Where is the engine number?
2 Answers
The engine number is usually found on the outer surface of the engine block, or on the vehicle's nameplate or the nameplate inside the engine compartment. The simplest and most direct method is to check the vehicle's administrative green book or the vehicle registration certificate. The engine number, like a person's ID number, represents each vehicle and contains very important information about the vehicle. Engine model is an identification code assigned by the engine manufacturer in accordance with relevant regulations, enterprise or industry practices, and engine attributes, to a batch of identical products. It indicates information such as the manufacturer, specifications, performance, characteristics, technology, purpose, and production batch of the engine, including fuel type, number of cylinders, displacement, and static braking power, among others. Engines installed in passenger cars or multi-purpose passenger vehicles are required to display the professional manufacturer, model, and production number of the engine. It is important to note that the engine number is not the same as the engine model. The engine model refers to the specifications and size of the engine within the manufacturer's product line, and engine models can be the same. The engine number, however, refers to the production number of the engine, where each engine is assigned a unique number that differs from all others. Composition of the vehicle engine number: Front part: Includes the product series code, generation symbol, and regional or enterprise code, which are selected by the manufacturer as needed and must be approved and filed by the industry standard's regulatory body. Middle part: Consists of symbols representing the number of cylinders, cylinder arrangement, stroke, and cylinder diameter. Rear part: Composed of symbols indicating structural features and usage characteristics. Tail part: Differentiation symbol. When differentiation is needed due to improvements or other reasons within the same product series, the manufacturer selects appropriate symbols to represent this, with the rear and tail parts possibly separated by a hyphen (-).
I'm a seasoned driver with over a decade of experience, and I prefer doing my own car repairs and maintenance. Finding the engine number is quite simple—it's located on the engine block itself, most commonly on the side of the cylinder block or the front of the engine block. You can see it once you pop the hood. It's usually laser-etched or machine-engraved on the metal surface, and the markings might be covered by oil or dust, but a gentle wipe with a cloth will make it clearly visible. For example, on my old car, the engine number is on the right side of the block near the radiator. This number is crucial for insurance transfers, vehicle inspections, and other formalities, so I recommend taking a photo and saving it on your phone for easy access. If it's hard to locate, try shining a light from different angles or refer to the illustrations in your owner's manual.
