Bosch date codes

[MTemp]

Can anyone explain the 3 number date code on Bosch electrical items? I have seen on a couple of threads someone say xxx = Jun78 etc, but not an explanation of how to work it out from basic principles.

I clearly would never have made the grade as a code-breaker ......

Thanks
Mick

[clesch]

It’s an interesting topic so I did some googling and found this document which covers codes from 1948 to 1966 (or 1969 if you extrapolate the data).

[link removed, see post below]

Unfortunately it doesn’t mention what happened after 1970.

[Bullethead]

Clemens, you might want to check that link... it's buggy and leads to a web hosting site.

Go here and click on OEM date stamps... as noted, only up to 1970. http://enginesinback.com/

[MTemp]

Thanks for this. I had seen this and can see how the code works up to 1969 (906 = Jun69 presumably), but I have a cdi black coil with 745 as the date code - is that May 2007? .... on the basis for the middle number 0=60's, 1=70's, 2=80's, 3=90's, 4=00's, 5=10's. Seems unlikely as it came off a 1967 car retrofitted with cdi at some point, that had been off the road from the early 90's at least, perhaps earlier..... and also you need the middle digit for months 11 & 12.

Still puzzled....

Mick

[clesch]

I have a Bosch distributor here that was built for cars from 70-71. It has a "808" stamping. August 68 seems early but not entirely unlikely.

Here is another page I’ve found. It’s in german and relates to Bosch somehow.

http://www.gosler.de/bjunkers.htm

745 would be May 1987.

[MTemp]

Spot on Clemens,

It actually refers to Junkers Fireplaces(!), but the principle seems to have been deployed by many German/European manufacturers including Bosch. It may well be a DIN spec or some such. Anyway it seems to work with all the date coded items I have.

I have attached it (I think) with my basic translation.


Apr12 Date codes.pdf

Mick

[gled49]

The first 3 digits of all serial #'s stamped into Robert Bosch indicates the manufacturing date. The designation changes every ten years. So with the tables provided above, it looks to me like: Jan 64 is 401, Jan 74 is 421, Jan 84 is 441, Jan 94 is 461, Jan 04 is 481. First # = year, second and third # = month, with a decade code added. The decade code added has to change by 20 because there are 12 months in a year. 1/1968 =801, 12/1968 812. 1970 to 1979 the month digits are 21 to 32. Bosch also ads quarterly digits (3 month period). Jan-Mar 68 813 Apr-Jun 814 July-Sep 815 Oct-Dec 816. Jan-Mar 78 833, etc. Again 20 Number jumps for the decade code. Gordon

[21window]

Anyone know what the numbers on the headlight lenses relate to? Example mine have the number 4487 on them. Euro Bosch lenses.

[HughH]

that is great information
I have never (almost at least) been anal enough to look at date codes on such components
but i just checked a couple of black Bosch coils for MFI (221 121 001) that i have in the desk and found one was May 1970 and the other November 1970
now i will have to look at the one on the car and the spare in the car





and the one on the car is April 1978 and the spare in the car is June 1990

[Kaleid]

Does this apply to Bosch MFI pumps as well? Where would find the date codes on the pump- on the tags or on the pump itself?