Repair 7

How to Locate an Engine Serial Number

Engine serial numbers can help reveal the origin of your car or truck. This number will give you the prefix necessary to determine the engines year and displacement. Serial numbers can be stamped in a variety of places on an engine and the placement varies between manufacturers and models. You may need to consult manufacturer resources to discover where the number is displayed.

Instructions

Instructions

1

Look for the serial number in an easily visible place on the engine. There will be a prefix with letters and typically numbers stamped into the engine.

2

Read your engine or cars repair manual to see if it indicates the location of the serial number. Make sure you are researching your specific model.

3

Search for a manufacturers guide to serial number location on the Internet. These guides will have charts that divide information by car or engine model and year. The guides indicate the format you should expect, how many digits will be in it and where it will be located. Some engines may have have as many as five letters in a prefix followed by a seven-digit number.

4

Read the maps in your guide or your repair manual to help you locate the serial number in relation to other parts of the engine.

5

Write down the serial number once you find it. You can also take a photo of the number if it is in an accessible location.