VIN Decodes - All Information Filled In?

[ARS]

We are running into a lot of vehicles not having all of the information from the Vin filled in- ie. Transmission, Drive type, Brakes etc.
We have our parts catalogs ask us all of these questions- & we have to either go ask the guys or go figure it out ourselves.
This is very frustrating & time consuming when all of the information is there in the VIN. Some vehicles have all of this vehicle info. filled in & some have none of it. We would like it to be consistent, with all info. filled in for every vehicle.

Just wondering if we could get more of this info filled in so ordering parts would be quicker & easier.

Thanks, ARS

[timbre4]

In a perfect world, yes. Meanwhile we operate here.

While the VIN can answer many questions, it will never cover them all. Many think that transmission comes from the VIN code and it simply doesn't. That's on door plates, underhood stickers and such. The VIN Decode for Manager SE does do a good job of providing the available transmission and GVW ranges, that's the best it can do in that regard. The VIN can't answer how many amps the alternator is, what RPO codes or options apply to any given vehicle,
the list goes on and on. Then factor in that each parts provider insists their way of cataloging is best and the questions either ignore the VIN or are convoluted enough to bypass it all and ask you as if there was no VIN at all.

Having said that, we certainly accept any and all VIN SPECIFICS that can be researched and improved wherever possible,.

[Silky7]

This document is a little older now, but I think it might be helpful in this topic to help identify what is and isn't in a VIN http://www.mitchellsupport.com/ondemand5/VIN/VIN.pdf

[ricmorin]

We are running into a lot of vehicles not having all of the information from the Vin filled in- ie. Transmission, Drive type, Brakes etc.
We have our parts catalogs ask us all of these questions- & we have to either go ask the guys or go figure it out ourselves.
This is very frustrating & time consuming when all of the information is there in the VIN. Some vehicles have all of this vehicle info. filled in & some have none of it. We would like it to be consistent, with all info. filled in for every vehicle.

Just wondering if we could get more of this info filled in so ordering parts would be quicker & easier.

Thanks, ARS

We used to run into this, but not any more. Every first time vehicle gets a labor operation that instructs the tech to obtain and enter all info on the vehicle. Now it's always there.

[ARS]

I agree that the tech could fill all of this info in. As of right now I am checking them in. I am a Service Writer that has learned this job when i started here a couple years ago. I was a teacher before.. long story... Anyway-- I am learning as i go. But there are somethings that I still have to ask the tech to figure out just to order parts & this interrupts their flow.
Or we have to call our local dealer- the dealer is able to tell you all of this info just by telling them the VIN. My boss thinks that the VIN does actually give more info than what Mitchell fills in when we decode. Especially the Transmission, Brakes & Drive type.
We do have the techs give us the drive type on LOF's so we are trying....

Just wanting more...
Thanks
ARS

[ricmorin]

Don't we all?

Some shops have the SA do this job. In some ways I think that may be better.

According to Murphy's Law, no matter how much data you record, the dealer will almost always ask you for something you don't know. Drives us crazy too.

One trick I picked up using ProDemand: Often there will be multiple choices with transmissions. Sometimes 6 different automatics. When this occurs, I'll go into ProDemand and try looking something up until the 'choice' window appears. Often when you answer the preceding questions, the correct transmission will be displayed. I'll then select that transmission when I go back to Manager.

[timbre4]

Have your boss find the transmission in this 2008 GM VIN decode chart.

https://service.gm.com/dealerworld/vinc ... 20r1.1.pdf

[liljoe]

The reason the dealers can give you all the info has nothing to do with the info that is "stored" in the VIN. It has to do with the data base of all the cars they built, when I call GM dealers and they want the last 8 of the VIN they will often times give me two choices of the first three or four digits to select the correct car. Then their system can pull up the "DNA" of that individual car.