TLDR: The year of an Evinrude is in the model number, not the serial number. From 1980 to early 2012 it is a two-letter code near the end of the model number, decoded with the word INTRODUCES. Evinrudes built after April 2012, including every E-TEC G2, carry no year code at all, so for those motors the full model number is what you order parts with.
Every Evinrude parts order starts in the same place: the ID plate. Get the model number right and the right water pump kit, gasket or trim motor follows. Get it wrong and you are sending parts back. This guide shows where to find the plate, how to read the model number across every era from the old OMC two-strokes through to the last E-TEC G2s, and what to do when the plate has given up.
Where to Find the Serial Number on an Evinrude
BRP’s operator guides place the model and serial numbers on a plate attached to the stern bracket or swivel bracket, the part of the motor that clamps to the transom. On E-TEC models, BRP’s model number reference states the numbers are on the swivel bracket and on the powerhead, so an E-TEC with a damaged bracket plate still carries its identity under the cowl.
The plate carries two numbers. The model number is the long string of letters and numbers, such as E115DPXSUR. The serial number is the shorter run of digits. Write both down, or take a clear photo with a torch held at an angle across the plate, which lifts worn stamping far better than straight-on light.
Serial Number or Model Number: Which One Gives You the Year
The model number. The serial number identifies that individual motor and is what a dealer or parts supplier uses to confirm a fit or check warranty history, but it does not decode to a year on its own. Everything below works from the model number.
The Five Eras of Evinrude Model Numbers
Evinrude changed how it built model numbers several times between the OMC years and the end of production. Work out which era your motor belongs to first, because the same letter can mean different things in different eras.
Before 1980
Older Evinrudes use a short numeric model number rather than the letter codes that came later. In OMC’s model tables the third digit gives the year within a decade, so 25802 is a 1978 model. The decade itself is not written into the number, which is why 25902 is a 1969 motor and 25904 a 1979 one. Confirm the year against the OMC model table for your horsepower rather than reading it straight off the digits.
1980 to 1998: The OMC Years
From 1980 the year moved into the model number as two letters, decoded with the INTRODUCES cipher below. A typical model number reads: brand letter (E for Evinrude, J for Johnson), horsepower, feature letters, shaft length letter, two-letter year code, then a one-letter suffix for the production run.
Some motors from this era carry an extra market letter in front of the brand letter. In OMC’s charts an A in that position marks a motor built for Australia, which is worth knowing when a parts lookup turns up two near-identical models.
1999 to 2001: The FICHT Years
The structure stays the same, with E, horsepower, features, shaft length, year code and suffix. In this period the feature letter F marks FICHT fuel injection, OMC’s direct-injection two-stroke system. OMC filed for bankruptcy in December 2000, and Bombardier bought the Evinrude and Johnson engine business in 2001. That business later passed to BRP.
2002 to Early 2012: The E-TEC Era
This is the era most Australian Evinrude owners will be dealing with. The format is unchanged, but a new feature letter appears: D, which marks an Evinrude E-TEC. The first E-TEC models appear in OMC and BRP’s tables for the 2004 model year. Two letters can now sit in front of the E: B marks a Bodensee model built to the emissions rules on Lake Constance in Europe, and D marks an ICON model with electronic shift and throttle.
After April 2012 and the E-TEC G2
In 2012 BRP dropped the year code. In its place, the last three characters became a two-letter model version (AA, AB, AF, AG and so on) and a one-letter revision (A through Z). BRP deliberately skipped letters from INTRODUCES so the new codes could not be mistaken for years. A 2013 Evinrude E-TEC therefore has no year in its model number at all.
The E-TEC G2, which BRP unveiled in June 2014, uses a different structure again. Its model number starts with an engine family letter rather than E: C for the 66 degree V6, E or H for the 74 degree V6, and K for the inline three-cylinder. Then come horsepower, feature and shaft letters, and the same version and revision code.
BRP announced in May 2020 that it would discontinue production of Evinrude E-TEC and E-TEC G2 outboards, while continuing to supply service parts. That makes every Evinrude on the water today a discontinued model, and the model number the only reliable route to the right part.
Decoding the Year Code with INTRODUCES
For any Evinrude built from 1980 to early 2012, find the two letters just before the final suffix letter and swap each one for a digit:
| Letter | I | N | T | R | O | D | U | C | E | S |
| Digit | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 |
The two digits are the last two digits of the model year. EE is 1999, SS is 2000, SR is 2004, SU is 2007, SC is 2008, SE is 2009, IS is 2010 and IN is 2012. If the two letters before the suffix are not both from INTRODUCES, such as AF or AB, you have a post-2012 motor and there is no year to decode.
Reading the Rest of the Model Number
Once you have the year, the letters between the horsepower and the year code tell you how the motor is built, which matters for parts like trim motors, water pump housings and steering.
| Feature letter (2002 onward) | Meaning |
| D | Evinrude E-TEC |
| F | Direct injection |
| H | High Output |
| P | Power trim and tilt |
| C | Counter rotation |
| S | Saltwater approved |
| T | Tiller |
| R | Rope start with tiller |
| E | Electric start with remote steering |
| J | Jet drive |
| G | Graphite paint |
| V | White paint |
| Shaft letter | Shaft length |
| No letter | 15 inch standard |
| L | 20 inch long |
| Y | 22.5 inch |
| X | 25 inch extra long |
| Z | 30 inch extra extra long |
Shaft length is the detail people most often get wrong when ordering, and it changes the part for anything that runs down the leg.
Worked Examples
E90DPLSCB is an Evinrude, 90hp, E-TEC (D), power trim and tilt (P), 20 inch shaft (L), SC for 2008, suffix B.
E115DPXSUR is an Evinrude, 115hp, E-TEC, power trim and tilt, 25 inch shaft (X), SU for 2007, suffix R.
E150DPXSEF is an Evinrude, 150hp, E-TEC, power trim and tilt, 25 inch shaft, SE for 2009, suffix F.
E115DGXAFA is an Evinrude 115hp E-TEC in graphite (G) with a 25 inch shaft, built after the 2012 change. AF is the model version and A the revision, so there is no year to decode.
K115HWLFAFD is an E-TEC G2 inline three-cylinder (K), 115hp, High Output (H), white (W), 20 inch shaft (L), Dynamic Power Steering (F), model version AF, revision D.
When the ID Plate Is Missing or Unreadable
Salt, sun and decades on the transom are hard on a small aluminium plate. If yours is corroded or gone, work through these in order:
- Check the powerhead. On E-TEC models BRP puts the model and serial numbers on the powerhead as well as the swivel bracket.
- Look for old paperwork. Registration papers, a previous service invoice or the operator’s guide that came with the motor may record the full model number.
- Narrow it down from the motor itself. Horsepower decal, number of cylinders, carburettor or direct injection, tiller or remote, power trim or manual tilt, and shaft length measured from the underside of the clamp bracket to the anti-ventilation plate.
- Send us photos. Clear shots of the whole motor, the bracket area and any numbers you can make out let our parts team narrow down the model.
Using Your Model Number to Order Parts
With the full model number in hand, you can match parts by application rather than by guesswork. BRP’s official parts catalogue is searchable by model number for the original part numbers, and those part numbers are what we match against when you order.
Johnson and Evinrude shared OMC’s model number system, so if you have a Johnson the same cipher applies, and our Johnson outboard serial number and model code guide covers the Johnson side. If you are wondering whether parts are still around for your motor now production has ended, read whether Evinrude and Johnson parts are still available in Australia.
For E-TEC owners, the parts you will order most often by model number are water pump kits, fuel filters, trim motors and gear case seal kits, and each of those is model-specific.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I tell what year my Evinrude is?
Find the model number on the plate on the swivel or stern bracket. For a motor built from 1980 to early 2012, take the two letters before the last letter and decode them with INTRODUCES (I=1, N=2, T=3, R=4, O=5, D=6, U=7, C=8, E=9, S=0). SC, for example, is 2008.
Can I find the year from the Evinrude serial number?
Not on its own. The serial number identifies the individual motor, but the year is carried in the model number. Keep the serial number handy anyway, because it is what a parts supplier or dealer uses to confirm a fit.
Why does my E-TEC model number have no year code?
BRP replaced the year code with a model version and revision code in April 2012. Any Evinrude built after that, including every E-TEC G2, ends in letters like AF A or AB D rather than a year. Order parts using the full model number instead.
What does the D mean in an Evinrude model number?
After the horsepower, D marks an Evinrude E-TEC. In front of the E, a D marks an ICON model with electronic shift and throttle.
Where is the serial number on an Evinrude E-TEC?
On the plate on the swivel bracket, and on the powerhead.
Are Johnson and Evinrude model numbers decoded the same way?
Yes, through to the end of Johnson production. Both used OMC’s system, with J or E as the brand letter and the same INTRODUCES year code.
When did Evinrude stop making outboards?
BRP announced the end of Evinrude E-TEC and E-TEC G2 production in May 2020 and committed to continue supplying service parts.
The information in this article is general in nature and provided for guidance only. Victory Parts accepts no responsibility or liability for any action taken, or any loss or damage incurred, as a result of relying on the information in this article.
Found Your Model Number? Find Your Parts
Victory Parts stocks Evinrude and Johnson parts in Australia, from E-TEC water pump kits and fuel filters through to trim motors, starters and gear case seals. Orders placed before 2pm on a weekday ship the same day. Browse the Johnson and Evinrude range, or send us your model and serial number and we will help you find the right part before you order.
