Update 05.07.2023
Unfortunately, the error devil has crept into this post, the post image is not quite correct. The marked N, which we have incorrectly shown as the production plant, is of course the model year. Please excuse this mistake.
Have you ever thought about that sticker you find when you open the driver’s door and what it reveals about your Grand California?
In addition to the chassis number, the nameplate also shows, for example, how much your Grand California may weigh ex works. And there is some more interesting information to be found there, which we would like to discuss in this small but nice article.
1. chassis number
The first three characters indicate the manufacturer (world code):
- WAU = Audi
- WUA = Audi
- TRU = Audi (assembly of the TT in Hungary)
- WVW = Volkswagen
- WV1 = Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (truck)
- WV2 = Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (T4, T5, LT)
- WV3 = Volkswagen
- WV5 = Volkswagen
- WVG = Volkswagen Touran
- 1VW = Volkswagen of America / passenger car models
- 1V1 = Volkswagen of America / Pick-up models
On your Grand California, you can see the character string WV1 for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. The characters 4 – 6 are always a Z, which serve as filler characters and have no further meaning.
Signs 7 and 8 identify the model; since the Grand California is a Crafter, there is an SY for Crafter. This is followed again by a fill character which, as described above, has no further meaning.
The 10th digit indicates the model year of the vehicle:
| L = | 2020 | Y = | 2030 | |
| M = | 2021 | 1 = | 2031 | |
| N = | 2022 | 2 = | 2032 | |
| P = | 2023 | 3 = | 2033 | |
| R = | 2024 | 4 = | 2034 | |
| S = | 2025 | 5 = | 2035 | |
| T = | 2026 | 6 = | 2036 | |
| V = | 2027 | 7 = | 2037 | |
| W = | 2028 | 8 = | 2038 | |
| X = | 2029 | 9 = | 2039 |
The 11th digit of the chassis number stands for the plant in which the vehicle was built.
- List VW plants
This is followed by a sequential number from the plant.
2. engine code
The engine code or the installed engine model and its designation can be found on the nameplate; in the case of the Grand California, it is the DAVA engine.
3. building week and day
On the right side of the nameplate you will find a sequence of numbers, this is not arbitrary, but tells you exactly when your car was built. In our example, it says 4721229. The first three of these numbers give us the information we want, the first two stand for the calendar week of the year, in our case week 47. The third number stands for the day of the week, 1 stands for Monday, 2 for Tuesday and so on….
So our Grand California was built on Tuesday of the 47th calendar week.
4. information on the permissible weights
This information is located directly under the chassis number:
- Technically permissible maximum mass
- Technically permissible maximum laden mass of the vehicle combination
- Technically permissible maximum laden mass per axle, stated in order from front to rear.
Maybe we could bring some light into the dark 🙂
