How Do I Find My Engine Code?
The engine code is the most useful piece of information you can give a supplier. It is usually visible in two minutes once you know where to look.
Where to look, by family
| Family | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Honda K-series (K20, K24) | Machined pad on the driver's side of the block, below the head deck | Not the front face. This is the one most guides get wrong. |
| Honda B-series (B18, B20) | Front face of the block | Visible from above on most installations. |
| Honda D-series, R-series | Front face of the block | Single-cam valve cover distinguishes an R-series from a K-series. |
| Honda J-series (J35) | On the block; suffix identifies the variant | V6. Check for cylinder deactivation hardware separately. |
| Toyota (2AZ-FE, 2JZ, 1JZ) | Stamped on the block | The full code includes the suffix: 2AZ-FE, not just "2AZ". |
| Nissan (VQ35DE, QR25DE) | Stamped on the block | Confirm DE versus HR on the 3.5 V6. They are different engines. |
| Subaru (EJ25, EJ20) | Stamped on the block | Counting camshafts separates naturally aspirated from turbo variants. |
Before you go looking
- Let the engine cool. You will be putting your hands near the block.
- Take a torch and a phone. The stamp is often in shadow, and photographing it is easier than reading it in place.
- Take a rag and a little degreaser. Two decades of road film hides a stamp completely, and wiping the pad is usually enough.
- Photograph the stamp rather than transcribing it. Zero and O, and 1 and I, are easy to confuse in a stamped string.
- If you cannot find it, note the year, model and trim instead. That identifies the engine on almost every vehicle here.
If the stamp is unreadable
Road film is the most common cause. Cleaning the pad with a rag and degreaser resolves it more often than not. If the pad is genuinely worn or damaged, the VIN identifies what your vehicle was built with, and that is sufficient for most suppliers to work from.
On a modified car or one with unknown history, the code on the block is the more reliable guide to what is actually in the car. If the VIN implies one engine and the block stamp says another, the vehicle has had an engine change at some point. That is worth mentioning when you request availability.
Common questions
Can I identify my engine without opening the hood?
In most cases, yes. The year, model and trim identify the engine on nearly every vehicle covered here. The engine code on the block is the definitive confirmation, but it is not required to get started.
Is the engine code the same as the VIN?
No. The VIN identifies the vehicle and is on the chassis and door jamb. The engine code identifies the engine and is on the block. Both are useful. Where they disagree, the block stamp is the more reliable guide to what is physically in the car.
Related pages
- Engine FinderTell us the vehicle and we identify the engine before quoting it.
- JDM Engine QuestionsAnswers to the questions Phoenix JDM engine buyers actually ask.
- How to Find Your Engine CodeWhere the code is stamped on each family, and why one location does not fit all.
- How to Verify Engine FitmentThe checks that decide whether an engine will actually work in your car.
Find the right engine for your vehicle
Tell us the year, model and trim. We identify the engine your vehicle takes and come back with current availability and pricing.