How can the answer be improved? The bottom number is your serial number. It is generally comprised of two or three letters followed by four numbers. However, there may be exceptions (3 letters with 3 numbers or 6 numbers for certified chronometers).
A vehicle identification number, or VIN, identifies your car. It’s made up of individual numbers and letters with special significance, and provides information about your vehicle. Each VIN is unique to the vehicle.
The bottom bracket (where serial numbers are typically located) is circled. A serial number on the underside of a bottom bracket. Another serial number beneath the bottom bracket, aligned parallel to the frame. Some Schwinn bicycles have the unique identifying number on their head tube (which is on the front of the bike). A serial number located on a rear drop out.
You may want to decode the VIN for a number of reasons. You may need to find a proper-fitting part according to your vehicle build, find the place of manufacture for importation, or you may want to verify a car’s build if you are looking to buy it.
Whether you need to find specific information or if you are just curious about your vehicle’s build, you can decode the VIN number for a wide array of information.
Part 1 of 4: Find the VIN on your car
Step 1: Find the VIN on your car. Search for the 17-digit string of numbers on your vehicle.
Common locations include:
- Dash of the car by the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side – more easily seen from the outside of the vehicle
- Sticker on the side of the door on the driver’s side
- On the engine block
- On the underside of the hood or on the fender – mostly seen on some newer vehicles
- Insurance cards
Step 2: Check your registration paperwork or your car title. If you can’t find the VIN in any of the above locations, you can look on your documents for the number.
Part 2 of 4: Use an online decoder
Step 1: Look up your VIN through the manufacturer. Visit your car’s manufacturer website and see if it offers a VIN lookup.
While not all manufacturers include this, some do.
Step 2: Use an online decoder. There are several free online services to help you decipher the numbers and their meanings.
To find one, enter a search for “online VIN decoder” and select a top result.
Some decoders provide basic information for free while others will require payment to give you a full report.
A popular choice is Vin Decoder, a free service that offers basic VIN decoding. For more detailed VIN decoding that provides installed and optional equipment, vehicle specs, color options, pricing, MPG, and other details, check out DataOne Software's complete vehicle data and VIN decoding business solution. Carfax and CarProof are paid vehicle history report sites that also provide a VIN decoder.
Part 3 of 4: Learn the meanings of the numbers
You can also learn how to read your VIN by understanding what each set of numbers means.
Step 1: Decode the meaning of the first number or letter. The first character in a VIN may be either a letter or number and tells you the geographic area of origin.
This is where the car was actually made, and it may be different from where the manufacturer is located.
- A – H means Africa
- J – R (except O and Q) means Asia
- S – Z means Europe
- 1 – 5 means North America
- 6 or 7 means New Zealand or Australia
- 8 or 9 is for South America
Step 2: Decode the second and third digits. This will tell you the manufacturer of the car.
Some examples include the following:
- 1 Chevrolet
- 4 Buick
- 6 Cadillac
- C Chrysler
- J Jeep
- T Toyota
The third digit is the exact division of the manufacturer.
For example, in VIN “1GNEK13ZX3R298984,” the “G” indicates a vehicle manufactured by General Motors.
A full list of manufacturer codes can be found here.
Step 3: Decode the vehicle descriptor section. The next five numbers, known as the vehicle descriptor section, tell you the brand of the car, the size of the engine and what type of vehicle it is.
Nic Serial Number Examples
Each manufacturer uses their own codes for these numbers and you must know what that is to find out what they mean.
Step 4: Decode the check digit. The ninth number is a check digit used to prove the VIN is not a fake.
The check digit uses a complex calculation so it cannot be easily faked.
In VIN “5XXGN4A70CG022862,” the check digit is “0”.
Step 5: Find out the year of manufacture. The tenth number indicates the year the car was made, or the year of manufacture.
It begins with A for 1980, the first year a standard 17-digit VIN was used. Subsequent years follow the alphabet of to “Y” in the year 2000.
In 2001, the year changes to the number “1”, and ascends to “9” In 2009.
In 2010, the alphabet starts again with the letter “A” for 2010 model years.
- In the same VIN example “5XXGN4A70CG022862,” the “C” indicates the vehicle was manufactured in 2012.
Step 6: Determine where exactly the car was manufactured. The eleventh digit tells which plant actually assembled the car.
This digit is specific to each manufacturer.
Step 7: Decode the remaining numbers. The rest of the numbers provide the production or serial number of the car and is what makes the VIN unique to that specific car.
To find out this manufacturer-specific information, you can check their website for a decoding sheet or ask a service repair shop if you can see one.
To learn more about VINs, beyond what each character encodes, check out 'VIN Decoding 101: Everything You Wanted to Know About VINs.'
Part 4 of 4: Enter the VIN online to find out vehicle history information
If you’re more interested in finding out specific information about the car rather than the details of the VIN, you can enter the number at various online sites.
Step 1: Go to CarFax and enter the VIN to find out the history of the vehicle.
This includes how many owners it has had and if the car has been in any accidents or had claims filed.
You’ll have to pay for this information, but it gives you a good idea if your VIN is fake or real as well.
Step 2: Visit your manufacturer’s website.
- Some companies provide VIN lookup on their sites to give you more information about your vehicle.
Read this article if you'd like to find out more about the differences between VIN decoder, VIN check, and vehicle history report services.
Whether you want to find out information about your vehicle’s build, recall information, or your vehicle’s previous history, you can find that information with little to no cost through online services.
The serial number, or serial date, is the number Excel uses to calculate dates and times entered into a worksheet. The serial number is calculated either manually or as a result of formulas involving date calculations. Excel reads the computer's system clock to keep track of the amount of time that has elapsed since the date system's start date.
Note: The information in this tutorial applies to Excel 2019, Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2010, Excel 2007, and Excel for Mac.
Two Possible Date Systems
By default, versions of Excel that run on Windows store the date as a value representing the number of full days since midnight January 1, 1900, plus the number of hours, minutes, and seconds for the current day.
Versions of Excel that run on Macintosh computers default to one of the following two date systems:
- Excel for Mac versions 2019, 2016, and 2011: The default date system is the 1900 date system which guarantees date compatibility with Excel for Windows.
- Excel 2008 and older versions: The default date system begins on January 1, 1904 and is referred to as the 1904 date system.
All versions of Excel support both date systems and it's possible to change from one system to the other.
Serial Number Examples
In the 1900 system, the serial number 1 represents January 1, 1900, 12:00:00 a.m. while the number 0 represents the fictitious date January 0, 1900.
In the 1904 system, the serial number 1 represents January 2, 1904, while the number 0 represents January 1, 1904, 12:00:00 a.m.
Serial Number Example For Canon Pixma
Times Stored as Decimals
Times in both systems are stored as decimal numbers between 0.0 and 0.99999, where:
- 0.0 is 00:00:00 (hours:minutes:seconds)
- 0.5 is 12:00:00 (12 p.m.)
- 0.99999 is 23:59:59
To show dates and times in the same cell in a worksheet, combine the integer and decimal portions of a number.
For example, in the 1900 system, 12 p.m. on January 1, 2016, is serial number 42370.5 because it is 42370 and one-half days (times are stored as fractions of a full day) after January 1, 1900. Similarly, in the 1904 system, the number 40908.5 represents 12 p.m. on January 1, 2016.
Serial Number Uses
Many projects that use Excel for data storage and calculations use dates and times in some way. For example:
- A long-term project that counts the number of days between current and past dates using the NETWORKDAYS function.
- A loan calculation that determines a future date using the EDATE function.
- Time sheets that calculate the elapsed time between start and end times, as well as hours, and overtime as necessary using formulas that add or subtract dates and times.
- Time stamping a worksheet with the current date and time with keyboard shortcuts that read the current serial number.
- Updating the displayed date and time whenever a worksheet is opened or recalculated with the NOW and TODAY functions.
Only one date system can be used per workbook. If the date system for a workbook that contains dates is changed, those dates shift by four years and one day due to the time difference between the two date systems.
Change the Default Date System
To set the date system for a workbook in Excel running on a Windows PC:
Open the workbook to be changed.
Select File. Except in Excel 2007, where you select the Office button.
Select Options to open the Excel Options dialog box.
Select Advancedin the left-hand panel of the dialog box.
In the When calculating this workbook section, select or clear the Use 1904 date system check box.
Select OK to close the dialog box and return to the workbook.
Liftmaster 8355w Serial Number Examples
To set the date system for a workbook in Excel for Mac:
Open the workbook to be changed.
Select the Excelmenu.
Select Preferences to open the Excel Preferences dialog box.
In the Formulas and List section, select Calculation.
In the When Calculating Workbooks section, select or clear the Use 1904 date system check box.
Why Two Date Systems?
PC versions of Excel (Windows and DOS operating systems) initially used the 1900 date system for the sake of compatibility with Lotus 1-2-3, the most popular spreadsheet program at the time.
Serial Number Examples
The problem is that when Lotus 1-2-3was created, the year 1900 was programmed in as a leap year when in fact it was not. As a result, additional programming steps were needed to correct the error. Current versions of Excel keep the 1900 date system for the sake of compatibility with worksheets created in previous versions of the program.
Iphone Serial Number Examples
Since there was no Macintosh version of Lotus 1-2-3, initial versions of Excel for Macintosh did not need to be concerned with compatibility issues. The 1904 date system was chosen to avoid the programming problems related to the 1900 non-leap-year issue.
What Does Serial Number Mean
On the other hand, it did create a compatibility issue between worksheets created in Excel for Windowsand Excel for the Mac. This is why all new versions of Excel use the 1900 date system.