Vehicle Certification (VC) Label
VEHICLE CERTIFICATION (VC) CODESVehicle Certification (VC) Label Locator:
Vehicle Certification Label:
The vehicle (VC) label contains information on the manufacturer name, the month and year of manufacture, the certification statement and the VIN. This label also includes gross vehicle weight (GVWR) information.
Vehicle Certification (VC) Label
Exterior Paint:
Exterior paint codes may be listed as a 2-part code. The first set of characters identify the primary body color. The second set of characters (if applicable) identify the vehicle accent or 2-tone body color. All colors are base coat/clear coat.
Primary Exterior Color Codes
- DX - Dark Blue Pearl
- G2 - Redfire
- G3 - Pueblo Gold
- HC - Ivory Parchment (tri-coat)
- JP - Silver Birch Metallic
- LD - Medium Wedgewood Blue
- T3 - Satellite Silver
- T7 - Charcoal Beige
- TK - Mineral Gray Metallic
- UA - Ebony
- YZ - Oxford White
Exterior Accent Color Codes
- G3 - Pueblo Gold
- TG - Light Gun Metal Gray
Wheelbase:
- 114 - 114 inches (2,896 mm)
Brake Type:
- 4 - Roll stability control brake system
Interior Trim:
Interior trim codes are listed as a 2-part code. The first character identifies the interior trim type. The second character identifies the interior trim color.
Interior Trim Type
- 2 - Brick cloth with Mylar (R) insert, 6-way adjustable driver seat (Explorer XLT)
- 3 - Imola perforated leather, 6-way adjustable driver seat with memory (Explorer Eddie Bauer)
- 4 - Milled Pebble leather, 6-way adjustable driver seat (Explorer Limited)
- 5 - Buzz leather (Mountaineer)
- 6 - Buzz cloth with parchment, captains chairs (Explorer)
- 7 - Buzz cloth with black, captains chairs (Explorer)
- 8 - Imola perforated leather, 6-way adjustable driver seat (Mountaineer)
- F - Alloy cloth captains chairs (Mountaineer)
- G - Milled Pebble leather with Mylar(R) insert, sport bucket seats (Explorer XLT, Mountaineer)
- H - Milled Pebble leather with Mylar(R) insert (Explorer XLT)
- K - Milled Pebble leather with Mylar(R) insert, 6-way adjustable driver seat (Explorer Limited)
- M - Milled Pebble leather, 6-way adjustable driver seat (Explorer Limited)
- P - Imola leather, 6-way adjustable driver seat (Explorer Eddie Bauer)
- R - Vista cloth (Explorer XLS)
- T - Brick cloth with Mylar(R) insert, 6-way adjustable driver seat (Explorer XLT)
Interior Trim Color
- M - Midnight Black (Explorer/Mountaineer)
- P - Medium Dark Parchment (Explorer/Mountaineer)
- T - Dark Graphite (Explorer)
Tape/Paint Stripe:
Tape and paint stripe codes do not apply.
Radio Type:
- 1 - AM/FM stereo with in-dash 6-disc compact disc (CD) changer and clock
- 3 - AM/FM stereo with in-dash 6-disc compact disc (CD) changer, clock and MP3
- 4 - AM/FM stereo with compact disc (CD) player, clock and MP3
- 9 - Electronic AM/FM stereo with cassette and clock
- A - AM/FM stereo, dual media, compact disc (CD) player and MP3
- K - Electronic AM/FM stereo with cassette, compact disc (CD) player and clock
- Z - Electronic AM/FM stereo with compact disc (CD) player and clock
Axle Type:
- 45 - 3.55 non-limited slip
- 46 - 3.73 non-limited slip
- D4 - 3.73 limited slip
Transmission Type:
- V - Five-speed automatic, 5R55S
Spring Code:
Spring codes are listed as a 2-part code. The first characters listed identifies the front springs. The second character listed identifies the rear springs.
Front Springs
- B - 1L24-18B036-BO
- C - 1L24-18B036-CO
- D - 1L24-18B036-DO
- E - 1L24-18B036-EO
- G - 1L24-18B036-GO
- H - 1L24-18B036-HO
- J - 1L24-18B036-JO
- K - 1L24-18B036-KO
- M - 1L24-18B036-MO
- N - 1L24-18B036-NO
- P - 1L24-18B036-PO
- R - 1L24-18B036-RO
- S - 1L24-18B036-SO
- T - 1L24-18B036-TO
- U - 1L24-18B036-UO
Rear Springs
- Base part number - 18W002
- B - Standard duty suspension (Explorer)
- C - Rough road suspension (Explorer)
- E - Standard duty suspension (Mountaineer)
- F - Handling suspension
Powertrain Calibration Information
Powertrain Calibration Information:
NOTE: Powertrain calibration information is limited to a maximum of 5 characters per line on the vehicle certification (VC) label. Because of this, calibration identification consisting of more than 5 characters will wrap to the second line on the VC label.
Powertrain calibration information is printed in the lower right corner of the vehicle certification (VC) label. Only base calibration information is printed. Revision levels will not appear, however, they can be found in On Line Automotive Service Information System (OASIS). For the current model year, Ford Motor Company is using 3 different protocols which describe powertrain base calibration. These protocols are designed to provide worldwide standardization for vehicle calibration. If the electronic calibration strategy was introduced in 1998 and carried into the current model year, Protocol 1 will be used. Refer to Protocol 1. If the electronic calibration strategy was introduced in 1999 and carried into the current model year, Protocol 2 will be used. Refer to Protocol 2. For electronic calibration strategy introduced in 2000 and beyond. Protocol 3 will be used. Refer to Protocol 3.
Protocol 1:
Protocol 1
Protocol 2:
Protocol 2
Protocol 3:
Protocol 3
The following offers a more detailed explanation of the coding strategy used in Protocol 3.
Model Year
- 1 - 2001
- 2 - 2002
- 3 - 2003
- 4 - 2004
- 5 - 2005
Vehicle Line
- U5 - Explorer/Mountaineer
Transmission
- 1 - Automatic transmission
- 2 - Manual transmission
Unique Calibration
The Emissions/CAFE/C02 Compliance Department is responsible for assigning these calibration numbers. Unique calibration identifications are assigned to cover similar vehicles to differentiate tires, drive configurations, final drive ratios and other calibration-significant factors.
These 2 characters are chosen by the analyst to provide identifiable information unique to each calibration. For example, using the number 2 to denote a 2-valve engine versus using the number 4 to denote a 4-valve engine, offers an easily identifiable difference.
Fleet Code
- 1 - HDGE/Dyno
- 2 - Fast AMA, U.S.
- 3 - ADP, U.S.
- 4 - Not assigned
- 5 - Not assigned
- 6 - Evaporative emissions
- 7 - MACCA
- 8 - On-board diagnostics (OBD)
- 9 - Not assigned
Certification Region
- 5 - U.S. 50 states
- A - U.S. federal, including altitude, may include Canada and/or Mexico
- B - U.S. California, includes U.S. green states
- C - Canada
- D - China
- E - European Community (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom)
- F - Extended European Community (E plus Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Yugoslavia)
- G - Gulf Cooperative Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE)
- H - Hong Kong
- J - Japan
- K - Korea
- L - Malaysia
- M - Mexico
- N - New Zealand
- P - Australia
- Q - South America (Brazil)
- S - Singapore
- T - Taiwan
- V - Vietnam
- X - Rest of World (ROW)
- Y - Military
- Z - Israel
Revision Level (not printed on label)
- 91-99 - Hardware calibration levels
- 01-04 - Preliminary levels
- 00 - Job 1 production (initial calibration)
- 05-09 - Pre-job 1 revisions to calibrations
- 10-89 - Post-job 1 revisions to calibrations
- OB - Durability test level
- BD - On-board diagnostics (OBD) intermediate level (pre-05)