How to find the code on a catalytic converter
Where the reference number is stamped on a catalytic converter, what it looks like for Toyota, Volkswagen, Ford, BMW, Mercedes and other makes, and how to search it.
· Catalytic Price
- The code is stamped or engraved on the steel shell, a heat shield or a small welded plate, not on the pipes.
- It is a short group of letters and digits; spaces, dots and dashes do not matter when you search.
- A unit can carry several numbers; the part number is the one that identifies it.
- Similar codes are not the same unit: always compare the photos.
Where to look
Every original catalytic converter carries a reference number from the car maker. It is stamped or engraved into the steel shell, printed on a heat shield, or on a small metal plate welded to the body. Turn the unit over and check both sides, the flange ends and the area under the heat shield. The code is often hidden under soot or rust: a wire brush or a wet cloth brings it back. A torch held at a low angle makes shallow stamping readable.
What the code looks like
Codes are short groups of letters and digits, usually between four and twelve characters. Each maker has its own style:
- Toyota and Lexus: five characters such as 0H030 or 17150, on the shell or the shield.
- Hyundai and Kia: five characters such as 03EK0, often on a plate.
- Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Skoda: a long part number that starts with the platform code, for example 1K0 178 EA or 8E0 131 701 – the first three characters tell you the model family.
- Ford: a prefix followed by 5E212, 5F297 or 5G283, the group that marks an exhaust part.
- General Motors (Chevrolet, Opel, Cadillac): an eight-digit part number.
- BMW and Mini: a seven-digit number on a plate or the shield.
- Mercedes-Benz: a KT number such as KT 0123, usually on the shield.
- Peugeot, Citroën, DS: a K number such as K202.
How to search it
Type the code in the search box, with or without spaces and dashes. Partial codes work too: the catalogue matches codes that start with or contain what you typed, and suggests close matches when it finds nothing. A unit can carry more than one number (part number, serial, batch): we list every number that is searchable, and the converter page shows the ones that identify the reference.
When the code is unreadable
If the stamping is gone, send us photos of the unit from both sides and of any numbers you can still read. Our team identifies it against the catalogue and tells you what it is worth. Never guess from the shape alone: two converters that look alike can hold very different amounts of metal.
Same code, different unit?
Codes are reused across engine sizes and years more often than people expect, and replacement (aftermarket) units sometimes copy an original code. The converter page shows our own photos of the reference: compare the shape, the length and the pipe layout before you rely on the price.
Questions & answers
Does the code have to be complete?
No. Type the part you can read; the catalogue finds codes that contain it and suggests close matches.
Which number is the right one when there are several?
The part number from the car maker. Serial and batch numbers are also searchable, and the converter page shows which codes identify the reference.