Guide
Identify a turbo from the plate
The stamp on the compressor cover is the match. Wipe it. Photograph it straight on. Search the catalog or send the photo on WhatsApp.
Why the plate wins
Make and model get you close. The metal tag is the number. Two cars with the same engine badge can wear different turbo P/N. The compressor plate is what the desk matches. OE from the parts book is next. A CHRA code is enough when you already know you are replacing the rotating assembly.
The short steps live on Guides, compressor plate. Use that chapter if you want the on-site reader. This page is the longer note.
Clean the tag
Wipe oil and dirt until the cast or laser stamp is readable. Brake cleaner on a rag is fine. Do not grind the plate. You need the characters, not a polished blank.
Typical stamps: turbo P/N, sometimes an OE, sometimes a small CHRA or assembly number. Copy every line you can read. The small black actuator box has its own ID if the cover tag is gone. Two screws. It sits on the turbo. Photograph that too.
Photograph it
Fill the frame with the metal plate. Shoot straight on. Light from the side if the stamp is shallow. No flash glare. One photo is enough when the characters are sharp. A second photo of the whole turbo helps when the tag is worn.
The site can read a stamp from camera or photo library on the Guides hub. If the reader misses it, send the photo on WhatsApp. Do not retype a guessed number over a blurry shot. The photo is the source.
Search, then quote
Type the turbo P/N or OE into the catalog. Rows open. Quote sits on each line. Empty result: still send the photo. We look it up the same business day when the shot is clear.
If you already know the family, a hub is faster than a blank search. Try GT1749 or the engine page VAG 1.9 TDI. Those pages list codes. They still close on WhatsApp.
Italian vehicle plate
Workshops in Italy can type a targa on a signed-in trade account. The site maps plate to vehicle and filters the catalog. Guests see the field locked. Italy only. No VIN and no owner data on the screen. Lookup can be offline or rate-limited. Then send the compressor-plate photo instead.
A car plate is not a turbo P/N. It only narrows the vehicle. You still confirm the turbo on the cover stamp when you can.
What the stamp lines mean
The large number on the compressor plate is usually the turbo P/N. That is the fastest catalog search. A second number can be an OE. A third can be an assembly or CHRA code. Copy all of them. Search the turbo P/N first in the catalog. If that misses, try the OE. If you only have a CHRA code, search that and say you want the rotating assembly.
Customer or workshop paint on the cover is not a code. Ignore marker notes unless they repeat the stamp. Aftermarket stickers from a previous repair can be wrong. Trust the metal.
If the plate is missing, photograph the compressor cover shape, the actuator box, and any remaining laser mark on the housing. Send those on WhatsApp. Make, model and engine then matter more. They still do not replace a stamp when the stamp exists.
When the on-site reader misses
Oil, glare, and a stamp at an angle are the usual misses. Wipe, tilt the light, shoot again. Do not crop so hard that the desk cannot see it is a compressor cover. One wide shot plus one tight shot is enough.
If you type what you think you see, keep the photo in the same message. A 5 and an S look the same on a worn tag. The photo settles it.
Italian targa versus compressor plate
A targa on an approved account filters the vehicle in the catalog. It does not print a turbo P/N by itself. Two engines in the same body can wear different turbos. After the catalog narrows, you still confirm the cover stamp when the turbo is on the bench.
Guests cannot run targa lookup. Ask for an account on Account if you need that Italy path. Until then, photograph the compressor plate. That works from any country.
From plate to hub
Once you can read GT1749 or a close family, open the hub and scan the listed turbo P/N. GT1749 and VAG 1.9 TDI are the common pair for that bay. Renault 1.5 dCi work often sits on BV39 and Renault 1.5 dCi. Use the hub to confirm the family, then quote the exact code.
The pillar for the whole path is turbocharger parts for workshops. CHRA versus complete is a separate decision after you know the number.
What to put on WhatsApp
Shop name, country, the photo, and whether you want complete or CHRA. Read how to request a wholesale turbo quote if you want the full checklist. Contact is also on Contact.
Housing damage still matters after you identify the number. See complete turbo vs CHRA.
Lighting and tools
A phone torch from the side beats a ceiling light on a shiny oil film. A white rag behind the tag can help contrast. Do not use a flash on-axis. You will get a white plate and no digits. If the turbo is still on the car, turn the wheels, lift with the right support, and shoot the cover from the front. Do not guess a number from a workshop book while the plate is unreadable on the engine.
A cheap inspection mirror helps when the tag faces the inner wing. Photograph the mirror only if you cannot get the lens on the tag. Say it is a mirror shot so we do not read reversed characters as a new code.
After you have the number
Search it. If the catalog shows complete and CHRA, pick the form that matches the housing. Quote on the row or on WhatsApp with the photo attached anyway. The photo stays useful if two lines share a similar turbo P/N.
If you are stocking parts, send the number plus the category: CHRA, actuator, kit. The bench list is repair parts on the bench.
What we will not do from a photo
We will not invent a turbo P/N from a dirty cover with no stamp. We will not quote a retail driver from a car selfie. We will not read a VIN sticker as a turbo code. We will not name a manufacturer on the reply as a marketing line. We will match the stamp we can see and quote the aftermarket line that fits.
On the car versus on the bench
On the car, you often see only the compressor cover. That is enough if the stamp is there. On the bench you can also see the turbine housing marks and the actuator. Photograph those if the cover tag is gone. Do not send a photo of the engine bay from three metres away and expect a turbo P/N.
If the turbo is already in a box from a previous job, photograph the plate on the unit in the box. Do not trust the writing on the cardboard. Boxes get reused.
Search tips after you read the tag
Paste the turbo P/N with the dashes if the stamp has dashes. If the catalog misses, try without spaces. Then try the OE. Then WhatsApp the photo. Do not keep inventing variants of a number you only half read. The photo is cheaper than a wrong CHRA.
Family hubs help you confirm you are in the right pile. They do not replace the stamp. K03, KP35 and TD025 are other common families when the car is not a VAG 1.9 TDI.