Where to find the engine code

Why the number plate isn't enough

Many people write to us giving only the make, model and year, convinced that this is enough to pin down the right engine. Unfortunately it isn't. The same model, in the same year, is built with different displacements, fuel systems and power outputs: two apparently identical cars can run units that are completely different in their block, cylinder head and internal components.

The engine code, on the other hand, is unique. It is the designation, made up of letters and numbers, that the manufacturer assigns to a specific engine family: it has no fixed length and can be short (for example CAYC or K9K) or long (such as F1AE0481D, 199A2000, OM651.955 or DC16101L01). Starting from that designation, we can offer you a compatible unit, with the correct mountings, electronic management and mechanical specification for your vehicle.

Where to read it on the registration document

On the vehicle registration document the engine code appears, when it is listed at all, among the vehicle's technical data. You will often find it in the field marked P.5, or among the notes, next to the displacement, the power output and the fuel type.

Not every document shows the designation in full: in some cases only the engine serial number is given, in others the code is missing altogether and has to be read directly off the unit. For this reason it is always worth cross-checking the figure on the document against the one stamped on the engine.

The vehicle and engine plates

As well as the code stamped on the unit, every vehicle carries one or more identification plates. There is the manufacturer's plate, usually located in the engine bay, on the door pillar or under the bonnet, and on many vehicles a plate specific to the engine itself.

On these labels you will find the chassis number and, depending on the manufacturer, the designation or the number of the unit. The chassis number is an excellent starting point: by cross-referencing it with the data on the registration document we can trace the exact powertrain even when the designation is no longer legible.

Where it is stamped on the block: cars

The code is either engraved into the metal or applied on a label, usually on a flat, clean area of the block or the cylinder head. The exact position varies by model and year, but as a general rule it is worth checking the points listed below.

• VAG group (Audi, Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda): often on an adhesive label near the timing end or on the cylinder head, and stamped into the block, typically on the face turned towards the cabin.
• PSA group (Peugeot, Citroen): normally stamped into the block, often near the gearbox mating face, along with a label in the engine bay.
• Renault and Dacia: engraved on the block, frequently on the side or near the bell housing, sometimes on a plate.
• Fiat: stamped on a flat area of the block, often on the front face or towards the gearbox.
• BMW: generally engraved on the block; the designation identifies the engine family and cross-references well with the vehicle documentation.
• Mercedes-Benz: engine number stamped into the block, usually on the side, with the unit's designation encoded within it.
• Ford: stamped on the block and shown on a label, with positions that vary a great deal from platform to platform.

Trucks and commercial vehicles

On heavy vehicles the engine almost always carries a dedicated plate, riveted to the block, in addition to the number stamped into the metal. On Iveco, MAN, Scania, DAF and Volvo this plate is generally easy to see and gives the designation and identification data in full.

Because these are larger units, there is more room to read the references: even so, the rule still applies of comparing the plate against the vehicle's documents, because on commercial vehicles too the same model can run different variants in terms of power output and emissions standard.

Send us a photo and we'll handle it

If you still have any doubt after these checks, don't risk ordering the wrong part. Send us a photo of the registration document, in particular the section with the technical data, and if you can a photo of the designation read off the engine.

From the data on the document we trace the correct code and confirm compatibility before any order is placed. It is the quickest and safest way to avoid mistakes: message us on WhatsApp and we'll reply with the right reference for your vehicle.