When it comes to maintaining and repairing buses, one of the first steps is identifying the manufacturer of your vehicle. This crucial piece of information is often found in the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) code on a metal plate affixed to your bus. Here’s a guide on how to identify your bus manufacturer using the VIN code and why it’s essential for procuring the right bus spare parts.
What is a VIN Code?
A VIN code is a unique 17-character alphanumeric code that serves as your bus’s fingerprint. It contains vital information about the vehicle, including its manufacturer, model year, place of assembly, and more. The VIN code is usually located on a metal plate, which can be found in several places on your bus, including the dashboard, door jamb, engine block, and sometimes even under the driver’s seat.
Country codes
| A–H = Africa | J–R = Asia | S–Z = Europe | 1–5 = North America | 6–7 = Oceania | 8–9 = South America |
| AA-AH South Africa AJ-AN Ivory Coast AP-A0 not assigned BA-BE Angola BF-BK Kenya BL-BR Tanzania BS-B0 not assigned CA-CE Benin CF-CK Madagascar CL-CR Tunisia CS-C0 not assigned DA-DE Egypt DF-DK Morocco DL-DR Zambia DS-D0 not assigned EA-EE Ethiopia EF-EK Mozambique EL-E0 not assigned FA-FE Ghana FF-FK Nigeria FL-F0 not assigned GA-G0 not assigned HA-H0 not assigned | JA-J0 Japan KA-KE Sri Lanka KF-KK Israel KL-KR Korea (South) KS-K0 Kazakhstan LA-L0 China MA-ME India MF-MK Indonesia ML-MR Thailand MS-M0 not assigned NA-NE Iran NF-NK Pakistan NL-NR Turkey NS-N0 not assigned PA-PE Philippines PF-PK Singapore PL-PR Malaysia PS-P0 not assigned RA-RE United Arab Emirates RF-RK Taiwan RL-RR Vietnam RS-R0 Saudi Arabia | SA-SM United Kingdom SN-ST East Germany SU-SZ Poland S1-S4 Latvia S5-S0 not assigned TA-TH Switzerland TJ-TP Czech Republic TR-TV Hungary TW-T1 Portugal T2-T0 not assigned UA-UG not assigned UH-UM Denmark UN-UT Ireland UU-UZ Romania U1-U4 not assigned U5-U7 Slovakia U8-U0 not assigned VA-VE Austria VF-VR France VS-VW Spain VX-V2 Serbia V3-V5 Croatia V6-V0 Estonia WA-W0 West Germany XA-XE Bulgaria XF-XK Greece XL-XR Netherlands XS-XW USSR XX-X2 Luxembourg X3-X0 Russia YA-YE Belgium YF-YK Finland YL-YR Malta YS-YW Sweden YX-Y2 Norway Y3-Y5 Belarus Y6-Y0 Ukraine ZA-ZR Italy ZS-ZW not assigned ZX-Z2 Slovenia Z3-Z5 Lithuania Z6-Z0 not assigned | 1A-10 United States 2A-20 Canada 3A-37 Mexico 38-39 Cayman Islands 4A-40 United States 5A-50 United States | 6A-6W Australia 6X-60 not assigned 7A-7E New Zealand 7F-70 not assigned | 8A-8E Argentina 8F-8K Chile 8L-8R Ecuador 8S-8W Peru 8X-82 Venezuela 83-80 not assigned 9A-9E Brazil 9F-9K Colombia 9L-9R Paraguay 9S-9W Uruguay 9X-92 Trinidad & Tobago 93–99 Brazil 90 not assigned |
Identifying the Manufacturer
- Check the Plate: Locate the VIN plate on your bus. It’s often located on the driver’s side dashboard, visible through the windshield. If it’s not there, check other possible locations mentioned earlier.
- Read the VIN: The VIN code consists of 17 characters made up of letters and numbers. The manufacturer’s information is typically found in the first three characters, also known as the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI). This portion of the VIN uniquely identifies the manufacturer.
- Decode the WMI: To identify the manufacturer, you’ll need to decode the first three characters of the VIN. Many online VIN decoder tools are available, or you can refer to the manufacturer’s WMI codes, which are publicly available.
WMI for Chinese Bus Manufacturers
| Chinese Bus Manufacturers | VIN code(WMI) |
| YUTONG | LZY |
| BCI(FBC) | 6KT,WEB |
| BLK(BONLUCK/Jiangxi Kama bus) | LA9 or LTP |
| KINGLONG | LKL |
| GTK/Challanger(Zhuhai Guangtong) | L9G,LA9/KD3 |
| WISDOM | H0G |
| HIGER | LKL |
| MAN | WMA |
| ZHONGTONG | LDY |
| FONTON | LVA,LVB,LVC,LVD |
| FAW | LKD |
| ANKAI | LA8 |
| CHERY/WANDA | LWD |
| JAC | HIGER |
Why Identifying the Bus Manufacturer Matters for Spare Parts
- Compatibility: Different bus manufacturers use unique designs and specifications for their vehicles. Identifying the manufacturer ensures you source spare parts that are compatible with your bus model.
- Quality Assurance: Manufacturers have varying quality standards. By using parts from the same manufacturer, you can be more assured of the quality and reliability of the replacement components.
- Safety: Using the correct spare parts from the original manufacturer helps maintain the safety standards set for your bus. Safety should always be a top priority in the transportation industry.
- Warranty: If your bus is under warranty, using non-manufacturer-approved parts might void that warranty. Identifying the manufacturer allows you to adhere to warranty requirements.
- Efficiency: Getting the right parts the first time reduces downtime. This is critical for bus operators who rely on their vehicles for daily operations.
In conclusion, understanding how to identify your bus manufacturer through the VIN code is a fundamental step in ensuring the proper maintenance and repair of your bus. It’s not just about keeping your bus running; it’s about safety, efficiency, and reliability. When it comes to bus spare parts, accuracy matters, and knowing your bus manufacturer is the first step in ensuring you get it right.
