Bosch E-Nr and FD Number: What They Mean and Where to Find Them
Bosch does not print a "model number" on your dishwasher. It prints an E-Nr, an FD, and a Z-Nr, and every parts site wants a different one. Here is what each number does and exactly where to look.
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What E-Nr actually stands for
You went looking for a filter, a rack tine, or a warranty claim, and the parts site asked for your model number. So you opened the dishwasher door and found a sticker covered in numbers, none of which say "model."
E-Nr is short for Erzeugnisnummer. In German that means product number. On a Bosch appliance it is the model number, and it is the number nearly every parts catalog, service tech, and warranty form is asking for.
It usually looks like SHPM88Z75N/01 or WAT28400UC/23. The slash and the two digits after it matter. That suffix is the production variant, and Bosch changed internal parts between variants, so a rack for /01 does not always fit /23.
This trips people up because Bosch, Siemens, Thermador, Gaggenau, and Neff all belong to the same parent group and all use the same labelling scheme. If you own any of them, this page applies.
Three numbers, three different jobs
The rating plate carries three identifiers. They look similar and they are not interchangeable.
| Label | German | What it is | When you need it |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-Nr | Erzeugnisnummer | The model number | Ordering parts, finding the manual, most warranty forms |
| Z-Nr | Zähl-Nummer | The serial number, unique to your unit | Registering the appliance, recall lookups, service dispatch |
| FD | Fertigungsdatum | The production date code | Working out how old it is, checking warranty windows |
If a form asks for a "model number," give it the E-Nr including the slash suffix. If it asks for a "serial number," give it the Z-Nr. Handing over the FD number instead is the most common reason a parts order arrives wrong.
Where the rating plate hides on each Bosch appliance
Bosch does not put the plate on the front of anything. It goes somewhere you only see with the door open, which is why so many people search for this at the exact moment they need it.
Dishwasher
Open the door and look at the top edge, just left of the door catch. On many models it is laser etched straight into the steel rather than printed on a sticker, so it is faint and easy to scroll right past. If it is not there, check the side edge of the door, left or right depending on the model. Last resort is a sticker on the lower back panel, which means pulling the machine out.
Washing machine and dryer
Front loaders carry it inside the door opening, on the rim you see once the door swings clear. Some models also repeat it behind the detergent drawer or on the lower back panel.
Oven and range
Open the oven door and check the frame around the cavity, usually the left side. On slide-in ranges it can sit under the cooktop or behind the warming drawer.
Refrigerator
Inside, on the side wall above the crisper drawers or on the ceiling of the fridge compartment. On some column models it is behind the lowest drawer.
The physical location of these plates follows the same logic across brands. If you are hunting for a different manufacturer, we have a full breakdown of where to find appliance model numbers by appliance and brand.
Photograph the plate while the door is open
You are already down there with a flashlight. Point your camera at the plate and kept reads the E-Nr, the FD, and the serial straight off the label, then files them under that appliance. Next time the parts site asks, it is in your pocket.
[ try kept free ]
a Bosch 800 series saved in kept, with the purchase date and warranty window already worked out.
How to read the FD number as a date
The FD is four digits and it encodes when the appliance was built. The rule is simple once someone tells you what it is, and nobody tells you what it is.
Take the first two digits, add 1920. That is the year. The last two digits are the month.
- FD 9503 reads as 95 + 1920 = 2015, month 03. Built March 2015.
- FD 9612 reads as 96 + 1920 = 2016, month 12. Built December 2016.
- FD 0107 reads as 01 + 1920 = 1921, which is obviously wrong for a dishwasher, so read it as 2021, month 07.
That last example is the catch. The scheme was designed decades ago and the two digit year wraps around. For anything built from 2020 onward, sanity check the result against when you actually bought the thing. A 2021 appliance will show an FD in the low numbers, not the nineties.
One thing the FD does not tell you: when your warranty started. Manufacture date and purchase date are different, and appliances sit in warehouses and on showroom floors for months. The warranty runs from the day you bought it. If you are trying to work out whether you are still covered, the FD is a floor, not an answer, and our guide to checking whether an appliance is still under warranty walks through what actually counts as proof.
Why the E-Nr is the one that matters
Three moments in the life of an appliance turn on this number, and all three arrive without warning.
Something breaks. The tech asks for the E-Nr before they will quote you, because the part depends on the variant suffix. Without it you get a guess and a second visit.
You want the manual. Bosch indexes documentation by E-Nr. A search for "Bosch dishwasher manual" returns forty models. A search for SHPM88Z75N/01 returns yours.
A recall lands. Recall notices name specific model and serial ranges. If you cannot produce your numbers, you cannot tell whether the notice applies to your unit. You can search any product free against the official CPSC and FDA databases with our recall check tool, and there is more on that in our guide to checking whether a product has been recalled.
None of these are moments when you want to be lying on the kitchen floor with a phone torch, reading laser etching at an angle.
Write it down once
The plate is not going anywhere, but steam, heat, and ten years of dishwasher cycles do fade laser etching, and stickers peel. Plenty of people find the plate illegible on the exact day they need it.
So capture it while it is readable. Photograph the plate, save the E-Nr with its slash suffix, the Z-Nr, and the FD, and note the purchase date alongside them. That last one is the piece the appliance itself will never tell you.
kept was built for this category of information: the numbers that live on a label somewhere in your house and are worthless until the moment they are urgent. Ask it what your dishwasher takes and it answers from what you told it once.
ask kept about your own appliance and it answers from your saved items, not a search engine.
If you are working through a whole house rather than one dishwasher, the same logic applies to filter sizes, paint codes, and contractor numbers. Our checklist of information to gather in a new house covers the full set.
Frequently asked questions
What is the E-Nr number on a Bosch appliance?
E-Nr stands for Erzeugnisnummer, German for product number, and it is the model number of your Bosch appliance. It typically looks like SHPM88Z75N/01. The two digits after the slash are the production variant and they matter when ordering parts, because Bosch changed internal components between variants. Siemens, Thermador, Gaggenau, and Neff use the same labelling scheme.
Where is the E-Nr on a Bosch dishwasher?
Open the door and look at the top edge of the door, just to the left of the central door catch. On many models it is laser etched into the steel rather than printed on a sticker, so it is faint. If it is not there, check the side edge of the door, which can be either the left or the right depending on the model. As a last resort there is usually a sticker on the lower back panel, but reaching it means pulling the machine out.
What is the difference between E-Nr and Z-Nr?
The E-Nr is the model number, shared by every unit of that model. The Z-Nr, short for Zähl-Nummer, is the serial number and it is unique to your individual appliance. Parts catalogues and manuals want the E-Nr. Registration, recall lookups, and service dispatch want the Z-Nr. Giving one where the other is expected is the most common reason a parts order arrives wrong.
How do I read the FD number on a Bosch appliance?
The FD number is the production date. Take the first two digits and add 1920 for the year, then read the last two digits as the month. FD 9503 means March 2015, and FD 9612 means December 2016. For appliances built from 2020 onward the two digit year wraps around, so check the result against when you bought it. FD 0107 is July 2021, not 1921.
Does the FD number tell me if my Bosch is still under warranty?
No. The FD is the manufacture date, and your warranty runs from the purchase date. Appliances often sit in a warehouse or on a showroom floor for months before they sell, so the two dates can be far apart. Treat the FD as the earliest the warranty could possibly have started, then find the actual purchase date on a receipt, a card statement, or the retailer's order history.