• If you currently own, previously owned or want to own an Avalanche, we welcome you to become a member today. Membership is FREE, register now!

Deciphering Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

R

RADMAN

Full Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2003
Messages
101
Location
Heidelberg, Ontario, Canada
I hoping that some body can help me with deciphering the VIN ???the only info I could find is that the 8th character is the engine size. I was trying to find the manufacture date of my AV. I remember in 1 of my Silverado?s :B:Owner manuals (2000,1998,1992) had a breakdown to reading the VIN, But I?ve had no luck :-[ on the net or in the manual. Any info would be great.

Thanks

 
I do not believe that the manufacturing date is embedded in the VIN. Just the model year, and a serial number withing the model line. While that information, along with the manufacturer's production records could be used to determine the date, it is not a simple thing to do.

Here is an easier way to tell the date of manufacture: http://www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com/cafcna/index.php?board=15;action=display;threadid=4231

-- SS
 
SS is correct, the vin number will not give you the build date. If you still want a break down of what the numbers and letters in your vin all mean email me your vin and I'll break it down for you.

 
Here is a link for an online VIN decoder. Enter your VIN in the box provided and click "Decode"... works for me.

http://www.analogx.com/contents/vinview.htm

Check out the rest of the web sites other programs... he has some very handy software.

 
omlifecrew said:
Decoded my Vin # now what do I do with the data? Does the serial number tell me more?
Click to expand...

what information are you looking for ? 
 
I don't know.  What information can you get from a VIN number other than the basic stuff like date and plant production. Boring!  I want to see what is compatible and what is not with my avalanche and I was told that was what a vin does.  Check your pm!
 
VIn is serial number of truck..

Give VIN to a dealership and run a build report and it will tell you everything that came on truck..

Or check your glovebox RPO label... for codes of things on your truck
 
Give this a try, their beta VIN decoder listed not only the usual build information but the entire list of installed RPO codes and what each one was. Says it works from 1980-2010

http://www.compnine.com/


 
VIN ROUGH DECODE OF LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS:

POS 1-3     WORLD MAKE IDENTIFER                             (CHEVY, GMC,BUICK, SAAB, SATURN, CADI, PONTIAC, ISUZU, HUMMER)
POS 4         GVWR/BRAKE SYSTEM                                   (A-M A IS THE LIGHTEST)
POS 5-6     LINE CHASSIS/SERIES                                   (K/1 MY AV 4X4 1500 {1/2 TON})
POS 7         BODY TYPE                                                        (0-9 2 IS SPORT UTILITY TRUCK = AVALANCHE CADI EXT H2HUT)
POS 8         ENGINE TYPE                                                   (A-Z & 1-0 MY AV IS T=LM7 5.3L V8 SFI SEQUENTIAL FUEL INJECTION)
POS 9         CHECK DIGIT                                                   ( MOST TIMES DESIGNATED AS AN X)
POS 10       MODEL YEAR                                                  ( AS OF 2001 THE POSITION IS A NUMBER 1-9 3=2003 A=2010 ALSO A = 1980 SO IT HAS RESET IN 2010)
POS 11       PLANT                                                               ( 3 FOR AVALANCHE IS SILAO MEXICO)
POS 12-17 PRODUCTION SEQUENCE NUMBER      ( PART OF THE VIN # THAT IDENTIFIES YOUR AV AGAINST ALL THE OTHERS MADE IN THE SAME PLANT WITH
                                                                                                   THE SAME SET-UP AS YOURS AS IT ROLLS OF THE PRODUCTION LINE)​

I used my 2003 Z71 Avalanche so I hope this helps.
 
Plug your VIN into the link I provided-here's what it spit out for the truck I'm working on:

Vehicle: P/UP C1500 EXT CAB STD BOX
Year: 1998
Build Date: 1997-10-17

Found 315,974 vehicles matching your year and model in our database.


RPO Description Matches Compare

UP0 RADIO AM/FM STEREO, SEEK/SCAN, AUTO REV MUSIC SEARCH CASS, CD, AUTO TONE, CLOCK, ETR. STEREO,AM/FM W/AUTO REV CASSETTE,CD,AUTO TONE(UP0)
153,124 
UQ3 SPEAKER SYSTEM,PERFORMANCE ENHANCED AUDIO ENHANCED SPKR SYS(UQ3)
200,550 
VB3 BUMPER,REAR STEP,INCLUDES IMPACT STRIP(CHROME) CHROME STEP BPR(VB3)
264,972 
VG3 STRIP,FRONT BUMPER IMPACT FRT BPR IMP STR(VG3)
289,660 
VK3 LICENSE PLATE,FRONT MOUNTING PACKAGE FRT LIC PLT MTG PKG(VK3)
293,002 
VP6 NOISE LEVEL CONTROL NOISE LVL CONT(VP6)
50,630 
VR4 TRAILER HITCH(WEIGHT DISTRIBUTING PLATFORM) EQLZR HITCH(VR4)
83,006 
VXS Unk. 308,332 
V22 GRILLE,RADIATOR(CHROME) CHROME GRL(V22)
307,340 
V73 VEHICLE STATEMENT - US/CANADA US/CANADA VEHICLE STATEMENT(V73)
309,146 
XFN Unk. 177,754 
X88 CONVERSION CHEVROLET CHEVROLET(X8:cool:
MARKET BRAND CHEVROLET CHEVROLET(X8:cool:(EXPORT)
227,158 
YD3 AXLE FRONT (BASE EQUIP) FOR SCHEDULING GVW PLATE FRT AXLE(YD3)
315,452 
YD6 SPRING,REAR(BASE EQUIPMENT) RR SPRING(YD6)
315,452 
YE9 CONVENIENCE PKG COMFORT & DECOR LEVEL #3 COMFORT & CONVENIENCE PKG #3(YE9)
248,764 
YFN Unk. 177,754 
ZFN TIRE SPARE SPARE TIRE(ZFN)
177,750 
ZQ3 DRIVER CONVENIENCE PACKAGE II(MERCHANDISING OPTION) DRVR CONVENIENCE PKG(ZQ3)
307,272 
ZY1 COLOR COMBINATION SOLID SOLID PAINT COMBO(ZY1)
270,188 
Z82 TRAILERING PACKAGE(SPECIAL)(REESE TYPE HITCH) PROVISION FOR HD TRAILER EQUIP(Z82)
83,006 
1SB PACKAGE-OPTION 02 (1SB)
178,088 
1SZ PACKAGE OPTION- (1SZ)
273,740 
13D TRIM COMBINATION CLOTH,LT GRAY (13D)
125,522 
13I INTERIOR TRIM,LT SMOKE GRAY (13I)
173,154 
6WW COMPONENT FRT LH COMPUTER SEL SUP (6WW) SUSP(6WW)
277,858 
7WW COMPONENT FRT RH COMPUTER SEL SUP (7WW) SUSP(7WW)
277,858 
74U EXTERIOR COLOR,PRIMARY (74U)
EXTERIOR COLOR,PRIMARY,VICTORY RED (74U)
26,730 
AG9 ADJUSTER,SEAT,6-WAY POWER 6-WAY PWR ST ADJR(AG9)
104,992 
AJ1 GLASS,DEEP TINT(REAR SIDE WINDOWS AND REAR DOOR WINDOW) DEEP TINTED GLS(AJ1)
233,128 
AM7 SEAT,REAR FOLDING RR FLDG ST(AM7)
314,652 
AU0 LOCK CONTROL,REMOTE ENTRY(KEYLESS ENTRY SYSTEM) REMOTE ENTRY LK CONT(AU0)
128,210 
AU3 LOCK,SIDE DOOR,ELECTRIC ELEC S/D LK(AU3)
258,852 
A20 WINDOW,REAR QUARTER VENT SWING OUT R/Q VENT SWING OUT WDO(A20)
315,452 
A31 WINDOW,ELECTRIC OPERATED,SIDE ELEC SI WDO(A31)
WINDOW,POWER OPERATED,ALL DOORS PWR WINDOWS(A31)
248,340 
A95 SEAT,FRONT BUCKET,DRIVER,PASSENGER,HIGH BACK RECLINING FRT HIGH BACK RECL BKT ST(A95)
101,610 
B32 COVERING,FLOOR MATS,FRONT AUXILIARY FRT AUX FLR MATS(B32)
275,728 
B33 COVERING,FLOOR MATS,REAR AUXILIARY RR AUX FLR MATS(B33)
272,532 
B85 ORNAMENTATION,EXTERIOR,BELT REVEAL MOLDING BELT RVL MLDG(B85)
288,800 
B96 ORNAMENTATION,EXTERIOR,WHEEL OPENING MOLDING(BRIGHT) WHL OPG MLDG(B96)
267,744 
C60 AIR CONDITIONER,FRONT,MANUAL CONTROLS A/C MAN CONT(C60)
314,496 
DD7 MIRROR,I/S,R/V,LT SENSITIVE,COMPASS I/S RR VIEW MIR(DD7)
58,614 
DK6 CONSOLE,ROOF RF CNSL(DK6)
101,562 
D48 MIRROR O/S LH & RH, REMOTE CONTROL, ELECTRIC, COLOR ELEC R/CON PAINTED O/S MIR(D4:cool:
248,098 
D55 CONSOLE,FRONT COMPARTMENT FLOOR F/CMPT FLR CNSL(D55)
101,562 
EVA TEST DVT, EVAP EMISSION REQUIREMENT EVAP EMISSIONS REQUIRED(EVA)
315,442 
E24 DOOR,HINGED SIDE REAR CARGO/SEAT ACCESS HGE CARGO/SEAT ACCESS DOOR(E24)
223,102 
E63 BODY EQUIPMENT,FLEETSIDE PICKUP BOX FLEETSIDE PUBX(E63)
293,934 
FE9 FEDERAL EMISSION CERTIFICATION FED EMIS(FE9)
275,610 
F51 ABSORBER,HEAVY DUTY SHOCK HVY DUTY S/ABS(F51)
101,838 
GU6 AXLE,REAR,3.42 RATIO 3.42R(GU6)
255,684 
G80 AXLE,REAR,POSITRACTION,LIMITED SLIP POSITRACTION L/SLIP R/AXL(G80)
91,886 
JB5 BRAKE SYSTEM,VACUUM POWER DISC,DRUM VACUUM PWR BRK SYS(JB5)
315,452 
KC4 COOLING SYSTEM,ENGINE OIL ENG OIL CLG(KC4)
83,778 
KNP COOLING SYSTEM,TRANSMISSION,HEAVY DUTY HVY DUTY TRANS CLG SYS(KNP)
105,498 
K34 CRUISE CONTROL,AUTOMATIC,ELECTRONIC CRCONT(K34)
307,272 
K60 GENERATOR,100 AMPERE 100 AMP(K60)
315,388 
L31 ENGINE,GAS,8 CYL,5.7L,CPI 5.7R(L31)
170,690 
M30 TRANSMISSION,AUTOMATIC 4 SPEED,4L60E,ELECTRONIC 4-SPD A/TRANS(M30)
306,284 
NA1 EMISSION SYSTEM,LESS THAN 8500 LB GVW EMIS SYS(UNDER 8500 LB GVW)(NA1)
EMISSION SYSTEM,LESS THAN 8500 LB GVW EMIS SYS(UNDER 8500 LB GVW)(NA1)
170,168 
NF2 EMISSION SYSTEM,FEDERAL,TIER 1 FED EMIS SYS(NF2)
285,490 
NP5 STEERING WHEEL,LEATHER WRAPPED LEATHER WRAPPED STRG WHL(NP5)
248,242 
NRQ EXHAUST,CLOSE COUPLED CLOSE COUPLED EXH(NRQ)
315,452 
N33 STEERING COLUMN,TILT TYPE TILT STRG COL(N33)
307,272 
N90 WHEEL,15X7(CAST ALUMINUM) AL WHL(N90)
217,008 
OSG PLANT CODE OSHAWA, ONT, TRUCK, GM OF CANADA OSHAWA,ONT TRUCK PLANT(OSG)
174,530 
Q4B GVW RATING 6200 LBS 6200 GVWR(Q4B)
315,452 
SLM Unk. 279,542
 
Darkhorse said:
Give this a try, their beta VIN decoder listed not only the usual build information but the entire list of installed RPO codes and what each one was. Says it works from 1980-2010

http://www.compnine.com/
Click to expand...

Looks like the link is working again... and if I did it right/its correct I have one of two Ayv's build in `05 and the  
GT5 AXLE,REAR,4.10 RATIO 4.10R
G80 AXLE,REAR,POSITRACTION,LIMITED SLIP POSITRACTION L/SLIP R/AXL   :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top