Vin decoding
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Here is some info on the X digit in the 9th position of the VIN that was posted here on the forum back in 2009 (credit given to the forum members who were involved in the post):
(NUCMED3779): I bought a 2003 Z06 Corvette. My question is my 9th digit of the VIN is not a number but a letter (X). What does that mean? I was told it should be a number not a letter?
(GrandpasC502): You have nothing to worry about!!!
The ninth number is what's called a check digit and is used to validate a VIN #. Protects you from fraud, errors, etc. If after making the calculations below your number comes out a 10 it is substituted with an X in the VIN.
My 9th digit is an X -- 02 Convertible.
Check digit calculation
If trying to validate a VIN with a check digit, first either: (a) remove the check digit for the purpose of calculation; or (b) utilize the multiplicative property of zero in the weight to cancel it out. You should later compare the original value of the check digit with the calculated value. If the two values do not match (and there was no error in the calculation), then there is a mistake in the VIN. However, a match does not prove the VIN is correct, because there is still a 1 in 11 chance of any two distinct VIN’s having a matching check digit.
Transliterating the numbers
Transliteration consists of removing all of the letters and substituting them with their appropriate numerical counterparts. These numerical alternatives can be found in the following chart. I, O and Q are not allowed, and can not exist in a valid VIN; for the purpose of this chart, they have been filled in with N/A (not applicable). Numerical digits use their own values.
Transliteration key: values for VIN Decoding A: 1 B: 2 C: 3 D: 4 E: 5 F: 6 G: 7 H: 8 N/A J: 1 K: 2 L: 3 M: 4 N: 5 N/A P: 7 N/A R: 9 S: 2 T: 3 U: 4 V: 5 W: 6 X: 7 Y: 8 Z: 9
S is 2, and not 1. There is no left-alignment linearity.
Weights used in calculation
The following is the weight factor for each position in the VIN. The 9th position is that of the check digit. It has been substituted with a 0, which will cancel it out in the multiplication step.
Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Weight 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 10 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Worked example
Consider the hypothetical VIN 1M8GDM9A_KP042788, where the underscore will be the check digit.
VIN 1 M 8 G D M 9 A 0 K P 0 4 2 7 8 8
Value 1 4 8 7 4 4 9 1 0 2 7 0 4 2 7 8 8
Weight 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 10 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Products 8 28 48 35 16 12 18 10 0 18 56 0 24 10 28 24 16
The VIN's Value is calculated from the above table, this number will be used in the rest of the calculation.
Copy over the weights from the above table.
The products row is a result of the multiplication of the vertical columns: Value and Weight.
The products (8,28,48,35..24,16) are all added together to yield a sum of 351
One of the following operations:
351 MOD 11 = 10
351 ÷ 11 = 31 10/11
351 ÷ 11 = 31.9090- (Requires a lookup table)
The remainder is the check digit. If the remainder is 10 then the check digit is X. In this example the remainder is 10, so the check digit is transliterated into X.
With a check digit of 'X' the VIN: 1M8GDM9A_KP042788 is written as: 1M8GDM9AXKP042788.
Straight-ones (seventeen consecutive '1's) will suffice the check-digit. This is because a value of one, multiplied against 89 (sum of weights), is still 89. And 89 % 11 is 1, the check digit. This is an easy way to test a VIN-check algorithm.
(NUCMED3779): I bought a 2003 Z06 Corvette. My question is my 9th digit of the VIN is not a number but a letter (X). What does that mean? I was told it should be a number not a letter?
(GrandpasC502): You have nothing to worry about!!!
The ninth number is what's called a check digit and is used to validate a VIN #. Protects you from fraud, errors, etc. If after making the calculations below your number comes out a 10 it is substituted with an X in the VIN.
My 9th digit is an X -- 02 Convertible.
Check digit calculation
If trying to validate a VIN with a check digit, first either: (a) remove the check digit for the purpose of calculation; or (b) utilize the multiplicative property of zero in the weight to cancel it out. You should later compare the original value of the check digit with the calculated value. If the two values do not match (and there was no error in the calculation), then there is a mistake in the VIN. However, a match does not prove the VIN is correct, because there is still a 1 in 11 chance of any two distinct VIN’s having a matching check digit.
Transliterating the numbers
Transliteration consists of removing all of the letters and substituting them with their appropriate numerical counterparts. These numerical alternatives can be found in the following chart. I, O and Q are not allowed, and can not exist in a valid VIN; for the purpose of this chart, they have been filled in with N/A (not applicable). Numerical digits use their own values.
Transliteration key: values for VIN Decoding A: 1 B: 2 C: 3 D: 4 E: 5 F: 6 G: 7 H: 8 N/A J: 1 K: 2 L: 3 M: 4 N: 5 N/A P: 7 N/A R: 9 S: 2 T: 3 U: 4 V: 5 W: 6 X: 7 Y: 8 Z: 9
S is 2, and not 1. There is no left-alignment linearity.
Weights used in calculation
The following is the weight factor for each position in the VIN. The 9th position is that of the check digit. It has been substituted with a 0, which will cancel it out in the multiplication step.
Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Weight 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 10 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Worked example
Consider the hypothetical VIN 1M8GDM9A_KP042788, where the underscore will be the check digit.
VIN 1 M 8 G D M 9 A 0 K P 0 4 2 7 8 8
Value 1 4 8 7 4 4 9 1 0 2 7 0 4 2 7 8 8
Weight 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 10 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Products 8 28 48 35 16 12 18 10 0 18 56 0 24 10 28 24 16
The VIN's Value is calculated from the above table, this number will be used in the rest of the calculation.
Copy over the weights from the above table.
The products row is a result of the multiplication of the vertical columns: Value and Weight.
The products (8,28,48,35..24,16) are all added together to yield a sum of 351
One of the following operations:
351 MOD 11 = 10
351 ÷ 11 = 31 10/11
351 ÷ 11 = 31.9090- (Requires a lookup table)
The remainder is the check digit. If the remainder is 10 then the check digit is X. In this example the remainder is 10, so the check digit is transliterated into X.
With a check digit of 'X' the VIN: 1M8GDM9A_KP042788 is written as: 1M8GDM9AXKP042788.
Straight-ones (seventeen consecutive '1's) will suffice the check-digit. This is because a value of one, multiplied against 89 (sum of weights), is still 89. And 89 % 11 is 1, the check digit. This is an easy way to test a VIN-check algorithm.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 597
Likes: 9
From: near Newburypot MA
here is some info on the x digit in the 9th position of the vin that was posted here on the forum back in 2009 (credit given to the forum members who were involved in the post):
(nucmed3779): I bought a 2003 z06 corvette. My question is my 9th digit of the vin is not a number but a letter (x). What does that mean? I was told it should be a number not a letter?
(grandpasc502): You have nothing to worry about!!!
The ninth number is what's called a check digit and is used to validate a vin #. Protects you from fraud, errors, etc. If after making the calculations below your number comes out a 10 it is substituted with an x in the vin.
My 9th digit is an x -- 02 convertible.
Check digit calculation
if trying to validate a vin with a check digit, first either: (a) remove the check digit for the purpose of calculation; or (b) utilize the multiplicative property of zero in the weight to cancel it out. You should later compare the original value of the check digit with the calculated value. If the two values do not match (and there was no error in the calculation), then there is a mistake in the vin. However, a match does not prove the vin is correct, because there is still a 1 in 11 chance of any two distinct vin’s having a matching check digit.
Transliterating the numbers
transliteration consists of removing all of the letters and substituting them with their appropriate numerical counterparts. These numerical alternatives can be found in the following chart. I, o and q are not allowed, and can not exist in a valid vin; for the purpose of this chart, they have been filled in with n/a (not applicable). Numerical digits use their own values.
Transliteration key: Values for vin decoding a: 1 b: 2 c: 3 d: 4 e: 5 f: 6 g: 7 h: 8 n/a j: 1 k: 2 l: 3 m: 4 n: 5 n/a p: 7 n/a r: 9 s: 2 t: 3 u: 4 v: 5 w: 6 x: 7 y: 8 z: 9
s is 2, and not 1. There is no left-alignment linearity.
Weights used in calculation
the following is the weight factor for each position in the vin. The 9th position is that of the check digit. It has been substituted with a 0, which will cancel it out in the multiplication step.
Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
weight 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 10 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
worked example
consider the hypothetical vin 1m8gdm9a_kp042788, where the underscore will be the check digit.
Vin 1 m 8 g d m 9 a 0 k p 0 4 2 7 8 8
value 1 4 8 7 4 4 9 1 0 2 7 0 4 2 7 8 8
weight 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 10 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
products 8 28 48 35 16 12 18 10 0 18 56 0 24 10 28 24 16
the vin's value is calculated from the above table, this number will be used in the rest of the calculation.
Copy over the weights from the above table.
The products row is a result of the multiplication of the vertical columns: Value and weight.
The products (8,28,48,35..24,16) are all added together to yield a sum of 351
one of the following operations:
351 mod 11 = 10
351 ÷ 11 = 31 10/11
351 ÷ 11 = 31.9090- (requires a lookup table)
the remainder is the check digit. If the remainder is 10 then the check digit is x. In this example the remainder is 10, so the check digit is transliterated into x.
With a check digit of 'x' the vin: 1m8gdm9a_kp042788 is written as: 1M8GDM9AXKP042788.
Straight-ones (seventeen consecutive '1's) will suffice the check-digit. This is because a value of one, multiplied against 89 (sum of weights), is still 89. And 89 % 11 is 1, the check digit. This is an easy way to test a vin-check algorithm.
(nucmed3779): I bought a 2003 z06 corvette. My question is my 9th digit of the vin is not a number but a letter (x). What does that mean? I was told it should be a number not a letter?
(grandpasc502): You have nothing to worry about!!!
The ninth number is what's called a check digit and is used to validate a vin #. Protects you from fraud, errors, etc. If after making the calculations below your number comes out a 10 it is substituted with an x in the vin.
My 9th digit is an x -- 02 convertible.
Check digit calculation
if trying to validate a vin with a check digit, first either: (a) remove the check digit for the purpose of calculation; or (b) utilize the multiplicative property of zero in the weight to cancel it out. You should later compare the original value of the check digit with the calculated value. If the two values do not match (and there was no error in the calculation), then there is a mistake in the vin. However, a match does not prove the vin is correct, because there is still a 1 in 11 chance of any two distinct vin’s having a matching check digit.
Transliterating the numbers
transliteration consists of removing all of the letters and substituting them with their appropriate numerical counterparts. These numerical alternatives can be found in the following chart. I, o and q are not allowed, and can not exist in a valid vin; for the purpose of this chart, they have been filled in with n/a (not applicable). Numerical digits use their own values.
Transliteration key: Values for vin decoding a: 1 b: 2 c: 3 d: 4 e: 5 f: 6 g: 7 h: 8 n/a j: 1 k: 2 l: 3 m: 4 n: 5 n/a p: 7 n/a r: 9 s: 2 t: 3 u: 4 v: 5 w: 6 x: 7 y: 8 z: 9
s is 2, and not 1. There is no left-alignment linearity.
Weights used in calculation
the following is the weight factor for each position in the vin. The 9th position is that of the check digit. It has been substituted with a 0, which will cancel it out in the multiplication step.
Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
weight 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 10 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
worked example
consider the hypothetical vin 1m8gdm9a_kp042788, where the underscore will be the check digit.
Vin 1 m 8 g d m 9 a 0 k p 0 4 2 7 8 8
value 1 4 8 7 4 4 9 1 0 2 7 0 4 2 7 8 8
weight 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 10 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
products 8 28 48 35 16 12 18 10 0 18 56 0 24 10 28 24 16
the vin's value is calculated from the above table, this number will be used in the rest of the calculation.
Copy over the weights from the above table.
The products row is a result of the multiplication of the vertical columns: Value and weight.
The products (8,28,48,35..24,16) are all added together to yield a sum of 351
one of the following operations:
351 mod 11 = 10
351 ÷ 11 = 31 10/11
351 ÷ 11 = 31.9090- (requires a lookup table)
the remainder is the check digit. If the remainder is 10 then the check digit is x. In this example the remainder is 10, so the check digit is transliterated into x.
With a check digit of 'x' the vin: 1m8gdm9a_kp042788 is written as: 1M8GDM9AXKP042788.
Straight-ones (seventeen consecutive '1's) will suffice the check-digit. This is because a value of one, multiplied against 89 (sum of weights), is still 89. And 89 % 11 is 1, the check digit. This is an easy way to test a vin-check algorithm.
oh !
