Question on model year

[groovymcawesome]

I have what I believe to be a 1995 318ti. I got it about 5 years ago. It was marked at the dealership as a 1995. One day, about a year ago, I was getting my oil changed, and the guy doing it says it was a 1996, because the oil filter for a '95 was the wrong one. I was at a place out of town. Not my usual mechanic.

My question is, where do I look on the car to find out? I've looked on the tag inside the drivers door, and it says it was manufactured in October of 1995. Since it's so late in the year, I'm not sure if it is part of the '96 line.

I know it's a stupid question, but any help would be appreciated.

[Celsdogg]

check the vin number. this page is for vin number decoding:

http://www.bmwe30.net/cgi-bin/datacg...00008&Section=

also search the forum, an automated web decoder was once linked here. someone else may have that link. . .

[groovymcawesome]

Thanks.

Had some others on another board saying that they had the same problem. Apparently there wasn't a straight switch from 95 to 96 from the 42 to the 44. They had kind of a hybrid thing going on, which would account for the filter difference.

[Dudesky_E36]

The other decoder:

http://www.bmw-z1.com/VIN/VINdecode-e.cgi