October 25, 2016

When purchasing a car, we often think about how well the equipment specified by the manufacturer corresponds to reality. Of course, you can look through the user manual and find all the necessary data there, but in practice, most companies issue one “instruction” for all classes, where errors are often found. A more thorough check of the car can be done using a special code called VIN. Let's take a closer look at how to find out the car's equipment by VIN code and is this even possible?

What is a car's VIN?

VIN is a unique vehicle identification code that contains all the information about a particular car. Here, in encrypted form, data is presented about the manufacturer, the country where the vehicle was manufactured, its characteristics and equipment, the year of the model range, the manufacturing plant, as well as the serial number itself.

This code is generated according to specially developed international standards described in the classifications ISO 3779 (from 1983) and 3780.

VIN consists of 3 parts:

• WMI – world manufacturer index;
• VDS – vehicle characteristics, its equipment, and also contains a check digit;
• VIS – model year, manufacturer and serial number of the vehicle.

The WMI and VIS code parts are clearly defined by standards, while VDS can be modified by the manufacturer. Literally this point stands for “ car description section».

How to check the package using VIN?

So, we have figured out what a car’s VIN code is, now we can proceed directly to decoding it, and it is the VDS section that interests us. The difficulty in deciphering it lies in the fact that each automaker uses its own algorithm for creating this section. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the encoding system may change over time, and if you use old algorithms for decryption, you will end up with completely foreign data.

From time to time, information about current encoding sequences appears on the Internet, therefore, when trying to decrypt VDS yourself, you should pay attention to the publication date of the data, since it will most likely be relevant only for a specific model year. Although there are exceptions when the manufacturer does not change the algorithms for a sufficiently long period of time, which makes it possible to determine the car’s equipment even at home.

You may come across special services on the Internet that will help you find out the vehicle’s equipment by VIN code.

This information can be provided either free or for a fee, but it is quite difficult to verify its accuracy without knowing the characteristics of your vehicle, so whether or not to trust such sites is a matter of choice for the owner of the car.

One of these services is the website vinformer.su.

How else is VIN used?

A vehicle's VIN is also often used by law enforcement to track down stolen vehicles. Each such number is unique, and the manufacturer can make its own adjustments to its structure. In addition, thanks to the special index contained in the VDS section, the possibility of code forgery using the so-called “donation” is eliminated.

It is quite difficult to check a car’s equipment using the VIN code without access to the encoding algorithms from the manufacturer, even with the help of companies specializing in this. Information about the car, “pulled” from the VDS section, may completely or partially disagree precisely because of the inconsistency of decryption methods, and not because someone wants to deceive you. But the VIN code can be used in more serious cases when the car has been stolen, since no one, even the most advanced thief who uses modern equipment, can fake the character set provided by the manufacturer.

Many car owners want to know the equipment of their “iron friend” and are wondering how to do this. The complete equipment of a car can be identified by its VIN code. Where can I find this mysterious code and what should I do with it next?

The VIN code can be found in the technical documentation for the car or in its registration certificate. The code can also be found on the car itself. The seventeen-digit number can be located anywhere in the car: under the hood, in a special window on the windshield, on the driver's door pillar, under the floor trim near the driver's seat. In addition to these places, the code may be located in other places. Where to find it, if you haven’t found it yourself, they can tell you at the dealership where you bought the car. On all integral parts of the machine there are special nameplates, on which 17 letters and numbers are applied.

The initial configuration of a car implies a set of basic options, without which the car, in principle, cannot exist. But for each individual car, even the basic equipment may be different. In some models, the basic package may even include power steering and air conditioning, while for other brands these are additional options.

After you have found the personal VIN code of the car, you can find out its equipment in two ways. The first is to go to a car service center, where they will give you detailed information about the configuration that interests you using the code. In specialized car services, this information is stored in their own special computer databases for each specific car brand. You can try to find out the equipment of your car yourself. On the Internet there is a large number of

services that provide such a service. Some of them are free, while others, on the contrary, are paid. Here are some of them that you can use: https://vin.su/, http://vinformer.su/ru/.

Now let’s ask ourselves, why do we need to find out the car’s equipment? And so that you can plan today to install additional options on your car or, for example, in order to order a spare part for an option that is already in the car.

Now we provide vehicle equipment by code for the following cars: Mercedes (Equipment + Additional equipment), BMW (Equipment + Additional equipment), HONDA (Europe only), MAZDA (Europe only), INFINITI, LEXUS, MITSUBISHI, NISSAN, SUBARU , SUZUKI, TOYOTA, PEUGEOT, CITROEN

You can also see the production date of the car in the equipment report. Type of engine and gearbox.

For example, a complete BMW equipment report looks like this:	VIN number
WDDUG8CB1EA008866	Model
222.182 S500	13/08/2013
Date of issue	278.929 30 139650 M278 DE 46 LA; V8 GASOLINE ENGINE M278 DELA 46
Transmission	722.909 05 096362 W 7 C 700; 7-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION W7C700
Color code	033U – BLACK MOKKA PAINT
Finish code	814A – LEATHER / NAPPA / SEMI-ANILINE – BROWN
Options
SA code	Description
033U	PAINT BLACK MOKKA
03A	OIL REFILLING VOLUME +300 ML
110	FUEL VOLUME FOR PICKUP FROM THE FACTORY
12B	OPERATING MANUAL + SERVICE BOOK - ENGLISH - USA/CANADA
12R	LIGHTWEIGHT DISCS "7 TRIPLE" SPOKES "19" WITH DIFFERENCE. TIRES
16P	A/M ME
192	STEUERCODE NAG2-GETRIEBE MIT D1 STAND
218	REVERSE CAMERA
223	ELECTRICALLY ADJUSTABLE REAR BACKRESTS SEATS AND HEAD REST
232	REMOTE GARAGE CONTROL GATE WITH FREQUENCY 284-390 MHz
233	SYSTEM SPEED AND SAFETY REMOTE PLUS(DIST.PLUS)
235	ACTIVE PARKING ASSISTANT
237	ACTIVE BLIND SPOT ASSISTANT
238	ACTIVE LANE KEEPING ASSIST (FAP)
249	INTERIOR AND OUTSIDE MIRROR WITH AUTO-DIMMING
253	REAR COLLISION WARNING AND PROTECTION SYSTEM
264	LICENSE PLATE ATTACHMENT FOR AMERICA
266	SYST. DISTRONIC PLUS WITH CONTROL TRANSVERSE MOTION(DTR+Q)
267	MODEL DESIGNATION IS DIFFERENT
268	EMERGENCY SYSTEM BRAKING WITH ADVANCED FUNCTION (BAS+)
269	ADVANCED EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM+TRASTIONAL DRIVE CONTROL(BAS+Q)
271	AUTONOMOUS BRAKE/WARNING FOR PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION.
275	MEMORY PACK (WATER SEAT, STEERING COLUMN AND MIRROR)
276	REAR MEMORY FUNCTION
284B	AIR BAG PLATE - ENGLISH FOR USA
289	LEATHER STEERING WHEEL WITH DECORATIVE INSERTION
294	KNEE AIR BAG
297	SUNSHIELD ELECTRIC CURTAIN REAR LEFT/RIGHT DOORS
300	COLLISION MITIGATION-BRAKE/WARNING(CMS)
301	ASHTRAY PACK
310	DOUBLE CUP HOLDER
342B	INSTRUMENT COMBINATION/HOLDER LANGUAGE USER: AMERICAN
348	EMERGENCY CALL SYSTEM / AUXILIARY SYSTEM
35A	VGS D4-0, SAMPLE D3
3U2	HEAD UNIT FOR AMERICA
401	AIR CONDITIONING FRONT SEATS
402	AIR CONDITIONING REAR SEATS
413	PANORAMIC SLIDING/GLASS SUNROOF
427	Automatic transmission 7-SPEED.
432	SEAT WITH DYNAMIC SUPPORT LEFT AND RIGHT
436	COMFORT. SEAT HEADREST DRIVES. AND TRAFFIC PASSAGE.
443	HEATED STEERING WHEEL
461	ARRIVAL CONTROL WITH MILES INDICATION AND ENGLISH LETTERING
475	SYST. PRESSURE CONTROL. WITH TIRES (RDK) HIGH/MID LINE
494	US VERSION
518	UNIVERSAL COMMUNICATIONS INTERFACE (UCI)
51U	INTERNAL ROOF LINER, BLACK FABRIC
531	COMAND APS NTG5/NTG5.5
536	SATELLITE RADIO “SIRIUS” COMPLETE SYSTEM
540	ELECTRIC REAR WINDOW BLIND
551	ANTI-THEFT WARNING SYSTEM (EDW)
57V	SPEED- + LOADINDEX 102H XL + 101H
581	AUTOMATIC CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM
596	THERMAL INSULATION. TRIPLEX GLAZING WITH IR FILTER, K-T
608	AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAM (IHC)
634	CANCELLATION OF THE FIRST KIT
636	CANCELING A WARNING STOP SIGN
640	LED HEADLIGHT WITH DYNAMIC ADJUSTMENT SAE, RIGHT-HAND DRIVE
668	PROTECTION OF TRANSPORTED VEHICLES, WITH TRANSPORT. LUGS
705L	USA
729	DECORATION. POPLAR WOOD ELEMENTS
763	REMOTE RADIO CONTROL WITH WARNING SIGNAL BUTTON (315MHz)
7XXL	NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA
800A	LEATHER / NAPPA / SEMI-ANILINE
804	YEAR OF MODIFICATION 13/1
810	PREMIUM SPEAKER SYSTEM
814	DVD CHANGER
814A	LEATHER / NAPPA / SEMI-ANILINE - BROWN
871	SENSORS FOR SYSTEM OPEN/CLOSED TRUNK LIDS
874	AQUABLADE HEATED WISH WASHER
877	LED LIGHTING
881	REMOTE TRUNK LID CLOSING
883	SERVO LOCK
887	SEPARATE TRUNK LID LOCK
889	KEYLESS - GO
902	HEATED SEATS HIGH COMFORT (FRONT)
903	HEATED REAR COMFORT SEATS
906	FRONT LININGS WITH HEATING
907	REAR LINERS WITH HEATING
986	NON-STANDARD VIN NUMBER WITH MODEL YEAR
989	IDENTIFICATION PLATE UNDER THE WINDSCREEN
A20	DIRECT START
A21	ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM
A24	JOINT FLANGE 4 LEVER 120
A59	TRANSFORMATION HOUSING FE 13.5
A65	TRANSFORMER FE 13.5MM
A89	LOW FRICTION
A98	T-SPOOL BLOCK WITH VGS 4-0
B03	DIRECTLY START / ECO START/STOP FUNCTION
F222	MODEL RANGE 222
F.V.	EXTENDED SEDAN
G909	Gearbox CODE: MODIFICATION 09
GA	automatic transmission
H.A.	REAR AXLE
J7A	DSM: STAR2 BESEITIGUNG I/O-FEHLER-STEUERCODE W 10
J81	RELEASE IN JUNE
K15	STEUERCODE FUER SERVICE INTERVALL 15000 KM
L	LEFT SIDE STEERING CONTROL
LS2	BODY LOAD STAGE 2
M278	V8 PETROL ENGINE M278
M46	WORKING VOLUME 4.6 L
N4C
N6C	STEUERCODE W50 FUER PPS-INTERNE VERWENDUNG
P17	KEYLESS-GO PACKAGE
P20	PACKAGE “PLUS” AUTOMATIC SYSTEM TRAFFIC CONTROL
P21	AIR QUALITY OPTIMIZATION PACKAGE
P35	LIGHT PACKAGE
P64	FRONT MEMORY PACK
P69	COMFORT PACKAGE HEATING FUNCTIONS IN FRONT AND REAR
P88	PERFORMANCE LAUNCH
R02	ALL SEASON TIRES
R66	TIRES WITH EMERGENCY PROPERTIES
U10	PASSENGER SEAT WITH OCCUPATION RECOGNITION
U12	FOOT MAT - VELOR
U13	ICON FOR SPECIAL MODELS
U25	THRESHOLD LIGHTING
U71	DVD PLAYER S REGION. CODE 1 USA
U80	115V OUTLET
VL	FRONT AXLE HALF LEFT
VR	FRONT AXLE HALF RIGHT

As can be seen from the report, it contains useful information, such as the exact date exhaust, engine type, automatic transmission, color interior decoration and body color. In addition, the report contains a list of options that the vehicle was equipped with at the factory.

Hello friends! Absolutely each of you, when purchasing a new or used car, would like to be sure that the car is really worth the money. Today, there are enough craftsmen and swindlers who will pass off even a Cossack as some kind of Volga, figuratively speaking. Therefore, every future car owner, before saying goodbye to a certain amount of money, must have information regarding the factory equipment of the car he has taken a closer look at. To be honest before effective means there was no way to achieve this goal, but with the advent of new technologies we can easily “break through” any car!

So on the Internet there are a lot of services that allow you to find out not only the factory equipment, the “cleanliness” of the car, but also its entire history, you will agree - the most important function! However, for this you cannot do without an individual code, which is assigned to every vehicle on the planet. Therefore, find out these numbers from the seller in advance. How to find out a car’s equipment by VIN for free, and also where exactly this can be done - these are my main messages to you in this publication!

Briefly about the main thing

In one of the previous articles I already spoke on the topic. Then we discussed in detail the decoding, location and other information regarding the code. However, I did not indicate to you specific steps and resources where it is possible to carry out such an operation. Today I will fill this gap, but first, just in case, I will briefly explain what a VIN number is, because there will definitely be those who skipped the “last lesson.”

The VIN number is a number of 17 digits, each of which carries some information (from engine size to the number of owners). To find it, just pick up the registration certificate, it must be indicated there! If for some reason the main document of the car is missing, look for it on the frame near the driver's door, near the engine or in the corner of the windshield. So I actually answered the question, I think we’ve sorted it out.

Next, in order to find out the car’s equipment, you still need to do a whole series of actions, but in the virtual world, which, as it turns out, already exists closely with the real one! Having received the desired numbers, feel free to go behind the monitor screen, replacing the steering wheel with a mouse!

The correct algorithm of actions for a PC

Once on the Internet, checking the equipment does not start on its own; you will need to find special services, which I already mentioned at the beginning of the publication. Friends, just yesterday you didn’t even know about their existence, but today you will definitely be convinced that they really exist and, moreover, some of them work! You may come across paid resources that will provide you with more information about the car, but I want to say this is far from a fact and you will have to wait more than a day!

Please note: in certain cases you will have to pay, since it is unlikely to be possible to check the car’s condition on the list of stolen ones for free. You can also find foreign sites (by the way, they are also suitable for us), domestic ones, and of course, free ones.

It doesn’t matter at all which one you find yourself on, in most cases you need to act the same way:

• By clicking on the treasured link, change the language to one that is convenient for you, if required.
• Also, if necessary, you will have to go through the registration procedure, don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong with that – it’s a standard procedure, so to speak.
• Next, the most important thing is to enter the VIN number, make sure you don’t make a mistake, be careful!
• After which detailed, or maybe not very detailed, information about Audi, Opel, BMW or what have you will appear.

So, if you really needed to know how to independently determine the equipment of a car, I told you everything. There is only a little left - the very services that provide such services, more about them below!

Is everything really so rosy?

And so, friends, I personally tried as many as four similar services and realized that the question “how to check the equipment of the car?” remains open. Why? Yes, because for free, you can get maximum the same information that is indicated in the technical passport. Another thing is if this document is not there, then the list below will come in handy:

• www.vinformer.su - the service provides three free checks per day, but there is a huge question about the reliability of the data. The VIN code I entered for the Ford Escort was indeed identified correctly, however, instead of 1986, it was listed as 2016. Any specifications and were completely absent.
• www.au-plus.ru - this resource performed better with an old car, correctly indicated the release date and country of origin, but the flow of information dried up.
• www.infovin.ru – made a mistake similar to the first site, information for free, minimum.
• www.inter-cars.com.ua – I liked it more than others, I don’t know how everything looks more accessible here, of course there isn’t a lot of data either, but I didn’t identify any errors from the information provided.

It’s worth adding: I actually don’t know how to find out the equipment of a car by VIN code for money; I didn’t dare to invest money, even though it’s not big. If you are from such a test, I advise you first of all to visit the official website of the manufacturer, there you can often get more detailed information, and no one will demand money from you.

Well, that's it, this topic is closed! Now you know how to determine the car’s equipment and what you need for this. I personally advise you to take care of your VIN code, because thanks to it you can even shop for auto parts without leaving your home. I talked about this procedure, see you again in the next publications! I will be very grateful for subscribing and reposting to friends!

It is useful for every driver to know how to find out the vehicle's equipment for free using the VIN code. This may be required in a variety of situations. Most often, the need for this arises when buying a car second-hand. In this case, you will be able to determine what should be installed on the car as standard, and whether everything is available. Thus, sometimes it is possible to greatly reduce the price when trading.

Another common situation is the search for spare parts. Knowing the decoding of this code allows you to easily select all the necessary parts. Especially if they are purchased at a disassembly site. In any case, the ability to determine the equipment of a car by the number in the documents will not be superfluous.

What does it mean?

How to find out a car's equipment for free using the VIN code? First you need to find it. The easiest way to do this is to look at the documents. Typically, the VIN is indicated on the title, as well as on the registration certificate. In general, you can find a lot of interesting things in the documents. For example, the same passport usually contains a large amount of additional data. Here you can find some information about the main components of the package. Sometimes this is enough. If you don’t have documents at hand, you can find the VIN under the windshield or hood. But, if you are interested in a deeper analysis, then first you need to figure out what elements this number consists of:

• Some information about the manufacturer can be found out from the first 3 digits of the number. The very first one indicates a geographic region. Second country manufacturer. Third type vehicle. For many models these numbers are the same;
• The next 4 digits contain detailed information about the vehicle manufacturer. Usually they must be decrypted;
• The 9th number does not carry any semantic meaning. It confirms the correctness of the entire code;
• The next (10) number indicates the production date of the car body. As a rule, this data is duplicated in the PTS. Moreover, pay attention to the method of determining the date. From 1980 to 2000, they were designated by the letters A to Z, while the letters I, Q, O are not used. Since 2000, they have been designated by one number. Starting in 2010, letter designations began to be used again. Also note that in the US the model year starts in the summer and in Europe in the winter;
• The last 7 digits indicate the specific features of the vehicle. If your task is only to find out the configuration, these are the numbers you will mainly need.

How to decrypt?

There is a lot of information about VIN numbers on the Internet. Finding her won't be difficult. There are even directories dedicated to finding components, as well as detailed decoding of data. You can simplify your task and contact any online service, of which there are a lot on the Internet. Most of of which are absolutely free. To do this, you just need to enter your car’s license plate number, and the service will perform a detailed decryption. All you have to do is print or save the received data.

These sites also offer additional paid services. For example, you can check your car for theft and other illegal activities. Find out if she is in collateral and so on. This will help you avoid problems when buying a car.

Decoding

As already mentioned, the first ten digits carry background information. With their help, you can find out the country of origin (1-USA, J-Japan, and so on) and some other indicators. But, we'll take a closer look at the latest numbers. After all, they are the ones responsible for describing the configuration. It should be noted that some manufacturers are careless about this indicator and do not always indicate some data.

The eleventh number usually indicates which plant the vehicle was produced in. The last 6 digits are the product serial number. On BMW models, the number is considered to be only 5 digits. The 12th indicator is assigned to the batch number.

Search for parts

Using the VIN code, you can quickly and accurately select a part for your car. There are several options for this.

The simplest option is to search in online stores. To do this, simply enter the number in a special form. As a result, you will receive a list of all components for your model. All you have to do is choose what you need and place an order. Usually, on all sites, searching for spare parts by VIN works according to the same principle. In most cases, you can not only select parts, but also make a detailed assessment of the order, compare prices from different manufacturers, and look at delivery times.

A more complex option is to search through catalogs. They are usually used when it is necessary to purchase spare parts in regular spare parts stores. In this case, you need to download the catalog for a specific model. And then use it to look for the part number. It is advisable to know the correct name of the part. This will help speed up the search.

Check for theft

When buying a car, it is advisable to check the legality of its ownership. Most often, there is a risk of buying a car that is listed as stolen. To avoid this, it is possible to check the car for theft. The easiest way to do this is to use the service on the traffic police website. There you can get detailed information about the owner and other characteristics of the car.

In any case, checking by VIN number is mandatory.

Conclusion. When choosing a car, it is advisable to know what configuration it is offered by the seller. To do this, you need to have information on how to find out the car’s equipment for free by VIN code. This will help you avoid many problems when buying a car. This identification number will help you find out a lot of useful information about the car.