Most oil pan numbers encode something useful. VW-group numbers identify the engine family in the first block and the component in the second. Toyota uses a five-digit component family plus a suffix. Honda puts the engine code in the middle segment. PSA runs several parallel schemes. Knowing which segment matters saves a return.
VW Group: 038 103 601 NA
Read it in three parts. The first block, 038, identifies the engine family. The middle block, 103, is the component group for engine block and crankcase parts, and oil pans live here. The third block plus the letter suffix identifies the specific part and its revision level.
The practical consequence is that 038 103 601 and 038 103 603 are different pans on the same engine family, and 038 103 601 NA and 038 103 601 LA are different revisions of the same position. The suffix is not decoration.
| Family | Appears in | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 021, 030, 036, 038 | VW, Skoda | Older petrol and diesel families |
| 06A, 06B, 06C, 06E, 06J | VW, Audi | Includes both pan and upper-pan positions |
| 078 | Audi, VW | Includes an upper pan reference, 078 103 603AM |
| 8D0, 4B0, 330, 1H0 | VW | Engine support and bracket numbers, not pans |
| 02A, 09G, 01N | VW | Gearbox cover references |
Toyota: 12101 and 12102
Toyota oil pans sit in the 12101 and 12102 component families, followed by a five-digit suffix that identifies the application. In the RUIFAN catalogue the 35106 family also appears, which is the transmission-side pan rather than the engine sump. Those are not interchangeable and the leading five digits are what separates them.
Honda: 11200-RZA-000
Honda splits the number into three segments. The first, 11200, is the oil pan component family. The middle three-character segment is the engine or model code and is the segment that actually decides fitment. The last three digits are the revision. A catalogue that prints only 11200 is telling you almost nothing.
PSA, Fiat and the Sequential Schemes
PSA numbers such as 96 511 652 80 and the shorter 0301.H9 form run in parallel, and the archive records both against the same parts in two cases. Fiat and Volvo use largely sequential numbers that encode nothing about the part, which means for those blocks the photograph and the flange pattern are the identification, not the number.
A Working Method
- Start from the number stamped or cast into the old part, not the one in the parts system
- Identify which segment carries the engine or application code for that manufacturer
- Check the catalogue record for recorded alternates — twenty RUIFAN records carry them
- Check the record's notes for variant information such as sensor-hole configuration
- Confirm against the photograph before committing to a quantity
More From the Knowledge Centre
Upper and Lower Two Piece Oil Pans
What an upper pan does that a lower sump does not, and how to avoid ordering the wrong half of a two-piece system.
Die Casting Sand Casting and Gravity Casting for Engine Parts
The three casting methods listed in the RUIFAN process sheet, what each one is good for, and how the choice shows up in the finished part.
Deep and Shallow Draw Stamping for Oil Pans
How a steel pan is drawn, where the metal thins, and why draw depth is the constraint that decides tooling.
About This Guide
Where does the information in this guide come from?
Content marked as published on the original RUIFAN website is reproduced from the archived site with the date it carried. Everything else is general engineering background written for this site. Company facts, capacities and certifications are only stated where RUIFAN recorded them.
Can RUIFAN help me identify a part I cannot name?
Yes. Send the number on the old part, the vehicle and engine code, and photographs of the flange face and drain boss side. We check it against the 136 catalogue records and tell you if it is there.
Do you publish the catalogue data behind these guides?
Yes. Every reference has its own page carrying the OE number, alternate numbers, notes and application table the original database stored for it.
What if the part I need was never in the catalogue?
The original RUIFAN site stated the factory develops oil pans and other aluminum castings from customer-supplied samples or drawings.
Put This Into an Enquiry
Send the reference, the vehicle and the quantity. We will confirm against the catalogue before quoting.