What is this number? Why do all the car tech people always ask for it? What is the big deal about this?
VIN is an acronym for Vehicle Identification Number, also known as the serial number or chassis number of your vehicle. It is a 17 digit alpha-numeric string. This number basically provides the DNA of your vehicle and tells anyone associated with working on your vehicle what year, make, model it is and all of the features it has built into it. It is the most critical number that is needed in order to find the exact parts needed for the vehicle and, in many cases, the exact service & repair procedures needed.
WITHOUT KNOWING THIS NUMBER IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO PROVIDE ANY SORT OF ACCURATE ESTIMATE ! !
How do you find this number? It is in lots of common places and you can find it on your car’s paperwork & on the vehicle itself. Here are some examples and please excuse the amatuer arrow drawings done to point out the number. Unless this is your car the number will be different than the one shown and may start with a number or a letter but will always be 17 digits long ( unless your car was made in the Seventies ).