learn what it contains, how VIN lookup works, who uses it, and why it beats aftermarket cross-references.
Read guideHow to Read a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)
A VIN is a 17-character code that identifies a vehicle exactly. Learn what each section means (WMI, VDS, VIS), the check digit, and how EPCs use it.
Read guideOEM vs Aftermarket Parts: What's the Difference?
OEM, genuine, OE-quality and aftermarket parts are not the same thing. Understand the differences and how to identify the right part either way using an EPC.
Read guideWhat is a Parts Supersession (and Why It Matters)
A supersession is when a manufacturer replaces one part number with a newer one. Learn how chains work and how to order the part the factory ships today.
Read guideHow to Choose an Online Parts Catalog
Comparing online EPC platforms? Here are the criteria that matter: brand coverage, VIN accuracy, supersessions, pricing model, device support, and the red flags to avoid.
Read guideEPC Catalogs for Chinese Car Brands: Chery, Geely, BYD, GWM
Chinese brands are growing fast worldwide. Learn the parts catalogs for Chery, Geely, BYD, Great Wall/Haval and MG, and how to identify their parts by VIN.
Read guideChinese Car Parts by VIN: Which Catalog Covers Which Badge
Omoda, Jaecoo, Haval, Denza and Zeekr resolve to five parts catalogs. The badge-to-group map, VIN and part number formats, and the brands nobody covers yet.
Read guideETKA Explained: The VW Group Parts Catalog
ETKA is the official electronic parts catalog for the VW Group: VW, Audi, Skoda, SEAT and Cupra. Learn what it covers and how to access it online by VIN.
Read guideMobis EPC Explained: Hyundai, Kia & Genesis
Mobis EPC is the official parts catalog for Hyundai, Kia and Genesis. Learn what it covers and how to look up genuine Korean OEM parts by VIN.
Read guideMicrocat Explained: Ford's Electronic Parts Catalog
Microcat is the EPC platform used by Ford and other brands. Learn what Microcat is, what it covers, how it decodes a VIN, and how to access Ford parts data online.
Read guideDialogys Online: Renault and Dacia Parts by VIN, Explained
What Dialogys is, why it holds repair data as well as parts, how Renault ten-digit numbers read, why Dacia runs on them, and why old discs stop answering.
Read guideRenault Engine Codes Explained: K9K, K4M, H4M and What They Mean for a Parts Lookup
Renault engine codes decoded character by character, from K9K and K4M to H4M and R9M, plus why the three digit suffix on the end decides which parts fit.
Read guideRenault Van Parts by VIN: Master, Trafic and Kangoo for Workshops and Fleets
Master, Trafic and Kangoo parts by VIN: FWD vs RWD, M9T suffixes, body codes, badge overlaps and the fleet workflow that stops wrong orders.
Read guideRenault Labour Times and Repair Data: What the Parts Plate Leaves Off
How Renault labour times work in Dialogys, and where book time stops being honest once a van is ten years old and the bolts are seized.
Read guideDacia Parts by VIN: Working the Renault Group Catalogue for Duster, Sandero, Logan, Jogger and Spring
Most Dacia parts carry Renault Group references. A working guide to where that sharing holds and where it genuinely stops.
Read guideRenault CLIP vs Dialogys: Which Tool Does Which Job, and Why You Probably Need Both
Renault CAN Clip codes modules but cannot give you a part number. Dialogys gives references but cannot talk to the car. What each does, and the jobs that need both.
Read guideHow to Find a Genuine Car Part Number
The reliable way to find a genuine OEM part number is by VIN through an EPC. Here is the step-by-step, plus the mistakes that cause wrong-part returns.
Read guideVIN vs Chassis (Frame) Number: What's the Difference?
VIN and chassis/frame number are often confused. Learn the difference, where each appears, why Japanese-market cars are special, and which one EPCs use to identify parts.
Read guideEPC Catalogs for Electric Vehicles (Tesla, BYD & More)
EVs need different parts data: high-voltage modules, inverters and thermal loops. See how EPC catalogs cover EVs like Tesla and BYD, by VIN.
Read guideEVs Out of Warranty: What Reaches an Independent Workshop Now
The first mass-market EVs have run out their last warranty. What actually crosses an independent counter, and why there is no aftermarket to fall back on.
Read guideHow to Cut Wrong-Part Returns in Your Workshop
Wrong-part returns quietly eat workshop margin. Here are the real causes, the true cost of each return, and how VIN-accurate identification removes most of them.
Read guideOnline vs Installed EPC Software: Which Is Right for You?
Should you use browser-based EPC access or installed dealer software? Compare cost, updates, devices, brand coverage and new-model data for your workshop.
Read guideAuto Parts Glossary: Key Terms Explained
A plain-English glossary of auto parts and catalog terms: EPC, VIN, OEM, supersession, OE-quality, fitment and more, for parts professionals and buyers.
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