Investigative Technics for repair shop thefts

[FamaMarah]

Hello Everyone,
I recently took my 2003 Fiat Ducato 2.0 JTD 11 to a local mechanic in Conakry for a clutch disc replacement. He ended up stealing my original gearbox and replaced it with a worn, overused gearbox bearing thé following Number: 963 768 3280 mb 11. Visual inspection and changes in performance alerted me to thé dubious swap. When I entered this number in Google, thé search returned a Citroën Jumper 2.0 HDi vehicle information.

Now I know that the Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer and Citroën Jumper/Relay are essentially thé same vehicles with différent badges and I believe it is this similarity that the mechanic has sought to exploit. But from thé before and after puctures Of thé gearbox, I can sée clear différences in thé Size and colour Of thé casing, size and shape Of thé breather plug cap, colour Of thé clutch linkages and thé condition Of thé bolts. In one instance, thé incompatibility was such that thé mechanic was obligéd to use a câble to tie or hold parts together!!! Furthermore, when I entered my VIN on eFER/ePER, thé compatible gearbox part numbers are completely différent in format and length from thé Number above. I have reported thé case to thé local police and it's being investigated.

To help the police discern thé truth I have Côme to this forum to ask experts and experienced professionals if it's possible to discern thé VIN (numéro de châssis) Of a vehicle given a part Number. More precisely, is there an online portal, database etc into which one can enter thé gearbox number 963 768 3280 mb 11 and thereby obtain thé VIN/châssis number Of thé vehicle for which this particular gearbox was originally intended? I can then submit thé VIN to thé local automotive registry to pinpoint thé current Owner and location Of thé vehicle. I know it's commonplace to use VINs for discerning part numbers but can thé reverse be done? Does anyone have any other technical ideas I can use to prove that my gearbox has indeed been swapped. Thank you.

 

[s130]

I doubt the reverse lookup, even if it could be done, is going to be of much value to you. Such a lookup could return 100s or 1000s of VIN numbers for any given part number.

If you believe the box is from a Citroen Jumper/Relay then you might want to talk to a Citroen dealer parts department to see what extra information they can give.

e.g. with Fiat ePER system you can find out what vehicles a part number is used on which would narrow things down a little.

 

[g8rpi]

Even if Fiat told you what serial number gearbox was fitted at the factory, that does not mean it was fitted when the van went into the garage, Your before work photos of the engine / gearbox is your best evidence.
The part number of the gearbox that should be fitted can be found on ePer uaing your VIN. I'd go to a Fiat dealear and ask them for a print-out of what gearbox should befitted to your van. You might have to pay for it.
In the UK you would get an "Expert Witness", a qualified and experinced mechanic / engineer to examine the van and determine if the correct gearbox was ftted and look for any evidence of when a incorrect one my have been fitted.

Robert G8RPI..

 

[FamaMarah]

Thank you, that's a balanced view.