BMW 3 Series (E46) Service Manual: 1999-2005

BMW 3 Series (E46) Vehicle Identification and VIN Decoder

Some of the information in this manual applies only to cars of a particular model year or range of years. For example, 1999 refers to the 1999 model year but does not necessarily match the calendar year in which the car was manufactured or sold. To be sure of the model year of a particular car, check the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the car.

The VIN is a unique sequence of 17 characters assigned by BMW to identify each individual car. When decoded, the VIN tells the country and year of manufacture; make, model and serial number; assembly plant and even some equipment specifications.

The BMW VIN is on a plate mounted on the top of the dashboard, on the driver’s side where the number can be seen through the windshield. The 10th character is the model year code. The letters I, O, Q and U are not used for model year designation. Examples: X for 1999, Y for 2000, 1 for 2001, 2 for 2002, etc. The table below explains some of the codes in the VIN for 1999 through 2005 BMW E46 3 Series covered by this manual.