Issue 12
Understanding application dates The situation
VRM look ups can display different vehicle dates: registration date and date of manufacture / production date. When searching for a part, it’s important to use the correct date to ensure you are selecting the right part to fit your application.
Understanding the date system MAM (Autocat+) sometimes use the registration date to highlight parts that are suitable for the application entered.
However, date ranges refer to the production date not the registration date.
This shouldn’t normally create a problem unless a vehicle is close to the start or end of the date range.
If a part is highlighted in green, there is no guarantee that it is the correct part. Parts and applications are matched via registration date, but could be built to a later specification.
Turn over to find out how to identify the correct part
Identifying the correct part The same also applies when identifying a part that has a date break. You must ensure you use the date of manufacture, not the registration date. The registration of a vehicle can often happen months before or after the given production date or model year, which can result in registration and manufacture years being different. A vehicle registered in 2000 can be built to 2001 spec. This in turn can then lead to the incorrect selection of parts, IF the incorrect date has been used to identify the part.
Incorrect part – Despite being highlighted green, the part is matching via the registration date.
Correct part – Manufacture date falls within the parts date range
For further help, call our technical team on 0845 543 8280 from Monday-Thursday, 8.30am-5pm, and Friday 8.30am-4pm.