Why is the 9-digit engine number only showing 6 digits?
2 Answers
There are 3 English letters at the beginning, representing the engine model. The vehicle engine number can be found on the engine block or on the vehicle registration certificate. Here is relevant information: 1. Engine number: The engine model is marked by the manufacturer according to relevant regulations or industry practices to indicate engine-related information. This includes the engine's manufacturer, specifications, performance, features, technology, purpose, and production batch. 2. Composition: It consists of 17 digits and letters. Based on the principle of permutation and combination, it will not repeat within 30 years. Its function is to effectively identify the vehicle, and this set of numbers is required for procedures such as vehicle transfer registration.
I run an auto repair shop and have seen many similar cases. The engine number is supposed to be 9 digits, but sometimes only 6 are visible, which is quite common. It could be because the manufacturer omitted certain prefixes or suffixes during production, or there might be missing digits during printing, especially in some imported or older models. Don’t worry too much—it won’t cause issues while driving. As long as the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is complete, the full number can be traced. I recommend checking your vehicle registration certificate or the body plate to verify. If they don’t match, it might be an input error, so make sure to correct it at the DMV promptly to avoid registration hassles. During routine maintenance, ask the technician to check if the plate is worn to prevent confusion. Overall, the length of the number doesn’t affect performance—it’s just a record identifier.
