LAUNCH X-431IV English User’s Manual
50
7. Appendix 1: about
VIN
VIN is the abbreviation of Vehicle Identification
Numbers.
A car’s vehicle identification number (VIN) is the
identifying code for your SPECIFIC automobile.
It is your car's fingerprint.
It sets your vehicles apart from the millions of
vehicles out there. Recently the VIN is reflected
by 17 digit characters. It displays a car’s
uniqueness and manufacturer and provides a
method to trace your car from the factory to the
junkyard.
Each character or digit has a particular
purpose. They are as follows:
First vehicle identification number digit
identifies the country from which the vehicle
was manufactured. For example, U.S.A. (1
or 4), Canada (2), Mexico (3), Japan (J),
Korea (K), England (S), Germany (W), Italy
(Z).
Second vehicle identification number digit
specifies the manufacturer. Audi (A), BMW
(B), Buick (4), Cadillac (6), Chevrolet (1),
Chrysler (C), Dodge (B), Ford (F), GM
Canada (7), General Motors (G), Honda (H),
Jaguar (A), Lincoln (L), Mercedes Benz (D),
Mercury (M), Nissan (N), Oldsmobile (3),
Pontiac (2 or 5), Plymouth (P), Saturn (8),
Toyota (T), Volvo (V).
Third vehicle identification number digit
indicates the vehicle type or manufacturing
division.
Fourth through eighth vehicle identification
number digit reveals the vehicle features
such as body style, engine type, model,
series, etc.
The ninth vehicle identification number digit
is a VIN accuracy check digit, verifying the
previous VIN numbers. This is how the
check digit works:
♦
STEP 1
Assign to each number in the VIN its
actual mathematical value and assign to
each letter the value specified for it in the
following chart:
ASSIGNED VALUES:
A=1 G=7 P=7 X=7
B=2 H=8 R=9 Y=8
C=3 J=1 S=2 Z=9
D=4 K=2 T=3
E=5 M=3 U=4
F=6 N=4 V=5
♦
STEP 2
Multiply the assigned value for each
character in the VIN by the position
weight factor specified in the following
chart:
VIN POSITION AND WEIGHT FACTOR:
1st = 8 10th = 9
2nd = 7 11th = 8
3rd = 6 12th = 7
4th = 5 13th = 6
5th = 4 14th = 5
6th = 3 15th = 4
7th = 2 16th = 3
8th = 10 17th = 2
9th = check digit
♦
STEP 3
Add the products from steps 1 and 2 and
divide the total by 11.
♦
STEP 4
The numerical remainder is the check
digit, which would appear in the 9th
position in the VIN. If the remainder is 10,
then the letter "X" is used for the check
digit.
Tenth vehicle identification number digit
tells the model year. 1988 (J), 1989 (K),
1990 (L), 1991 (M), 1992 (N), 1993 (P),
1994 (R), 1995 (S), 1996 (T), 199 7(V),
1998 (W), 1999 (X), 2000 (Y)------2001(1),
2002 (2), 2003 (3), 2004 (4), 2005 (5), 2006
