Here is a sample VIN.
JN1CA21D5ST668405

How do I determine model year?

How do I determine SE?

How do I determine Auto vs. 5-speed manual?

 

Sticky: 4th gen FAQs (READ ME! PLEASE! READ ME!)

 

OK -- SMART@$$

Now that I've wasted an hour going on a snipe-hunt reading worthless unorganized FAQ...

What is the answer?

 

ok dumba$s here it is, copied directly from the stickies at the top, search for "vin" within the thread

03-12-2002, 11:05 AM #15
mzmtg mzmtg is offline
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How do I know which trim level I am looking at?
The 4th gen Maxima was offered in three trim levels for the US market:
GXE "The essential Maxima"
SE "The Sportiest Maxima"
GLE "The luxurious Maxima"

All trim levels have the same engine, so performance differences between them are pretty much nil. The best way to tell which trim level you have is to decode the VIN Plate. This is due to much part swapping and trim upgrading, even transmission swaps that can be done.

TO DECODE THE VIN PLATE:
Raise your hood. Look for a shiny metal identification tag fastened to the passenger side of firewall. The top row is the Vehicle Identification Number, starting with J. The second row is model information. The first five characters are BLHUL. The sixth character is the trim level designator, defined as follows:
E = GXE
G = GLE
V = SE

There are some feature differences that can help you determine the trim level on site. Keep in mind that most of these can be changed aftermarket by the owner, but as we know the VAST majority of Maximas on the street are bone stock...

GXE
Black guage faces
Cloth seats
Basic stereo (BOSE optional but extremely rare)
Probably no sunroof (optional but very rare)
Chrome outer window trim and door handles
5spd or Auto trans
No spoiler
No fog lights
Steel wheels with hubcaps
Chrome grill on 97-99 models
Manual A/C


SE
White guage faces
"Sport" Cloth or leather seats
Basic or BOSE stereo
May have sunroof
Black outer window trim
Body color door handles
5spd or auto trans
Spoiler
Fog lights
15" blade-style (95-96) or 16" 5 spoke (97-99) alloy wheels
Body color grill on 97-99 models
Manual A/C or climate control
"Sport" suspension
Electronically controlled front engine mount on automatic transmission cars
Liquid filled rear shock mounts
(In Canada there is a model called the ES which is like an SE minus the BOSE, leather, sunroof, and spoiler (All standard on a Canadian SE). But, it does include the VLSD trans.)

GLE
Black guage faces
Leather seats
BOSE stereo
Sunroof
Chrome outer window trim and door handles
Auto trans only
No spoiler
No fog lights
15" honeycomb (95-96) or 15" blade-style (97-99) alloy wheels
Chrome grill on 97-99 models
Fake wood color dash and door trim
Fuzzy A-pillars on some years
Pop-out drawer (not flip-down) below radio on some years
Climate control only
Electronically controlled front engine mount
Liquid filled rear shock mounts

Keep in mind that spoilers, foglights, mudflaps and wood dash trim could be had as dealer-installed options on all levels.

Other options like heated seats, traction control, ABS and the like were offered on more than one trim level, so they are not a reliable indicator.

Send me a PM if you think of things to add to the list.
Last edited by mzmtg : 04-25-2005 at 09:06 AM.

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Old03-12-2002, 05:23 PM #16
mzmtg mzmtg is offline
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How to decode Vehicle ID plate
These are the items designated in the rows of the Vehicle ID Plate located on the passenger side firewall under the hood.

1-Type
2-VIN
3-Model
4-Body color code
5-Trim color code
6-Engine model
7-Engine displacement
8-Transmission model
9-Axle model


Body Color Code:

AL0 RUBY PEARL
AR2 CRIMSON BLAZE RED
AX5 NEW RED
BN6 STARFIRE BLUE PEARL
BT4 LAKESHORE BLUE
BV3 SATIN BLUE PEARL
CG2 PEBBLE BEIGE METALLIC
CP2 MAHOGANY PEARL
DJ2 BLACK EMERALD
DP0 DEEP EVERGREEN
DR2 SHERWOOD GREEN
EV0 SUNLIT SAND
FS0 SAGEMIST GREEN
KH3 SUPER BLACK
KN6 GRANITE PEARL
KT3 STERLING MIST
KV3 GRAY LUSTRE
LP0 PLATINUM IRIS
LS5 ROSEWOOD
LS6 CONCORD MIST
QN0 ARTIC WHITE PEARL (BASE)
QT1 ICELANDIC PEARL


Credit - jay_x
Last edited by clee130 : 09-23-2002 at 07:18 PM

 

Jeezus.......

copy and pasted from the sticky:


What information is contained in the VIN?
http://www.courtesyparts.com/specs/vin.html

This shows how to read the VIN for all the related vehicle info.

 

i dont think you can tell by the VIN, you need to know the model code.

 

An hour looking and you didnt find all that....

 

This was posted in the 3rd gen forum also...what a tool

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=417053

And he replies the same way too

 

maybe he is trying to make a good name for him self



both threads

 

ban ban ban

 

Yes it's a 5spd SE made in 4/95, color is DJ2 and it is a FED spec model.

 

If most of you guys took the time to notice my screen name, I own a 1984 Maxima. I am shopping for a Maxima SE with 5-speed for my girlfriend. Your sarcastic remarks make me want to buy a Volvo instead. The folks on the Volvo forums have been much more helpful...

Thanks MaxxAddict. That is exactly what I was looking for. When a person is shopping for a car, he doesn't have time to waste scrolling thru unfamiliar posts.

The VIN is listed in cars.com and autotrader.com. I don't have the ability to open up the hood and look at the plate on the firewall. People don't always know what they are selling -- but the VIN doesn't lie.

JN1CA21D5ST668405

JN1 - Japan Car
C - VQ30DE
A2 - Maxima A32
1 - 4-door sedan
D - Air Bags w/ 3-point belts
5 - Check Digit
S - 1995
T - Oppama
123456 - Serial Number

So, I can't determine SE from VIN.
So, I can't determine 5-speed from VIN.

 

Super, but I already told you that the car is a 5SPD SE, white too I guess.

 

Just curious, you don't have time to go rummaging through the stickies but you have time to come post and expect others to go rummaging through the stickies for you, even after people have told you it IS contained in there (and it indeed was, plain as day).

By the way, your second post on this thread was exactly 22 minutes after the guy said check out the FAQs, and 27 minutes after you posted the thread initially, not an hour. I don't usually flame people but you brought this on yourself man. Help yourself before you expect others to help you. It's quite simple and it's the code to go by on forums like these. Wow...

 

You come on here and ask for help, are given what you need, then have the gall to ***** and cry....please, go buy a Volvo. I for one will never anwswer a question of yours after that crap.

 

 

you didnt ask use about the car you asked us and i quote:

How do I determine model year?

How do I determine SE?

How do I determine Auto vs. 5-speed manual?

So i told you how find out how to determine these things. then you call ME a SMART@$$

 

Yes, you gave me the answer to the VIN in my example - JN1CA21D5ST668405

But, what did you use to determine it was a white? SE?, and 5SP? I still don't see those codes in the VIN.

I have many vehicles listed in Cars.com and Autotrader.com to browse thru.

 

probably used CarFax and got information about the car that way..

Which would give you information about the car that is listed with the DMVs

 

Yes, you still are a SMART@$$. Someday you will mature and learn to take the time to listen and absorb what a person is asking from you -- and maybe you will choose to help that person instead of belittling them for their unfamiliarity in your area of expertise.

My main question was stated in the Thread's title --

Is SE indicated in the VIN?

A nice polite answer, such as the following would be more appropriate...

No. SE is not coded in the VIN. It is found in the model id on the VIN plate under the hood -- BLHUL followed by a "V".

Is 5-speed indicated in the VIN?

No. That is found in the transmission id on the VIN plate, as well.

By the way, model year is found in the 10th position. "S" indicates a MY95.

Another code you may be interested in is the 4th position. "C" indicated engine type of VQ30DE.

 

Thank you. I apologize for calling you a SMART@$$. It turns out you are a good guy afterall. I was in a big hurry yesterday. My girlfriend was all over me about shopping for a car. I needed the info fast.

 

Or how about "it is in the stickies". Then you read the stickies and find other information you wanted to know which will avoid other repeat threads from you.

This forum is not here to serve you. We are not here to serve you. We have been nice enough to put together a ton of general informaition together in one thread called a "sticky". This is for people like yourself. Istead of starting a new thread every time you have a question you can simply go to the stickies and see if it is in there first. Try it next time, it works wonders.

 

I didnt belittle you.... umm just like everyone else did.. i pointed you in a direction to Find your answer.... i do understand that people are in a rush and have issues.. but when you came back with the SMART@$$ and that you looked for an hour... its a little negative and turned every one against you.

Not a good call on your part.. for someone trying to answer you...

 

Yes, I have learned this the hard way.

If someone wanted to ask me any trivial information about my 1984 Maxima, the area of my expertise, I would be glad to help out anyway that I could.

I guess that it was wrong of me to believe that there would be someone who was friendly enough to give me an answer. An answer that any 4th gen owner could provide off of the top of his head.

 

i would be happy to answer any question you have...
but as it has been said before... the FAQs are there because so meny people are asking the same things.... the FAQ was put together so if you had a question you could check there and find most commen questions are covered.

there are FAQ in each forum, and even in the 1 gen forum if a newbie went in there asking questions that were in the FAQ then the more experience members would do the same thing... send them to the stickies..

Lets just call it done and over with..