Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Diesel Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 02-07-2007, 03:42 PM
pizzachef's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Cumberland, PA
Posts: 833
Euro Owners! Where's your VIN?

My wagon has a plate under the hood near the latch, so you can bend over and look right at it with the bonnet up. It has what I guess is a VIN number, and some vehicle weights and allowable loads. It has NO manufacture date, however. So I don't really know what year model this is...just what the registration tells me.

I'm asking because the insurance adjuster is trying to figure out a value and the VIN won't decode in his computer...it tells him its a 2001 model something else. So I'm going to fax him what papers I have on the car...EPA inspection papers and a few other things...but I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem? Is there another secret place that has the VIN and the manufacture date? Or a secret way to decode a euro VIN?

If not, I'm not really concerned yet...its all on the adjuster for now. Only if he comes back with a stupid value will I get upset and involved.
Thanks,
-Geoff

__________________
1985 300TD-euro 352,000 mi
1974 240D (1?)52,000 mi - has a new home now
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 02-07-2007, 04:10 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: London, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 543
My Euro 500 SEC, has the vin under the hood, there is also a vin on the firewall passengeside, There should be an import sticker on the door panel with year of manufacture, alteast there was with mine.
__________________
1984 Euro 300SDC, (4spd standard)
1986 Toyota Landcruiser Diesel HJ60 5spd X2

Gone but not forgotten (some sold, some stripped)
1983 300 SD, 1985 300 SD, 1983 240D, 1986 300 SDL, 1985 300 SDL, 1983 300 D, 1984 300 D, 1985 300SD, 1987 300 SDL, 1983 300 SD, 1985 300 TD Euro, 1983 380SEC, 1990 300 D, 1987 300D, 1982 300D, 1982 300D, 1994 E420, 1987 300 TD, 1987 300 D, 1984 300 D
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 02-07-2007, 04:11 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: London, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 543
Also run your vin with the russian site.
http://www.mbclub.ru/mb/vin/?lng=eng
__________________
1984 Euro 300SDC, (4spd standard)
1986 Toyota Landcruiser Diesel HJ60 5spd X2

Gone but not forgotten (some sold, some stripped)
1983 300 SD, 1985 300 SD, 1983 240D, 1986 300 SDL, 1985 300 SDL, 1983 300 D, 1984 300 D, 1985 300SD, 1987 300 SDL, 1983 300 SD, 1985 300 TD Euro, 1983 380SEC, 1990 300 D, 1987 300D, 1982 300D, 1982 300D, 1994 E420, 1987 300 TD, 1987 300 D, 1984 300 D
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 02-07-2007, 04:12 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Clifton Park, NY
Posts: 3
Vin Numbers for Euros

I have a 1984 500 SEC that was a grey market car. It came in through Long Island. These cars had made up vins. Mine has a plate riveted to the windshield post with a number embossed into the metal plate. This number too does not come up in any US computers including Dept of Motor Vehicles. Luckily, New York cars all have titles and I received a new title when I bought the car that says it is a 1984. That is sufficient for all of the things that I have had to do with the car. I would think your registration would do the same if you don't have a title.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 02-07-2007, 04:23 PM
stcbenz83's Avatar
Mercedes Euro 240D
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 1,056
don,
i had the same problem with my euro. that is within the computer system. MBUSA had to call over to Germany to have them transfer over my cars data to the us. I have no vin plate by the windshield on my euro. however i do on my US version 300D T. I dont know about made up vins though. I know many comp systems in the US do NOT have the Euro vins in them. if you are having problem, you should probably contact MBUSA and have them send your VIN number over to the US data base
__________________
1983 Euro 240D 277K
2016 Mazda 6
Coming Soon, 2013 Mercedes E350 Bluetec
Formers:
2012- Mazda 3
2007 Outlander- complete pile
1995 E300 Diesel 208K
2007 VW Passat 2.0T 63K SOLD
2003 Jaguar X-type 3.0 Sport Sold 04/11 w/88K
2009 Lexus RX350 9061 miles. Sold 04/09
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS:Totaled Sept.,09 @ 24,000
2003 Infiniti I35 58K Sold
1984 300 turbo diesel 222K
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 02-07-2007, 04:31 PM
winmutt's Avatar
85 300D 4spd+tow+h4
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Atl Gawga
Posts: 9,346
They are not " made up vins " the are the serial numbers for the car BEFORE VIN was adopted as a std. Europe did not adopt the standard until much later. Mine has home made plated on door pillar and on drivers speaker grill. If they dont start with WDB they will not work in any "system". WDB is a VIN, 123xxxxxx is a serial. Also yours may be a CKD car or some such.
__________________
http://superturbodiesel.com/images/sig.04.10.jpg
1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 02-07-2007, 05:02 PM
pizzachef's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Cumberland, PA
Posts: 833
Wow, the Russian club website had all the right info, except for some little things like the radio and power antenna and rear power windows. But it had the color right. I hope the adjuster/appraiser/whatever can use it.
Thanks for the tip.
__________________
1985 300TD-euro 352,000 mi
1974 240D (1?)52,000 mi - has a new home now
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 02-07-2007, 05:48 PM
Moderator
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Woolwich, Maine
Posts: 3,598
European models of the vintage of your car were issued a VIN by the factory that conveyed purely the information the factory wanted. The US began to require additional data in VINs and a added some extra digits, I believe. I have a manual with the translation code in it from MB. I needed this information when my son was hit from behind in my 1986 190E 2.3-16 and the insurance company wanted to value it as a regular 190, and total it for a couple of bucks.

Grey market cars do not have "made up" VINs. They are the European ones and have to match the bill of sale that came with the car. Once the car is imported and accepted, one of the changes is there must be a name plate riveted to the driver's door post, with the name of the importer of record, and the VIN. There must also be a tag with the VIN engraved or punched in it that is attached to the front, driver's side "A" pillar that is visible and legible from outside the car. Often these were merely jammed into the crevice between the trim and the windshield and would fall out, but you should be able to find it unless it slipped into the vent and went down inside the heating system. I doubt very much there never was one, as it is a common check point at registrations.

Anyway, you should be able to have your local MB dealer "decode" this for you to pass along to the insurance company if you need it. Good luck, Jim
__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 02-07-2007, 10:39 PM
ForcedInduction
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
The euros I see in the junkyards often have a tag riveted in the front of the engine bay to the right of the radiator.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 03-12-2007, 12:17 PM
Parshman15's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 47
I know all about the up and up because I have a euro car. The badge on the left hand side of the dash is a substitute vin plate for us standard, its not made up its the real vin. The vin should be located in the door jam of the driver side and also under the hood near the radiator. It will not come up in US because its not a US vin you will have to contact germany to get more information about the car. You will have to supply them with proof of ownership of the car. The russian decoder works quite well for a german based car. Any other questions feel free to ask me.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 03-12-2007, 12:23 PM
Hit Man X's Avatar
I LOVE BRUNETTES
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: FUNKYTOWN
Posts: 9,087
Thumbs up

W126s have it in a few places. They also start with the chassis... WDB126...

Also, at times the driver door has the import sticker where and when it came to the US as well as who did the conversion.
__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.
[/IMG]
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 03-13-2007, 01:17 AM
pizzachef's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Cumberland, PA
Posts: 833
Well, PennDOT had a time trying to force their computer to accept the VIN. They require a tracing of the VIN. Since the plate screwed to the driver's side post has the number etched into it, I had to rub a crayon on a piece of paper on the plate under the hood. On that plate, the WDB is printed, not stamped, so that didn't show up in the tracing. The knuckleheads at the DMV decided the only way to register my car is to put in EXACTLY what shows up in the tracing, meaning the VIN on my title is 3 digits short. Idiots...
Well, I've got my license plate and I'm happy...oh and the insurance gave me 2600 bucks. I still felt a little insulted, but it more than covered the damage.
Thanks for the help from everyone,
-Geoff
__________________
1985 300TD-euro 352,000 mi
1974 240D (1?)52,000 mi - has a new home now
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 03-13-2007, 09:37 AM
Banned
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Varies
Posts: 4,802
Most of the ones that I have seen have a plate inside the door jam with the VIN and original owner's name on it.

BTW, I have access to a Euro 123 gasser parts car if anyone wants anything special from it I may be able to help.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 03-13-2007, 05:21 PM
Parrot of Doom's Avatar
1997 W210 E300TD 243,000
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 983
The VIN on mine is on the engine bay, but also stamped onto a plate on the passenger side (UK) of the dashboard, visible through the the windscreen.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 03-13-2007, 05:43 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 100
pizzachef,

Ha! that's funny (and interesting!)... I recently purchased a 1982 (?I think?!) euro 240td wagon, and upon running my VIN (VIN plate under hood by latch) at the insurance office here in Oregon, it also came up as a 2001. I had just bought the car and it had 300TD decals on the rear gate... the insurance company, although having trouble successfully finding it in their system, didn't seem to care much and just "bypassed" the incorrect VIN reading in their computer.

I should stop in one of these days and correct the profile as a 240TD rather than a 300TD.

Regards,
EM

Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:57 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page