Industrial steel case batteries that are used in electric forklift trucks have serial numbers that indicate their manufactured date. Each manufacturer uses their own sequence of numbers to indicate the date, and this can make it difficult to decipher. The battery date decoder attempts to match your serial number to known sequences and provide you with a manufactured date.
Below are the tecniques used for deciphering each manufacturer's serial number:
The first digit is the year code for the battery and the rest is the serial number. Below is the year mapping:
| E | -> | 2008 |
| F | -> | 2009 |
| G | -> | 2010 |
| H | -> | 2011 |
| J | -> | 2012 |
| K | -> | 2013 |
| M | -> | 2014 |
| N | -> | 2015 |
| P | -> | 2016 |
| R | -> | 2017 |
| T | -> | 2018 |
| W | -> | 2019 |
| X | -> | 2020 |
| Y | -> | 2021 |
| A | -> | 2022 |
| C | -> | 2023 |
| D | -> | 2024 |
The leading letter can be discarded as it does not seem to indicate anything useful. The next one or two numeric digits indicate the month code and the following two numeric digits indicate the year code. The year is 4 less than the year code, so in this example, the year would be 2008. The following letter indicates the manufacturing facility. Numbers following this letter are the serial number. Below is the month mapping and facility mapping:
| 4 | -> | January |
| 5 | -> | February |
| 6 | -> | March |
| 7 | -> | April |
| 8 | -> | May |
| 9 | -> | June |
| 10 | -> | July |
| 11 | -> | August |
| 12 | -> | September |
| 13 | -> | October |
| 14 | -> | November |
| 15 | -> | December |
| T | -> | Terrell, Tx |
| W | -> | Wabash, IN |
The first 5 digits are the serial number for the battery. The last three digits represent the date code. The first digit of the date code is a month code and the last one or two digits represent the year. Below is the month mapping:
| A | -> | January |
| B | -> | February |
| C | -> | March |
| D | -> | April |
| E | -> | May |
| F | -> | June |
| G | -> | July |
| H | -> | August |
| I | -> | September |
| J | -> | October |
| K | -> | November |
| L | -> | December |
The two letters at the end of the serial number are the date code. The first letter is the month code and the second letter is the year code. Below are the month & year mappings:
| A | -> | January |
| B | -> | February |
| C | -> | March |
| D | -> | April |
| E | -> | May |
| F | -> | June |
| G | -> | July |
| H | -> | August |
| I | -> | September |
| J | -> | October |
| K | -> | November |
| L | -> | December |
| O | -> | 2005 |
| P | -> | 2006 |
| Q | -> | 2007 |
| R | -> | 2008 |
| S | -> | 2009 |
| T | -> | 2010 |
| A | -> | 2011 |
| B | -> | 2012 |
| C | -> | 2013 |
| D | -> | 2014 |
| E | -> | 2015 |
| F | -> | 2016 |
| G | -> | 2017 |
| H | -> | 2018 |
| I | -> | 2019 |
| J | -> | 2020 |
| K | -> | 2021 |
| L | -> | 2022 |
| M | -> | 2023 |
| N | -> | 2024 |
The first two digits indicate the year code. If your douglas battery has any letters, it was manufactured after Douglas was purchased by Enersys. Please see the Enersys section for more information on those numbers.
The first three letters at the beginning of the serial number are your date code. The first letter indicates the location where it was manufactured. The second letter is the year code. The third letter is the month code. All of the mappings are below:
| A | -> | January |
| B | -> | February |
| C | -> | March |
| D | -> | April |
| E | -> | May |
| F | -> | June |
| G | -> | July |
| H | -> | August |
| I | -> | September |
| J | -> | October |
| K | -> | November |
| L | -> | December |
| R | -> | Richmond, KY |
| M | -> | Monterrey, MX |
| C | -> | Chicago, IL |
| F | -> | Pinellas Park, FL |
| A | -> | 2002 |
| B | -> | 2003 |
| C | -> | 2004 |
| D | -> | 2005 |
| E | -> | 2006 |
| F | -> | 2007 |
| G | -> | 2008 |
| H | -> | 2009 |
| I | -> | 2010 |
| J | -> | 2011 |
| K | -> | 2012 |
| L | -> | 2013 |
| M | -> | 2014 |
| N | -> | 2015 |
| P | -> | 2016 |
| R | -> | 2017 |
| S | -> | 2018 |
| T | -> | 2019 |
| U | -> | 2020 |
| V | -> | 2021 |
| W | -> | 2022 |
| X | -> | 2023 |
| Y | -> | 2024 |
Same as Enersys. See Enersys section for more about your date code.
The serial number should begin with 1 or 2 letters; this is your model code. The next single digit number will be your equipment type. This is followed by 2 numeric digits that indicate the month. The next two numeric digits indicate the year. Below are the mappings for models and equipment types
| TP | -> | Top Power |
| EP | -> | Energy Plus |
| W | -> | Water Less |
| WL | -> | Water Less |
| VP | -> | Varta Perfect |
| PL | -> | Powerline |
| EL | -> | Envirolink |
| 1 | -> | Standard |
| 2 | -> | Rapid Charge |
| 3 | -> | Life Speed |
| 4 | -> | Solar |
Same as Enersys. See Enersys section for more about your date code.
The last three digits are your date code. The letter that begins the date code is your month code. The last two digits indicate the year. Below are the month mappings:
| A | -> | January |
| B | -> | February |
| C | -> | March |
| D | -> | April |
| E | -> | May |
| F | -> | June |
| G | -> | July |
| H | -> | August |
| I | -> | September |
| J | -> | October |
| K | -> | November |
| L | -> | December |
The first three letters at the beginning of the serial number are your date code. The first letter indicates the location where it was manufactured. The second letter is the month code. The third letter is the year code. All of the mappings are below:
| A | -> | January |
| B | -> | February |
| C | -> | March |
| D | -> | April |
| E | -> | May |
| F | -> | June |
| G | -> | July |
| H | -> | August |
| J | -> | September |
| K | -> | October |
| L | -> | November |
| M | -> | December |
| K | -> | Kankakee |
| G | -> | Kansas City |
| E | -> | Fort Erie |
| H | -> | 2005 |
| I | -> | 2006 |
| J | -> | 2007 |
| K | -> | 2008 |
| L | -> | 2009 |
| M | -> | 2010 |
| N | -> | 2011 |
| P | -> | 2012 |
| R | -> | 2013 |
| S | -> | 2014 |
| T | -> | 2015 |
| U | -> | 2016 |
| W | -> | 2017 |
| X | -> | 2018 |
| Y | -> | 2019 |
| Z | -> | 2020 |
| A | -> | 2021 |
| B | -> | 2022 |
| C | -> | 2023 |
| D | -> | 2024 |
You got me. Take a look at the way I am deciphering the code and let me know if I am doing something wrong. I will be happy to correct it so that it works better. If it is a brand new battery, I probably guessed wrong on this year's mapping. Let me know, and I will update it.
Maintained by Mark C. Pope Associates, Inc.
Send us a message if you hare having problems with a serial number