How to Find a Car’s Engine Code in the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

Identifying two key codes will help you buy the right parts for your car. Here's how you can find the engine code and model year in a vehicle identification number (VIN).

Vin Engine CodePhoto: Family Handyman

This is how to check your car’s VIN engine code and model year

Auto parts stores always ask the year, make and model of your vehicle. That’s easy enough. But they also need to know which engine you have. Don’t know what’s under the hood or exactly what year it is? It’s all in the engine code (sometimes referred to as engine number) and vehicle identification number (VIN). You can find the VIN in the lower corner of your windshield on the driver’s side.

In the series of numbers and letters, the tenth from the left denotes the model year and the eighth is the engine code. Just tell the store clerk those two characters and you’re in business.

Now that you know how to find your VIN engine engine code, discover out what these strange car noises mean, according to a mechanic.

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Originally Published on The Family Handyman