How to Check an Engine VIN
The Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, that appears on an engine block identifies the vehicle in which the engine was put in at the factory, as well as engine identification and other vehicle identification qualities. Finding and decoding the engine VIN can be somewhat confusing but will aid in determining key features of the engine and the vehicle it was originally in that might not be apparent to the naked eye. The VIN also can be helpful in checking if the engine and vehicle are original.
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Instructions
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1
Look for your VIN. Common places for the VIN to be on your engine are on the radiator support bracket, the front of the engine block on some kind of flat, machined plate or on the main engine block.
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2
Write down the VIN. You will need to make sure you get the numbers and letters of the VIN in the correct order so that you can decode it properly. Different combinations of letters and numbers in different orders signify different engine and vehicle characteristics.
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3
Decode the first character. The first character represents where the car was manufactured. Numbers represent countries such as Mexico and the United States in the VIN, and letters represent countries such as Germany and Japan.
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4
Decode the second and third characters. The second character can be a letter or number and represents the car's manufacturer. The third character refers to the division in which the car was manufactured or the type of vehicle. The first three numbers made up what is called the World Manufacturer's Identification.
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5
Use the VIN decoder to decode the next five characters. This set of characters is known as the vehicle description section along with a VIN verification number. Body style, car color and other vehicle identification characteristics are represented by these five characteristics. The last number is put in place to verify the authenticity of the VIN.
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6
Decode the next two characters. These characters start the vehicle identification section, which consists of the last eight VIN characters. The 10th character signifies the model year of the vehicle. The 11th character signifies what assembly plant where the vehicle was manufactured.
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7
Use the VIN decoder to decode the next six characters. These characters are the vehicle's serial number. This set of letters and numbers is individual to each car and is important in finding out information such as what number the vehicle was off the assembly line.
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