How To Understand the Engine Serial Number?

[xvvvz]

While looking up accessory belt tensioner prices (BTW - autohausaz.com was the cheapest I found, especially with free shipping), I came across this note:

“For models with engine serial number from 006930”

Apparently engines with serial numbers higher/newer than this number don’t have a shock on the tensioner. Other auto part websites say something similar. My question is, how do you decipher this? I don’t know how this relates to a full engine serial number. Do you just compare the last four numbers of your engine serial number?

My engine serial number on a 99 C230 Kompressor is listed on my documentation as 111975120295xx (where the x’s are numbers).

[BrazBenz]

You are right ! The shock is no longer present.
This way of specifying uses the six last digits of the engine number.
I wonder is the shock was supressed or something was put inside of the tensioner to play this role.
Don't ask me why. I prefer the old way.
Jorge

[xvvvz]

I would have thought that after two years of producing 2.3L kompressor engines in C Class sedans (including Europe) that they would have produced more than 9500 engines! The first parts of the number appear to be engine model (111.975) and car series (202).

[MTI]

For MB engines, the first 3 digits are the block identifier. The next 3 digits are the specific variation of the basic block. The remaining number are the serial number for that specific model engine.

In addition to engineering changes, part supplier changes were also tracked via the serial number in the production runs. You can't rely on "Model Year" or even "Build Year" since changes were often made in mid-year production.

[OzC36]

If I understand it correctly, you have a M111 engine, series 975, variant 12 and engine number 029XXX. MB seem to have made the 230 engine in both the 974 and 975 series (who the heck knows the difference here, but I think it is the Kompressor that was the difference in the 975?).

Previous and concurrent M111 engines were the 180, 200 and 220 varieties. They are identified by a different "series" number.

The wonderful thing about the Teutonic method of building and cataloging machinery is that you can always work out exactly what part you need if you go to the trouble of correctly identifying the major system to which it belongs.

The EPC with a valid VIN number is a revelation in itself!