VIN plate gone??

[GM525]

Hello all.
Quick and stupid question.
Cant find my vin plate on my e34......think i smell a rat...

[shogun]

Do you have the check control panel in the dash?
By pressing the button on the right side of the dash while turning the key on will cause the instruments to cycle, and then a bunch of messages will appear on the display. One of them will be the VIN associated with the chip keeping the memory; if it does not match the VIN shown on the plate of the car, the chip has been changed.

That's the easiest way.

[Whit]

shogun you said:

"By pressing the button on the right side of the dash while turning the key [to get VIN] on will cause the instruments to cycle..."

Which button for VIN??

[Paul in NZ]

look along the lower edge of the windscreen the vin number is there too.

[shogun]

F.G. Nr. means Fahrgestellnummer = chassis or VIN number.
That only works if you have the high version dash with the cc like this one, it is no. 8


That is the code plug number,

[Whit]

OK, where else is the VIN located on the car. I need to verify my VIN!

[Whit]

The reason is this: I have reasons to believe that my car is NOT a 1994 750il, but an older model. Maybe even a 1988!!! What are some of the options and equiptment that would exist only on a 1994 and not a 1988? Some things that I could quickly recognize? The car is great, but geez! This could be fraud!

[Qsilver7]

The reason is this: I have reasons to believe that my car is NOT a 1994 750il, but an older model. Maybe even a 1988!!! What are some of the options and equiptment that would exist only on a 1994 and not a 1988? Some things that I could quickly recognize? The car is great, but geez! This could be fraud!

It's very easy to tell the 93/94 e32 from the earlier models because the interior center dash is designed differently and has more wood trim. The center dash of the 1993 e32 got a make-over and has wood trim on the center ashtray area beneath the IHKA heat/ac control unit and this treatment continued over to the 1994 model year. Also, you should see VIN stickers on all of the body panels. If you look at the bottom of each door you should see a VIN sticker, raise the hood & trunk lid and you will see a VIN sticker on them both as well as the front/rear quarter panels, and there should also be a VIN sticker mounted on the engine, too. If the car has been in a wreck and any of these panels have been replace...the sticker will say DOT-R instead of having a VIN.

The 1993/1994 center dash of an e32 looks like this pic of a 1994 740i:


The dash of the 1988-1992 e32 looks like this pic of my old 91 735iL:


Here's a pic of the VIN of my old 1991 735iL...if you stand and look through the lower front windshield on the driver's side...you can see the VIN on the lower part of the dash closest to where the dash meets the windshield:


And lastly...when you find your VIN...look at the 10th digit...if it is an R ...then indeed it is officially a designated 1994 model. (see VIN description pic below):


I hope you appreciate this post and hope it helps calm your fears. 8-)

[Whit]

Thanks, Qsilver7. I know it sounds , a fake 94? However, I am living in the Philippines and the car was imported from Japan. The title says 1994, but someone may have monkeyed with the VIN or at least the title. I am very happy with it and everything works. The car is in great shape and looks almost new--I have not had any issues...yet. I have it in the shop for a tune up and fluid changes and can't go look at it at the moment. I will find out later today. The owner of the shop said it is one of the nicest 750ils that he has seen, so I suppose I should be grateful. Well, I will be pissed if I got ripped off. I cannot believe these cars are virtually the same over a span of over 6 years!!! It was too easy to do, I suppose. There are almost no differences?

[shogun]

Check for the metal plate in the engine room. It is (depends on country) usually near the wipers , or at the outside rim of the engine room. You have to open the hood to see it.

The easiest is the engine:
the engine before facelift has the oil filler cap at the fire wall, the facelift engine has the oil filler cap at the front next to the water pump. Facelift of engine was around mid 1991 as far as I remember (but would have to recheck). Then there is the facelift inside also. For example the console has a wood front for the ashtray. mine from 88 not.
Just give me the last 7 digits/letters of your VIN number on the plate in the engine room and I can tell you month and year of production immy.
Do not give me the number shown on the dashboard from the chip!
Because often people change the chip to cheat with total miles etc.
Last year I helped someone in Germany to sue a guy who installed a new chip before selling the car. Actually it had 100.000 KM more than advertised.
The new owner could present with my help to the court the fact that the chip had a different chassis/VIN that the plate on the chassis.

Or you can try here also on the VIN decoder.
Don't be shocked, hehe.
My car's first registration was 12/1989, but later I found that it was produced already in 11/88.
http://www.bmw-z1.com/VIN/VINdecode-e.cgi