Decoding the skoda vin code: equipment and location of the code

The VIN of the Skoda Octavia is what every owner needs to know.

What exactly is this VIN?

VIN is the vehicle identification number (if deciphered in English, you get Vehicle identification number). It is inherent in absolutely any vehicle that has 4 wheels in its arsenal and moves due to its own traction. So, what does this very number represent? The answer is simple: a 17-digit alphanumeric code that contains absolutely all the information about the car, starting with the year of manufacture and ending with the manufacturer.

The arrangement of numbers and letters in the code is formed from special standards ISO 3779-1983 or 3780. They determine which character will be responsible for this or that information. The standard also defines places for attaching plates with printed data: they can be located in places where the possibility of damage is completely excluded. For example, engineers have the right to place such a sign in the engine compartment on the interior divider and, accordingly, the engine compartment, as is most often the case.

VIN Skoda Octavia – what do the mysterious symbols hide?

It’s worth starting with the fact that it consists of three parts: WMI, VDS, VIS, and in none of them can you use the symbols Q, O, I because of their similarity to numbers. So, the first part retains the first three characters, which correspond to a specific car manufacturer. The second part reveals all the details about the model, including engine size and type, equipment, release date, etc. The third part is the simplest, but no less significant - it contains the unique serial number of the car; there is no other like it in nature.

The first three characters are the manufacturer's identifier.

In general, there are 7 official manufacturers of the Skoda Octavia, but, due to their location and market orientation, they can be divided into three “camps”. The first and richest in factories is the Czech one. There are four Skoda factories represented here, and they are designated as TMB, TMP, TMS, TML. The largest enterprise is considered to be under the code TMP - Skoda Ostrov, since it is here that the largest number of new Skodas are produced in Europe.

The second of the “camps” is CIS-oriented production. Two large enterprises are represented here: Azia Avto (XWW), Volkswagen Group Rus (XW8). For each of them, the production of Octavia is not profiling. For example, Lada, Kia, Hyundai cars are produced at the facilities of the Kazakh giant, and some models of the VAG concern are produced in the Kaluga workshops.

The third option is the American representative office of Skoda, hidden under code 1A9 - AAI/ACL Technology. Each of the presented plants is focused on a specific sales territory, but it also happens that an assembly kit manufactured in Kazakhstan can be sent for assembly to Europe, or The American set will arrive in Poland.

The fourth character is the body type and equipment.

Due to the fact that there are two body types of the Octavia A5 on the market (sedan and station wagon), the equipment codes for each of them are written with different symbols. Thus, the L&K sedan version is designated by the letter A, while for the station wagon this version will be encrypted by the letter F. This system is relevant for all Octavia trim levels. The letters B, G mean Elegance, C and H - Ambiente, D and J - Classic, E and U - RS, and the all-terrain version is only K.

The A7 generation is characterized by a slightly different encoding. Due to the fact that it was decided not to allocate a separate symbol for the configuration, there are only six options left. Each of them corresponds to the body type. The sedan took A and B, the station wagon – J and K, and the all-wheel drive version – L and M.

Latest requested decryption of skoda VIN codes:

Engine designations - when almost the entire alphabet is used.

Thanks to the huge number of different technologies, volume options, and the presence of turbines, almost all characters of the Latin alphabet were used to identify the engine. In addition, these markings are also different for Octavia A5 and A7. They can be divided by power, technology, torque, or simply in alphabetical order. Sorting them by volume is the most rational option.

So, the smallest engine, with a volume of 1.2 liters, is hidden under the letter M. It is developed using TSI technology, and its output, thanks to the turbine, is 105 horsepower.

The second position in terms of volume was occupied by 1.4-liter engines. Under the letters C and X there is an MPI unit. It occupies two symbols only for the reason that there are two options for its return: for 75 and 80 forces. J was busy with a TSI installation with a turbine, its output already exceeds the 125 horsepower mark.

The most popular volume of 1.6 liters took three positions at once, just like the previous one. The first, under the letter A, is a 102-horsepower MPI, devoid of a turbocharger. Hidden behind the letter B is an FSI unit that already produces 115 power. The most interesting of the engines was coded with the letter T - the first of the diesel options for the Octavia A5 with an output of 105 hp.

There is only one 1.8-liter engine and it is designated in the code by the letter K. It is manufactured using TSI technology, thanks to which the output is 156 horsepower. The same lonely 1.9-liter diesel engine is encrypted under S. Its performance is comparable to the gasoline 1.2-liter TSI.

Two-liter power plants turned out to be the most popular. Due to the abundance of power options, they took up five characters in the association table at once, and three of them are diesel. So, the first and weakest is the TDI with 110 horses. It may be hidden under the letter N.

The second is a slightly more powerful diesel engine with a 140 hp turbine. can be designated by the letter E. Hidden under the H is the most powerful of the diesel engines - a turbocharged 170-horsepower version. Gasoline “colleagues” with identical volumes took D and F, and they differ only in the presence of a turbine and power. In the first case, the engine is naturally aspirated, with a power of 150 horsepower, and in the second, it is turbocharged, with a return of 200 horsepower.

For the third generation Octavia, slightly fewer engines were presented, however, the range of units did not become scarce. 1.2-liter engines occupied A and B, only one 1.4-liter engine, under the letter C, two 1.6-liter engines, both diesel, hidden under the symbols F and G. The 1.8-liter engine is alone, its identifier is the letter D. There were two-liter engines again Most of all, they are designated E, J and K in the VIN number.

How to determine the equipment

You can find out the vehicle's equipment by VIN for free in three ways:

• manually;
• on free Internet services;
• using special programs.

There is no single worldwide database for automatically determining vehicle parameters, since each manufacturer combines the VIN code in accordance with its own regulations. Therefore, in order to get maximum information about the car’s configuration, it is worth studying several sources.

Manually

A very labor-intensive method. You can determine the equipment by accessing reference materials from the manufacturer of a specific machine. Most of the text will have to be translated from English.

Internet services

Most online resources provide only the most general data for free. To find out more details, you will have to pay 200 rubles or more. All services provide information after entering the code in the appropriate field.

Vinformer.su is the most extensive site for checking VIN numbers. The following information about the vehicle is provided free of charge:

• model;
• model code;
• car brand;
• body type;
• date of manufacture;
• transmission type;
• manufacturer and production data.

Without registration, the service allows you to decrypt three VIN numbers per day.

Auto-japanese.com and japancats.ru are services that contain equipment for Japanese cars. In addition to standard facts, information about the location of the steering wheel, the color of the car, and interior trim is also provided, which will help to identify the discrepancy between the purchased car and its code in case of fraud.

Mercedes-catalog.by is a service for checking the wines of Mercedes cars.

The complete set of BMW cars can be found on the resource etkbmw.com.

Important information is provided by the official website of the traffic police. By breaking the code on it, you can find out about the car’s participation in accidents, the presence of restrictions and investigative actions related to it.

Special programs

The effectiveness of special software that allows you to decipher the VIN number is questionable. Equipment data may be displayed incorrectly; the databases are rarely updated. But to get a complete picture of the car you are buying, you can additionally use this information.

There are also various mobile applications that allow you to quickly get a decryption of the code near the machine. They still have many shortcomings and bugs. Subject to further improvement, there will be a steady demand for them.

Data on the configuration obtained by recognizing the VIN code should be sufficient when checking a vehicle purchased second-hand. If there is the slightest discrepancy between the car’s parameters and those indicated in the code, you should think about the car’s possible criminal history and refuse the deal.

The next item is the generation identifier.

As you know, there are three generations of Octavia: A4, also known as Tour, A5 and A6. So, each of them can also be indicated by separate symbols in the code. Usually this designation occupies 2 positions, but there are very rare instances in which it is designated by three symbols. So, the first generation is 1U, the second is 1Z and the third is NE. There is also a ninth position in the code - a checksum; it can only have one value: 1, which means the integrity of the car assembly kit.

The tenth position is the model year.

Everything here is much simpler than with other parameters. The model year for any car is determined once; for each of them there is a certain digital or alphabetic value in the VIN identifier, and it is specified in a special table of the ISO standard. The numbering in it starts from 1971, which, accordingly, will be designated by the number one in the VIN. And so on until the numbers run out.

When the numbers run out, the Latin alphabet comes into play. The principle of designating the year is the same as with numbers, but here, as the standard says, the letters I, O and Q were excluded from the alphabet. When the alphabet ends, numbers are used again. This can continue indefinitely until a more understandable and compact notation format is invented.

Position number 11 is the assembly line.

Since there are several more manufacturing plants, it was not possible to get away with seven values. Assembly lines, unlike manufacturing plants, can be divided into only 2 “camps”: European and CIS. European conveyors have taken an almost monopolistic position: their number, compared to CIS factories, is several times greater, so it’s worth starting with them.

The first of the European conveyors - a workshop in the city of Mlada Boleslav, located in the Czech Republic, will be designated on the plate with numbers from 0 to 4 or the letter N. The second Czech plant is located in Kvasiny, it is designated by five. The numbers 7 and 8 hide the conveyor belt of Vrchlabi, another Czech town.

The next workshop is again European, however, now it is a Polish assembly line, and it is located in the city of Poznan. On the sign it is usually denoted by the letter X. The last, largest conveyor is located in Russia, in the city of Kaluga. It is designated in the code by the letter K.

Positions 12 to 17 are occupied by one of the most important parts - the car’s serial number. It is from this that all the necessary investigative information is determined. It is these six digits that will be recorded in the future technical passport of the vehicle.

Decoding VIN code for Skoda Octavia

Symbols 1 to 3 indicate the manufacturer:

By VIN number you can also find out the equipment (including RS) and body type (4th position):

Skoda Octavia with index A5: Skoda Octavia with index A7: The symbol in the 5th position specifies the power unit and its power: Skoda Octavia A5: Skoda Octavia A7: The question of how to decipher the equipment will be partially answered by the 6th symbol, which specifies the presence passive safety systems, namely airbags: 0 - no airbags; 1 - driver's airbag only; 2 — frontal (front) airbags (2 pieces); 4 — two front and two side (4 pieces); 6 - frontal, side airbags, also curtains or airbags (6 pieces).

Positions 7–8 indicate the generation of the model: 1U - the first generation of Octavia with index A4 (bearing the name Tour); 1Z - the second generation of Octavia, index A5; NE - the latest generation of A7 at the moment.

The 9th character is a check digit (you can use it to check the accuracy of the rest of the information in the identification number).

The 10th character is the model year: At the 11th position in the vin designation, the manufacturer's code is indicated: 0...4, as well as N - year. Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic; 5 - Kvasiny, Czech Republic; 7...8 - Vrchlabí, Czech Republic; K - Kaluga, Russian Federation; X - Poznan, Republic of Poland.

Positions 12 to 17 inform about the production number of the vehicle.

So we have revealed all the subtleties in decoding the VIN code of the Skoda Octavia family car, popular in Russia, and looked at what information these 17 characters conceal. With this I will say goodbye. See you on the pages of the next articles!