How do I find proper Ford part numbers?

[Gareth Randall]

I’m new to wrenching on Fords, and I want a throttle body gasket for my 2003 Escape 2.0L manual (UK model, actually called the Maverick over here). I can look that up in the official online Ford catalog using my VIN, and the part number given in the catalog is 9E936, but that’s not the specific number for a 2003 Escape 2.0L throttle body gasket, it’s more a general category descriptor code for throttle body gaskets for all Fords. I need to go one stage further to find the full part number, which has a prefix and suffix and will be something like XXXX-9E936-XXX.

Are there any online resources that will find this for me? I like be self-sufficient in tracking down part numbers, so I know exactly what I need without having to ask a parts counterman. On my old Jeeps that was easy – the Jeep parts catalogs are widely available as PDFs and when you look up a part, it just gives you the correct Mopar part number.

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[zero]

Any online “resource” wouldn’t be likely to give you the exact part number. Current part numbers can change or a “change-up” can occur where a part is updated. Sometimes they will create a new part and the previous part numbers will change, there could be a “vin break” where the design was changed halfway through the model year. There are several variables.

You could try to find a parts diagram by doing an image search, but then there’s little guarantee that it would actually be the proper part for your specific application. It’s getting pretty crazy how many things you actually need at least part of the vin to properly identify. Your best bet would be to take your vin to your dealer of choice, get your information put in their computer properly so they have your vin on hand. Depending on the program it’s actually easier once it’s on the screen too. This would be the best and easiest way to do it.

[Gareth Randall]

Sorry, you misunderstand. I’ve *got* parts diagrams, the official Ford parts catalog is available to access online – just enter your VIN and bang, you can look up all the parts diagrams for your particular vehicle. The problem is that Ford parts diagrams only give you the “group number” for any given part, and that number is the same for all the different versions of that part for all the different Ford vehicles. What I need is the specific part number for that part for my specific application, and I don’t want to have to waste time going to the dealership to get that number.

I’ve never had this issue before. I’ve been a DIYer on Jeeps for the last five years, and when you look up a part in the official Mopar catalog, it gives you the actual part number, plus any relevant information about VIN breaks etc. Easy. The Ford system seems unnecessarily unhelpful.

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