Vehicle Certification (VC) Label

VEHICLE CERTIFICATION (VC) LABEL

Vehicle Certification (VC) Label Location:

Vehicle Certification Label:

The upper portion of the vehicle certification (VC) label contains the manufacturer name, the month and year of manufacture, the certification statement and the VIN. It also includes gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR) as well as tire size and pressure ratings. The VC label is located on the left-hand front door edge.

Vehicle Certification (VC) Label Reference

Paint Code:

The first set of numbers/letters listed indicate the vehicle primary body color code. The second set of letters/numbers listed (if applicable), indicate a two-tone or accent body color code.

Primary Body Color
- AQ - Arizona Beige (clear coat), Mercury/Ford
- BU - Medium Brown Metallic, Ford
- BY - School Bus Yellow, Ford
- C2 - Gold Ash Metallic (clear coat), Mercury/Ford
- DV - Light Tundra/Titanium Green (clear coat), Mercury, Ford
- DX - Dark Blue Pearl (clear coat), Mercury/Ford
- JL - Dark Toreador Red (clear coat), Mercury/Ford
- JP - Silver Birch Metallic (clear coat), Mercury/Ford
- LK - Dark Blue, Ford
- LM - Royal Blue, Ford
- LN - Light Blue Metallic, Ford
- LS - Light Ice Blue Metallic (clear coat), Mercury/Ford
- MM - Ultra Blue (clear coat), Ford
- TM - Light Gray, Ford
- TN - Silver Gray Metallic, Ford
- TV - Midnight Gray, Mercury/Ford
- UA - Ebony, Mercury/Ford
- WT - Performance White (clear coat), Mercury/Ford
- YG - Medium Titanium (clear coat), Ford

Accent Body Color
- AQ - Arizona Beige, Ford
- BU - Medium Brown Metallic, Ford
- BY - School Bus Yellow, Ford
- C2 - Gold Ash Metallic, Mercury/Ford
- DV - Light Tundra/Titanium Green (clear coat), Mercury/Ford
- DX - Dark Blue Pearl, Mercury/Ford
- JL - Dark Toreador Red, Mercury/Ford
- JP - Silver Birch Metallic, Mercury/Ford
- LK - Dark Blue, Ford
- LM - Royal Blue, Ford
- LN - Light Blue Metallic, Ford
- LS - Light Ice Blue Metallic, Ford
- MM - Ultra Blue, Ford
- TM - Light Gray, Ford
- TN - Silver Gray Metallic, Ford
- TS - Silver Frost, Ford
- TV - Midnight Gray, Mercury/Ford
- UA - Ebony, Mercury/Ford
- WT - Performance White, Mercury/Ford
- YG - Medium Titanium, Ford

Brake Code:

The brake type codes are:
- 3 - Electronic traction control system (includes anti-lock brake system [ABS])
- H - Police package
- C - Police package with electronic traction control system (includes anti-lock brake system)

Interior Trim Code:

The interior trim codes are listed below. The first letter/number is for the interior fabric. The second letter is for the interior color.
- A - Dalton cloth (split bench), Ford
- B - Atmore cloth (split bench), Mercury
- C - Vinyl 40/20/40 bench, Ford
- D - Luxury Laura cloth (split bench), Ford
- H - Stockton cloth (front bucket seats), Ford
- I - Stockton cloth (front bucket seats), Ford
- K - Milled Pebble leather (5-passenger seating), Ford
- M - Luxury Laura cloth (split bench), Mercury
- P - Laura cloth (split bench), Ford
- Q - Dalton cloth 40/20/04 (split bench), Ford
- R - G-Grain Vinyl (split bench), Ford
- Y - Milled Pebble leather (split bench), Ford
- Z - G-Grain Super Soft leather (split bench), Ford
- 2 - Milled Pebble leather (front bucket seats), Mercury
- 3 - Milled Pebble leather twin comfort seats, Mercury
- 4 - Milled Pebble Super-Soft leather (split bench), Mercury
- 5 - Milled Pebble leather two-tone (split bench), Mercury
- 6 - Imola leather two-tone (split bench), Mercury Limited

The interior trim colors are:
- C - Light Flint
- E - Flint/Medium Flint
- H - Medium Parchment
- K - Parchment/Medium Parchment
- W - Midnight Black

Tape And Paint Stripe Code:

Tape and paint stripe codes do not apply to all vehicles. If applicable, the code(s) is as follows:
- B - Black
- C - Light Chestnut
- J - Medium Red
- P - Light Charcoal
- Q - Dark Blue

Radio Code:

The radio type codes are:
- B - Luxury electronic AM/FM stereo with cassette and clock (pre-equipment package 1)
- F - Electronic AM/FM stereo
- H - Electronic AM/FM stereo with cassette
- K - Premium electronic AM/FM stereo with cassette, compact disc (CD) and clock
- Y - Radio delete
- Z - Electronic AM/FM stereo with compact disc (CD) player and clock

Axle Ratio Code:

The axle ratios are:
- 1 - 2.73 conventional (non-limited slip)
- 4 - 2.73 conventional (non-limited slip)
- 5 - 3.55 conventional (limited slip)
- C - 3.27 (limited slip)

Transmission Code:

The transmission codes are:
- W - Four-speed automatic overdrive, (4R75E) Livonia
- U - Four-speed automatic overdrive, (4R75E) Sharonville

Spring Code:

The first number/letter listed identifies the front spring codes. The second number/letter listed identifies the rear spring codes.

Front Springs
- Base part number - 5310

Rear Springs
- Base part number - 5560

Rear air suspension codes are:

Rear Air Suspension
- Base part number - 5A891

Engine Calibration Information:

Engine Calibration Information
Engine calibration information is located on the VC label lower right corner between the spring code field and the powertrain calibration information. Engine calibration information is limited to a maximum of five characters per line (two lines maximum). Calibration information more than five characters long will wrap to the second line of this field.

Powertrain Calibration Information:

Powertrain Calibration Information

NOTE: Powertrain calibration information is limited to a maximum of five characters per line on the Vehicle Certification Label. Calibration identification consisting of more than five 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 Label. Only the 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 three different protocols which describe powertrain base calibration. These protocols are designed to provide worldwide standardization for vehicle calibration. If the electronic calibration strategy has been used since 1998 and carried into the current model year, protocol 1 will be used. Refer to Protocol 1. If the electronic calibration strategy has been used since 1999 and is carried into the current model year, protocol 2 will be used. Refer to Protocol 2. For electronic calibration strategies introduced since the 2001 model year, protocol 3 will be used. Refer to Protocol 3.

Protocol 1:

Protocol 1

Protocol 2:

Protocol 2

Protocol 3 (Part 1):

Protocol 3 (Part 2):

Protocol 3
Powertrain calibration protocol 3 strategy is explained in more detail in the following:

Model Year
Position 1 indicates the model year in which the calibration was first introduced.
- 1 - 2001
- 2 - 2002
- 3 - 2003
- 4 - 2004
- 5 - 2005

Vehicle Code
Position 2 identifies the vehicle line in code.
- FB - Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis

Transmission Code
Position 3 identifies the transmission type in code.
- 1 - Automatic transmission

Unique Calibration
Position 4 is explained in the following:

The Emissions/CAFE/CO2 Compliance Department is responsible for assigning these calibration codes. Unique calibration identifications are assigned to cover similar vehicles to differentiate between tires, drive configurations, final drive ratios and other calibration-significant factors.

These two characters are selected by the analyst to provide identifiable information unique to each calibration. For example, using the number 2 to denote a two-valve engine versus using the number 4 to denote a four-valve engine, provides an easily identifiable difference.

Fleet Code
Position 5 - Fleet calibration coding is as follows:
- 0 - Certification (U.S. 4K, final sale in export markets)
- 1 - HGDE/Dyno
- 2 - Fast AMA, U.S.
- 3 - ADP U.S.
- 4 - Not assigned
- 5 - Not assigned
- 6 - Evaporative emissions
- 7 - MACAA
- 8 - On-board diagnostics
- 9 - Not assigned

Certification Regions
Position 6 - Certification region. Lists the lead region where multiple regions are included in one calibration.
- 5 - U.S. fifty states
- A - U.S. Federal (including altitude, may include Canada or Mexico)
- B - U.S. California standard (includes U.S. green states)
- C - Canada
- D - China
- E - European Community (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom)
- F - Extended European Community (Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Yugoslavia)
- G - Gulf Cooperative Council
- H - Hong Kong
- J - Japan
- K - Korea
- L - Malaysia
- M - Mexico
- N - New Zealand
- P - Australia
- Q - South America (Brazil)
- S - Singapore
- T - Taiwan
- U - South America (unleaded fuel)
- V - Vietnam
- X - ROW (rest of world)
- Y - Military
- Z - Israel

Revision Level
The revision level will advance as revisions occur. Not printed on label.