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May 26, 2011 8:27 a.m. Ranger50 HalfDork

Seeing this from both sides, VIN lookup is absolutely needed if you need interior parts. Everything else, not so much unless you end up with something like a Neon that had a 3spd and 4spd auto trans within the same year. Plus in a later year, PCM and crank trigger wheel changes, mid to late model year. Just because you have a V8 in your Dakota, doesn't immediately mean you get the DRB, aka 9 1/4, axle code. It could have come with the lower model DRA, or 8 1/4. BTDT. And on and on and on....

Not every parts seller has been doing their job for years and can remember every sales code for every vehicle.

The biggest problem is the way the parts catalog is written. It is gibberish without VIN lookup. JMO.
May 26, 2011 8:27 a.m. Bobzilla Dork

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

There's an import-only parts store on the north side of the city here.

I can walk in and say "I need such and such belt and gasket for my 1990 MX6."

Dude won't even go to a computer, book, nothing. He goes in the back, and gets my parts. He doesn't ask for trim level, turbo or non, manual or auto, or what color underpants i'm wearing. He knows the belts and gaskets are the same through all model years of 1g MX6s, and he knows where the parts are in the back.

I love that place! (Usually cheaper than rockauto, too!)

That same guy I had to spend 15 minutes trying to find NGK plug wires for the Swift. So yeah, he knows his 1g MX5s, but he doesn't know swifts.... or Hyundais.
May 26, 2011 8:38 a.m. z31maniac SuperDork

16vCorey wrote:

z31maniac wrote:

Yup, that super pesky, incredibly difficult VIN # is right on your person at all times. At least legally its supposed to be.

Unless you're working on someone else's car or a frankenmobile, which about 99% of the things I work on. I almost never go to the parts store for my DD because I plan ahead and order online. And it's only legally supposed to be IN THE CAR, so a lot of people keep it there, and if you need parts for it, chances are you're not driving it to the parts store.

Is that the wwaaaaahhhhmmmbulance I hear?

Some of you are worse than a sewing circle.
May 26, 2011 8:46 a.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

What is even more awesome is having the VIN and it still not helping to locate the part.

I have an '04.5 Chevy 2500HD Duramax. I had an idler pulley seize and shred the belt... so... I know this is a changeover year and have VIN, old pulley and shedded belt in hand when I get to NAPA. Guy first does the "Year make and model, which engine... ", followed by the VIN... goes and comes back with a pulley that in no way resembles the part sitting on the counter and a belt easily 2 ft shorter. I point out that, obviously, there something amiss and he suggests that I gave him the wrong info. I point out that the VIN is pretty berkeleying specific. The owner comes by to investigate the rising agitation level in the counter guy... looks at the pulley and says "He has the bigger alternator - " walks in the back and comes out with the right stuff. Never even glanced at the computer.

I asked him how he knew because it will save both of us a hassle next time I need something and he just shrugged and said "Sometimes you just have to know".

Great. Thanks GM.
May 26, 2011 8:56 a.m. Javelin SuperDork

z31maniac wrote:

16vCorey wrote:

z31maniac wrote:

Yup, that super pesky, incredibly difficult VIN # is right on your person at all times. At least legally its supposed to be.

Unless you're working on someone else's car or a frankenmobile, which about 99% of the things I work on. I almost never go to the parts store for my DD because I plan ahead and order online. And it's only legally supposed to be IN THE CAR, so a lot of people keep it there, and if you need parts for it, chances are you're not driving it to the parts store.

Is that the wwaaaaahhhhmmmbulance I hear?

Some of you are worse than a sewing circle.

Yeah, cause the VIN is really going to help me get new pushrods for the LS1 in my RX-7.
May 26, 2011 9:26 a.m. 16vCorey SuperDork

z31maniac wrote:

16vCorey wrote:

z31maniac wrote:

Yup, that super pesky, incredibly difficult VIN # is right on your person at all times. At least legally its supposed to be.

Unless you're working on someone else's car or a frankenmobile, which about 99% of the things I work on. I almost never go to the parts store for my DD because I plan ahead and order online. And it's only legally supposed to be IN THE CAR, so a lot of people keep it there, and if you need parts for it, chances are you're not driving it to the parts store.

Is that the wwaaaaahhhhmmmbulance I hear?

Some of you are worse than a sewing circle.

I'm not whining about it, I'm just saying that you're condescending post doesn't really work in the real world. I work at a parts store and sell parts, and I understand how helpful a VIN can be, but I still think it's stupid that some parts catalogs make it mandatory. I never would have imagined that anyone would be so pro-VIN that they'd resort to being a dick about it.
May 26, 2011 9:40 a.m. Ian F SuperDork

AndreGT6 wrote:

It was torture trying to get belts for the race car after I swapped sides for the alt.

The service deck jockeys look offended when I asked them to go in the back and look at the stock for something that was x " long.

I miss the good old days.

BTDT when I was trying to cobble together the NLA formed hoses for the '79 Spitfire's Z-S w/ water choke as well as for the alternator after doing a GM 7127 conversion. Fortunately, I found a local Advance that didn't mind giving me free reign to spend an hour mixing and matching hoses until I was able to get some to work. Of course, the whole effort went into the parts box after a dual HS-2 conversion.

Sometimes the VIN is required. IIRC, BMW parts look-up softwhere won't let the operator "Pass Go" without it. RealOEM has a VIN input option although it fortunately, lets you browse by model and build month.
May 26, 2011 9:43 a.m. 92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork

Bobzilla wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

There's an import-only parts store on the north side of the city here.

I can walk in and say "I need such and such belt and gasket for my 1990 MX6."

Dude won't even go to a computer, book, nothing. He goes in the back, and gets my parts. He doesn't ask for trim level, turbo or non, manual or auto, or what color underpants i'm wearing. He knows the belts and gaskets are the same through all model years of 1g MX6s, and he knows where the parts are in the back.

I love that place! (Usually cheaper than rockauto, too!)

That same guy I had to spend 15 minutes trying to find NGK plug wires for the Swift. So yeah, he knows his 1g MX5s, but he doesn't know swifts.... or Hyundais.

The one down the street from Dave?

Bummer dude. He's been good with the EGT, MX6, and Celica so far.

Everyone else wanted to know if my MX6 had A/C or not, when i was looking for an alternator belt. And then when i told them "No," they didn't have the belt.
May 26, 2011 4:00 p.m. wbjones SuperDork

z31maniac wrote:

I quit reading, but guys just for the record, the VIN to your vehicle should be sitting right in your back pocket (or wherever you keep your wallett/insurance card verification).

Yup, that super pesky, incredibly difficult VIN # is right on your person at all times. At least legally its supposed to be.

But this is why I order all BMW parts from blunttech, who has built E30s/E24s/2002s etc. Yes, I have to plan my maintenance, but my E30s have always been 2nd cars.

only if you carry your registration card around with you.... in 46 yrs of driving I've never had my insurance / registration card on me ... except when in line at the DMV for a new license

they all are in the glove box of each of the cars I own

some of the people on this forum would have to start carrying a purse (murse ?) they own so many vehicles
May 26, 2011 4:02 p.m. Bobzilla Dork

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

Bobzilla wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

There's an import-only parts store on the north side of the city here.

I can walk in and say "I need such and such belt and gasket for my 1990 MX6."

Dude won't even go to a computer, book, nothing. He goes in the back, and gets my parts. He doesn't ask for trim level, turbo or non, manual or auto, or what color underpants i'm wearing. He knows the belts and gaskets are the same through all model years of 1g MX6s, and he knows where the parts are in the back.

I love that place! (Usually cheaper than rockauto, too!)

That same guy I had to spend 15 minutes trying to find NGK plug wires for the Swift. So yeah, he knows his 1g MX5s, but he doesn't know swifts.... or Hyundais.

The one down the street from Dave?

Bummer dude. He's been good with the EGT, MX6, and Celica so far.

Everyone else wanted to know if my MX6 had A/C or not, when i was looking for an alternator belt. And then when i told them "No," they didn't have the belt.

i'VE BEEN dealing with them for 10 years now. They're good guys.... but they are just like the rest of us. They each have a "specialty" they know well and struggle with the rest. It's called "normal".
May 26, 2011 4:06 p.m. 92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork

Bobzilla wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

Bobzilla wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

There's an import-only parts store on the north side of the city here.

I can walk in and say "I need such and such belt and gasket for my 1990 MX6."

Dude won't even go to a computer, book, nothing. He goes in the back, and gets my parts. He doesn't ask for trim level, turbo or non, manual or auto, or what color underpants i'm wearing. He knows the belts and gaskets are the same through all model years of 1g MX6s, and he knows where the parts are in the back.

I love that place! (Usually cheaper than rockauto, too!)

That same guy I had to spend 15 minutes trying to find NGK plug wires for the Swift. So yeah, he knows his 1g MX5s, but he doesn't know swifts.... or Hyundais.

The one down the street from Dave?

Bummer dude. He's been good with the EGT, MX6, and Celica so far.

Everyone else wanted to know if my MX6 had A/C or not, when i was looking for an alternator belt. And then when i told them "No," they didn't have the belt.

i'VE BEEN dealing with them for 10 years now. They're good guys.... but they are just like the rest of us. They each have a "specialty" they know well and struggle with the rest. It's called "normal".

YOU STAY AWAY FROM MY SUPER-SECRET PARTS STORE, YOU HEAR ME?!?!?!?!?
May 26, 2011 4:08 p.m. keethrax HalfDork

wbjones wrote:

z31maniac wrote:

I quit reading, but guys just for the record, the VIN to your vehicle should be sitting right in your back pocket (or wherever you keep your wallett/insurance card verification).

Yup, that super pesky, incredibly difficult VIN # is right on your person at all times. At least legally its supposed to be.

But this is why I order all BMW parts from blunttech, who has built E30s/E24s/2002s etc. Yes, I have to plan my maintenance, but my E30s have always been 2nd cars.

only if you carry your registration card around with you.... in 46 yrs of driving I've never had my insurance / registration card on me ... except when in line at the DMV for a new license

they all are in the glove box of each of the cars I own

some of the people on this forum would have to start carrying a purse (murse ?) they own so many vehicles

Exactly. Why the Hell would those all be on my person instead of with the car they apply to? I have several cars to choose from, and on top of that I may not be the one driving it.

Keeping that sort of thing in a wallet unless maybe you have one car and are single seems a bit silly. We've got four cars (+ a bike) IN addition to myself and my wife, there are at least 2-3 others who could reasonably be expected to be driving one of them somewhat regularly. So I should have 4-5 sets of insurance/registration cards for each car so they can be kept in wallets? And should myself be carrying around 4 sets (one for each car)?

And if it's with the car it applies to, and that car is in pieces in the garage, then I won't have it just outside the door of the store either.
May 27, 2011 7:45 a.m. miatame HalfDork

failboat wrote: Also recently I was at a mazda dealership cross referencing some parts for my 98 MPV. I had the part # I wanted to check, and upon request provided my VIN. I was told the vin # I provided was missing a digit (17 digits, they claimed there should be 18). I guess all the vin markings all over the van must be wrong then.

I was at a Mazda dealership looking up parts for my '99 Miata. Some how we got talking about when they redesigned the body and the poor guy behind the counter was positive that there was a 1998 Miata sold in the US. "LOOK it is right hear on my computer!". Another example of where computers can lead us astray.
May 27, 2011 8:25 a.m. White_and_Nerdy Reader

A friend of mine has a 2001 Audi S4. She hit a block of ice, shattered the bumper, punctured an intercooler. She needed the VIN to find the correct replacement due to several mid-year changes to the plumbing (yes, more than one in the same model year!) Fortunately her brother worked at an Audi dealer and made absolutely sure she got the right one.

Computers can be wrong, though that helped me once. I went to a junkyard looking for a pair of front struts for a 96 Saturn SL2. Their computer said there was one part for 91-95, and a different one for 96+. I knew for a fact they were the same for all S series cars, but because of their computer they wouldn't go pull the part for me. But they did let me go pull it myself. I found a nice pair of KYB GR2s amongst the OEM selections, and scored them at the original quoted price.

And sometimes you just have to fool them. I was looking for a second set of wheels for my 87 MR2, and knew Mazda or Escort wheels were the identical size. Unfortunately the first places I went refused to sell me anything other than what originally came with the car, which isn't exactly still in stock. So the final place I went, I told them they were for a 1995 Mercury Tracer - a car I actually owned once. They hooked me up, and they fit the MR2 perfectly like I knew they would.
May 27, 2011 8:49 a.m. z31maniac SuperDork

insert fishhook.jpg
May 27, 2011 8:51 a.m. z31maniac SuperDork

keethrax wrote: Exactly. Why the Hell would those all be on my person instead of with the car they apply to?

That's like me saying why the hell wouldn't you carry it on you at all times?

And why do I?

For times when I get asked for my VIN. I thought this ENTIRE thread kind of beared out that entire point.
May 27, 2011 9:58 a.m. DuctTape&Bondo Reader

wbjones wrote: only if you carry your registration card around with you.... in 46 yrs of driving I've never had my insurance / registration card on me ... except when in line at the DMV for a new license

they all are in the glove box of each of the cars I own

some of the people on this forum would have to start carrying a purse (murse ?) they own so many vehicles

It's not a purse, it's a satchel. Indiana Jones had one.

I've never carried or memorized any vin and I only had 1 car at a time up until recently.
May 27, 2011 10:54 a.m. EvanB SuperDork

If you know you will be buying parts for a vehicle you own the easiest way to do it would be to write down the VINs for your vehicles on a card or piece of paper and stick it in your wallet. That way if you need it you can access it quickly and you can keep the registration/insurance card in the vehicle.
June 2, 2011 1:58 a.m. iadr New Reader

Yep. If you phone me at work it depends on work load and mood to see if I'll humour you looking up parts without VIN. Hyundai's Microcat makes you start over when you do put in a VIN... So, say you went through a half dozen to a dozen menus looking for something, there is no shortcut back when you do put the VIN in. Much easier to start with a VIN. Same software as Ford.

Doesn't need the whole VIN, most don't

Hyundai- last 8 digits Ford last 8 digits Chrysler last 9 digits M-Benz I think was last 6 or 8, but had to be looked up in separate software.

Some like Acura & Mazda need the whole thing. A thick accent or a bad cell phone and it's 50% of the conversation to get it right. A right PITA. When I order Jobber parts I usually look it up on two jober parts look up suites (Rockauto and a local one) I make a call, so I can advisethe local guys what is most likely to work. Brakes on Escapes, Caravans and f150's are nightmares.

Put it another way, our dealer flat rate techs are over $2/minute, and its not unusual to have 4 waiting for parts. That's $16 for every two minutes of my time.

If you phone me I feel under no obligation to humour your not having a VIN. How would you like it if your wife/MIL/BIL was paying shop rate for repairs on their car and your call about your project held up the repairs?

Call back when it's slow? dream on. There is no slow period. If there is even one slow period, once, someone gets laid off. Reading some of you, I just shake my head. Must be nice living in the 60's and 70's technological and business climate.

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