How to Decode a BMW VIN Online?
You need to know your car’s VIN if you own a BMW, like when you apply for auto insurance or register your vehicle. Also, when you sell your car or buy a BMW, you will undoubtedly require it. Therefore, you can decode BMW VIN to obtain a vehicle history report on a BMW you’re considering purchasing.
This article will give you details about how you can decode BMW VIN. But before that, let us see what you can find from VIN and where you can locate it on your BMW. This article will also focus on how VIN decoders like VinPit can help you get the most comprehensive of reports for any vehicle concerned.
The Basics of VIN
A vehicle identification number, or VIN, typically consists of 17 digits and alphabets, both capital and lowercase, and serves as your car’s unique identifier. In addition, the number reveals the date and location of the car’s manufacture. It also provides information on the manufacturer, the model, the year, the trim level, unique features, and technical details.
Tracking recalls registrations, warranty claims, thefts, and insurance coverage are possible with the help of your car’s VIN. Additionally, it can be used to obtain a vehicle history record for your car.
Where to Locate VIN on BMW?
Even before getting to the right VIN decoder, it is important to locate where your BMW’s VIN is. Like any other car, every BMW also has a 17-symbol VIN, which combines alphabetic and numeric characters. The best place to check for the VIN is on the driver’s side dashboard, close to the bottom of the windshield. In addition, the chassis region, the driver’s side front door jamb, and the inside frame may also have the BMW VIN. Other places where you can try looking on your BMW for VIN are the right fender, transmission housing, front seat frame, pillars at the front door, fuse box cover, and the surface of the front suspension cross member.
How to Decode a BMW VIN Online?
Of course, there are quicker methods for decoding a VIN than manually combing through the letters and numbers. Many VIN-decoding services are now available online, which is ideal if you need to find components or check your car’s history on the spot. These services allow you to get information about your automobile in a matter of seconds.
That is not the difficult part. But finding the right free VIN check platform that can provide the most comprehensive report is. We have analyzed several top patforms to check which could be the best VIN lookup tool to decode BMW VIN. We have found VinPit performing well almost every standard set by us.
They offer entirely accurate free VIN reports. Additionally, it is a trustworthy one-stop BMW VIN decoder that lets you quickly obtain vehicle history reports. Therefore, VinPit is the ideal location to go to if you want to make a wise buying or selling decision.
How to Use VinPit to Decode BMW VIN?
Now that we have solved one of your biggest questions, where to go to decode VIN when you wish to check the vehicle history report before buying a used BMW? Let us explore the second question now: how to use VinPit’s free VIN lookup tool to decode it and access all the necessary vehicle information.
Step 1: Obtaining the vehicle identification number is necessary to begin the process (VIN). We have already told you where you can get VIN on BMW.
Step 2: Visit the website’s homepage and use the toolbar on the top dashboard to use the “VIN Decoder.” After that, enter the VIN in that search box.
Step 3: Select “Start Search” after inputting the 17-character VIN, then wait until the decoder completes displaying all of the VIN’s details.
What a BMW VIN Indicates?
You must know how to read your car’s VIN if you prefer DIY repairs and spend a lot of time working on the engine. This will make it simple to locate the precise components for your car, allowing you to prolong the useful life of your vehicle. Moreover, it is still more important when buying a used BMW. Therefore, having proper knowledge about the car you consider purchasing is a must. You need to know the following details to decode these characters in BMW VIN:
Characters 1-3: Manufacturer Identifier
The World Manufacturer Identifier, or WMI, is used to describe the first three digits of the VIN. The first character identifies the country where the car was manufactured. You might find these helpful when you look at your BMW VIN next time: Africa is represented from A to H, Asia from J to R, Europe from S to Z, North America from 1 to 5, Australia and New Zealand from 6 and 7, and South America from 8 and 9.
You learn about the manufacturer from the second character. Sometimes, the name of the manufacturer’s first letter is used. For instance, B is for BMW. However, a B could also refer to any other manufacturer. The next digit makes this clear. The third digit identifies the manufacturing division of the vehicle when paired with the first two letters or numbers.
Characters 4-8: Vehicle Descriptor
The following five numbers, or “vehicle descriptors,” give detailed information about the car, such as the size of the engine, its safety features, and its body type. The fourth digit provides information about the model-specific features of the vehicle, such as supplementary safety data. The fifth, typically represented by a letter, denotes the precise series of a given model.
The sixth and seventh numerals indicate the car’s body style and types, such as convertible, saloon, or hatchback. Finally, the eighth digit, which typically consists of a letter, displays the size of the car’s engine. When purchasing spare parts for your BMW, this is useful as it guarantees that you can obtain a spare that matches the engine type.
Character 9: The Check Digit
The “check digit” is used to confirm the validity of the VIN code. The check number should line up with the remaining VIN digits using some complex math that we won’t go over here. Since it needs some complicated computation, it is challenging to determine whether a VIN is legitimate on your own. Still, an online VIN decoder like that of VinPit, which we will be discussing in the following sections, should be able to inform you.
Characters 10-17: Vehicle Identifier
The tenth digit, which may be a letter or a number depending on the age of the vehicle, displays the precise year of manufacture. This is useful if you wish to verify its legitimacy before purchasing. The 11th character indicates the plant where the car was manufactured.
The manufacturer’s designated manufacturing line number appears in the last six digits of the VIN code. Although you’re less likely to need this section of the VIN, it occasionally can help locate a part if certain modifications were made to a particular model at the time of production.
Conclusion
Knowing how to decode your car’s VIN is rewarding, as you can use that knowledge to purchase the necessary parts to keep it in top condition. It’s also a terrific method to find out more before you decide to buy a used car, such as its background. So, if you want to know about a BMW, get the VIN, switch on your device, connect to the internet and go to VinPit’s website to get the best and most comprehensive vehicle reports!