How to decode a 1989 Buick Century VIN
Characters 1-3 of a 1989 Buick Century VIN
A World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) is the first set of characters in a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) which uniquely identifies the manufacturer of the vehicle. For the 1989 Buick Century, the WMI is “1G4,” indicating that it was produced by General Motors LLC in the United States. Specifically, the “1” signifies that the vehicle was manufactured in the U.S., while “G4” is allocated to General Motors for its Buick division. This particular vehicle falls under the passenger car category and was assembled in Warren, Michigan. The WMI is crucial for providing specific information about the vehicle’s origin, manufacturer, and vehicle type.
List of WMI Codes for a 1989 Buick Century
WMI: 1G4
- Model Years Covered: 1984, 1986-1996
- Example VIN: 1G4AH51N5KT458621
- Manufacturer Name: General Motors LLC
- Vehicle Type: Passenger Car
- City: Warren
- State or Province: Michigan
- Country: United States
Characters 4-8 are the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) of a 1989 Buick Century VIN
These characters correspond to components like:
- Engine type
- Transmission
- Model or trim
- Body style
- Gross vehicle weight range
Below find the known vehicle descriptor codes for a 1989 Buick Century:
| Known VDS for a 1989 Buick Century | |
|---|---|
| AH51N | AL51N |
Auto manufacturers have some discretion to decide how they want to code this section, but its contents and decoded results are generally consistent.
Character 9 is the “check digit” in a 1989 Buick Century VIN.
Based on a formula developed by the US Department of Transportation, it helps reduce fraud by ensuring the validity of the VIN.
10th Character in the 1989 Buick Century VIN — Year Code
| Year Code | Year |
|---|---|
| K | 1989 |
11th Character in the 1989 Buick Century VIN — Plant Code(s)
Known 1989 Buick Century Assembly Factory VIN Code(s)
| Plant Code | Plant City | Plant State | Plant Country | Plant Company Name | Example VIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T | Sleepy Hollow | New York | United States | Tarrytown Assembly | 1G4AH51N5KT458621 |
VIN Characters 12 - 17 of a 1989 Buick Century
The final 6 characters in a 1989 Buick Century’s 17-digit VIN are its serial number, which will be unique to every vehicle.
Check your Buick Century’s VIN below:
How to find a 1989 Buick Century’s VIN?
Locating the VIN number on your 1989 Buick Century is key for identification. Here’s how to find it:
- Examine the dashboard on the driver’s side of your 1989 Buick Century. The VIN is typically visible through the windshield on a small plate mounted to the dashboard.
- Look at the door frame on the driver’s side when you open the front door of your Buick Century. The VIN can often be found on a sticker or plate where the door latches.
- Explore under the hood of your Buick Century; you may find the VIN stamped on the engine block or on a plate attached to the firewall.
- Inspect the trunk area of your Buick Century. The VIN might be located on the floor right below where the spare tire sits or on the underside of the trunk lid.
- In some cases, your 1989 Buick Century may have the VIN stamped on the frame or the chassis of the vehicle; this might be visible from beneath the car.
- Check your Buick Century’s vehicle documents, such as the title, registration, or insurance papers, as the VIN will be listed there if you cannot find it on the car itself.
What info can a 1989 Buick Century VIN reveal?
- Model Year: The VIN can reveal the vehicles model year being the year 1989, providing insights into the age and potential market value of the vehicle.
- Vehicle Specifications: The VIN can offer basic Buick Century model information, such as a V-shaped engine configuration and a gasoline fuel type.
- Engine Details: The VIN may provide details about the engine, such as it being manufactured by BOCF, with a displacement of 3.3 liters or 201.37835551261 cubic inches, and featuring a multipoint fuel injection system for fuel delivery.
- Safety Features: The type of seat belt equipped in this vehicle is indicated to be manual, which might suggest standard safety features for the time.
- **Manufacturing Information: The vehicle was assembled in Sleepy Hollow, New York, United States by Tarrytown Assembly, offering insights into its origin.
- Body and Size: The VIN indicates the body class as a Sedan/Saloon, equipped with 4 doors, therefore providing insights into the vehicle’s size and type.
- Fuel Efficiency Insights: The VIN does not provide exact fuel efficiency, but the fuel type (gasoline) alongside engine displacement and configuration, can offer some clues about the vehicle’s fuel economy.
Don’t have your 1989 Buick Century’s VIN handy? Try our license plate lookup instead!
Sample VIN Decode Report for a 1989 Buick Century
| Vehicle Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Body Class | Sedan/Saloon |
| Displacement (CC) | 3300.0 |
| Displacement (CI) | 201.37835551261 |
| Displacement (L) | 3.3 |
| Doors | 4 |
| Engine Configuration | V-Shaped |
| Engine Manufacturer | BOCF |
| Engine Number of Cylinders | 6 |
| Fuel Delivery / Fuel Injection Type | Multipoint Fuel Injection (MPFI) |
| Fuel Type - Primary | Gasoline |
| Model | Century |
| Model Year | 1989 |
| Plant City | Sleepy Hollow |
| Plant Company Name | Tarrytown assembly |
| Plant Country | United States |
| Plant State | New York |
| Seat Belt Type | Manual |
| Trim | Limited |
| Vehicle Descriptor | 1G4AL51N*KT |
| Vehicle Type | Passenger Car |
| Sample_VIN | 1G4AL51N0KT433351 |
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