Engine number

The engine number is usually a consecutive identification number.

It is made of motors - Manufacturers in a visible location of the engine block attached:

• on a milled / machined surface using punch marks, or
• in the cast of the engine block as raised numbers and symbols.

The documents of the installed engines and their associated numbers are kept by the manufacturers. Since most manufacturers keep such documents longer than required by law, there is a possibility of checking the originality of a vehicle with regard to its first engine ( oldtimer ). A possible identification part can also be used to check whether the built-in engine actually belongs in this body, and whether the engine output corresponds to the data specified in the papers. It is therefore always advisable to check the engine number when buying used vehicles.

An example: A VW Beetle 1200 with 34 HP / 25 kW originally has an engine with the code letter D. An engine number could be: D 1234567. This number is stamped into a milled area between two VW markings below the alternator. If an engine with code letter F or H is installed in the car, the engine output is incorrect. The vehicle was then given a 40 or 44 HP engine as a replacement; Accordingly, a change in the vehicle documents and an upgrade of the insurance are necessary.

In earlier times, the engine number was also part of the vehicle documents : replacement of the engine in the event of replacement or damage had to be entered in the papers. However, this regulation has been obsolete since the 1970s.

Nevertheless, the engine number is still a certificate : it can be used to determine whether the engine installed is the one that was installed in the vehicle by the vehicle manufacturer .