I haven't experienced this myself, but I've read about people walking up to the FoMoCo parts counter looking for help but the person working there doesn't know how to look up anything without a VIN.

How does one get access to this electronic parts catalog, and how far back does it go?

 

Ford began using rear axle codes like this in the 1980's. Some prefixes begin with S, some with V.

These codes are found on the rear axle ID tags, not on Certification Labels.

Wanna see more...a whole lotta pages more? Ask ctubutis to scan/post the following from the 1980/89 light truck catalog (on a CD): Text, Section 40, pages 18-20.

There are also rear axle ID tags that have Ford numbers on them (like E0TE-AA or WDM-N). Dana axle ID tags that bolt to the housing have a 7 or 8 digit ID code (like: 603010-1 or 603010-11).

thechief66 not only came up with the S189C rear axle code, but decoded it twice-see posts 11 & 15. So, there's no need for me to do it again.

 

Getting access is simple-just get a job working long hours for low pay in a Ford dealership parts department spend your day dealing with prima donna techs and grumpy service advisors.
The catalog, in theory, goes back to 1980-but the older you go the worse it is. Anything prior to 1990 is a real crapshoot (I was actually surprised I got as much info as I did on the OP's '91)
As far as needing a VIN goes-generally, the newer the vehicle, the more VIN specific everything gets. Once you get to 2005 or so, there's many parts that it's almost impossible to look up correctly without the VIN.

 

Something to consider.

Some parts peeps know nothing about older vehicles, so when you waltz into the parts department and mention the year, the first word that pops oughtta their mouths is OBSOLETE .. whether the parts are...or not.

Since they don't wanna mess with it, they just "shine you on."

Then there's the other side of the coin. Looking up all this jazz takes time. Many people that own old rolling piles of misery just want the prices...and the part numbers, so they can then 'shop around."

Some parts peeps know this and since they get paid on commission, do not want to waste time looking up stuff the customers aren't gonna buy.

 

Something I ran into not real long ago is, motorcraft.com allows you to do this!

You can input your VIN, it'll give you classifications of parts available, you can locate a specific part within a classification, then check the price at nearby dealerships!

'course you gotta go about it in a roundabout way and keep changing which dealership is your 'preferred provider' or whatever they call it, but the effect is the same - I can see what each of my local dealers charge for the same part.

That's pretty convenient.

Chief - My vehicles are 1981 & 1986, I'd think the VIN-based stuff wouldn't offer much other than basic information (if that) but thanks for the education.

 

Chief - Sorry I doubted you.

I called a local dealership up here a year or two ago looking for a part number and they REFUSED to give me the part number.

 

Well, I'll tell you a story-
A couple of years ago, I gave out a part # over the phone to a guy. A week or so later, he called back, mad as hell. He said "You gave me the wrong part number and I bought it from a place on-line and now I want you to pay to ship it back!"
WTF?? Are you kidding me? Now if you buy a part from me & there's a problem, I'll bend over backwards to make it right for you. But, if you buy it from someone else? You're on your own, buddy.
I mean, I don't know if the guy gave me the wrong info, or copied the part # down wrong......it's even remotely possible that I made a mistake!
Anyway, that's why I wont give out part numbers over the phone.
(I don't mind helping out members on here-after all the internet is anonymous!)

 

I punched my VIN on that site. Brings up an interesting list of options. Comprehensive? Eh?

It lists many things my truck didn't come with.

Like a AM/FM/Stereo Cassette. Right now it has a AM/FM only there.

Sliding rear window? Mine is solid.

It also lists:

BYBAE SECOND ROW BENCH SEAT (3 PASS)
BYCAB THIRD ROW BENCH SEAT
BYDAE WITH 4TH ROW BENCH SEAT (4 PASS.)

It's a regular cab.

I wonder what's included in this package?

DAAAD WITH SUPER ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM

 

Hey Everyone. Sorry I haven't been able to get online in a few days.

Thanks to all of you and especially NumberDummy and Chief66. You were right about the codes. I went to the Ford Dealer where I live and they gave me much more information which I knew was available and not what can be seen on an internet VIN check. You guys must work a Ford Dealership because you were able to get all the info I got from mine.

I appreciate all the support

Joe

 

I was going to leave this alone but for what ever reason it pissed me off.

What? That a new guy to the forum, that posted in the wrong section, not knowing how it worked, would not be able to find his post and not post wrong again? If so, you dont know forums and newbees. I own a vb site with 20K members and know all too well... If the staff did it right it has a expiring redirect and you could find it easy. If not, I would not expect a new guy to know how to use the user CP in VB nor figure out what happened. On my site when staff or I move a thread, we also send the user a PM, so this does not happen. I dont think this site does that. I truly meant poor guy because the others were ribbing you up. I was not... But, now I dont really care. Every family has the brother they cant stand. For you, that can be me. Welcome to the forum and glad you were able to get help you were looking for.

 

While you guys were yam-jawing about etiquette, a quick check of compnine dot com shows it is closed.

But, you know, being a parts counterman for 3,000 years automatically means your flatulence is odorless.

Shut up and help. Post your resume in the Help Wanted section and let your advice speak for itself.





Wow, what is this, post #1? In 3 years? I'm on a roll.

 

Pot.

Kettle.

Black.

One post in three years, obviously your own advice to others is to behold as golden.

Not.

 

Wow. You know what? You're right.

Dear Joe, here are a few options I came up with while waiting for the "expert" to amber-alert my Cheerios:

--Trust no single source; go for variety

--Register on Auto Zone's website (worth it for reference material alone)

--Try carfax dot com (just for the VIN, not the label)

--Visit a different Ford dealer that doesn't have some snooty self-efficacious jerk behind the counter; repeat as necessary

--For your vehicle (a 2001), you have until December 31st to be treated like a potential Emissions Equipment Warranty customer, at least in California. It's not my favorite suggestion, but you could call a Ford dealer in SE-SoCal and they're used to giving everybody the time of day AT LEAST until they find out your car is >10 yrs old.

--If you're stuck with some arrogant counter"man" who thinks he walks on water, buy something you'll need anyway, like a set of exhaust studs or tailgate cables or vacuum label or something like that--something that costs more than one hour of his salary--and when/if he asks "anything else," you say, "Yeah, can you check something really quick?"

--ONE of the people in this thread probably hasn't angered you, and if they work at a dealership, perhaps you can visit them regularly. You'll probably end up getting a discount, you'll definitely get better service, and there's the added advantage of them being familiar with your fleet. Also, a good counterman knows when to say, "I don't know, but there are 20 ASE-certified techs behind this wall that we can ask."

--Friendship with the person mentioned above has another advantage: unlike being at a retail counter, you can shoot them emails, forward pictures, and all manner of low-priority conveniences, and they can help when the shop is slow. That way, if you show up in person, they know it's urgent and they'll give you top-notch service.

--Don't let people threadjack your request so they can pontificate under the guise of being helpful. Opinions are for soapboxes, but a specific question has a specific answer, and unless you're talking to The One Man Who Made All Fords, nobody has all the answers. They may THINK they do, but that's actually a <100 IQ and an abundance of lung capacity. Give them a wide berth until you finish your marble sculpture of them.

--Generally speaking, people here can read. At least small words. Don't follow the previous example a "guru" gave of referring someone back to an earlier post in the same thread just to point out how you were right then and continue to be right because the post is still up. My factual correction got lost in big words and challenging tone. Which leads to...

--Be patient if you can, reach out to Ford if you can't. You can expect about 80% off-topic nonsense per legitimate post. I would say that if you can go three years putting up with someone's holier-than-thou attitude before calling them out on it, you're doing pretty well. Stick to your guns, plug your ears when the noise gets too loud, and you'll do well.

--Share your findings. If you find a site that does everything you need, come back to this thread and close it up with a nice informative post. If you do, you'll be a better FTE member than I am, and the universe will remain in balance, if not downright improved.

Good luck.

 

not sure why, but I think I've just been insulted!
And I was just trying to help out the OP with info about his truck...

 

Absolutely not, Doug. And you ARE helping.