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Engine serial number location
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Reverendgoldenboy
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 10:18 pm    Post subject: Engine serial number location Reply with quote

Where do I find the serial number on a 2.1L motor?
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Zero419
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 4:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think it is right by the distributor bore.
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The engine serial number is on the case at the base of the breather tower.
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D Clymer
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 8:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've always wondered if you can verify if a VW engine is original to the car by the engine serial number. I know with old american muscle cars, they talk about "numbers matching cars." Anyone know if there is a record anywhere of which engine serial number went with which VIN# on a Vanagon?

D
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Vanagon Nut
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 10:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

not to derail this but are the 4 black numbers on case near OEM TDC sensor (2.1) factory numbers?
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 1:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

D Clymer wrote:
I've always wondered if you can verify if a VW engine is original to the car by the engine serial number. I know with old american muscle cars, they talk about "numbers matching cars." Anyone know if there is a record anywhere of which engine serial number went with which VIN# on a Vanagon?

D


I'd love to know the same. I'm still trying to figure out if my engine is original on my '85.

Where is the aforementioned breather tower? The only stamped numbers I could find was close to plug #2 on the left side of the engine...and that number looked nothing like a VIN to me.
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Jake de Villiers
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

D Clymer wrote:
I've always wondered if you can verify if a VW engine is original to the car by the engine serial number. I know with old american muscle cars, they talk about "numbers matching cars." Anyone know if there is a record anywhere of which engine serial number went with which VIN# on a Vanagon?

D


'Numbers matching' just means that the engine, trans, etc are of the appropriate age, not that they are stamped with the car's serial number. You want the part number and the casting date to be maybe a little earlier than the build date and you want the correct heads/intake/exhaust manifolds on your '69 Z28.

Only modern manufacturers put 'serial numbers' on engines and transmissions.
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CdnVWJunkie Premium Member
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 6:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jake de Villiers wrote:
D Clymer wrote:
I've always wondered if you can verify if a VW engine is original to the car by the engine serial number. I know with old american muscle cars, they talk about "numbers matching cars." Anyone know if there is a record anywhere of which engine serial number went with which VIN# on a Vanagon?

D


'Numbers matching' just means that the engine, trans, etc are of the appropriate age, not that they are stamped with the car's serial number. You want the part number and the casting date to be maybe a little earlier than the build date and you want the correct heads/intake/exhaust manifolds on your '69 Z28.

Only modern manufacturers put 'serial numbers' on engines and transmissions.



VW has been ID'ing their engines for decades. I've purchased several "birth certificates" from them and each has stated the original engine ID numbers. One of the buses was an early 50's.
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D Clymer
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

CdnVWJunkie wrote:


VW has been ID'ing their engines for decades. I've purchased several "birth certificates" from them and each has stated the original engine ID numbers. One of the buses was an early 50's.


Thanks for the input. I should purchase a "birth certificate" for the Vanagon in question and see if the engine I pulled out of it is the original. It supposedly is, but it was rebuilt once (badly) and I've always wondered if it really is the original or whether it somehow got exchanged for another.

D
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D Clymer
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jake de Villiers wrote:

'Numbers matching' just means that the engine, trans, etc are of the appropriate age, not that they are stamped with the car's serial number. You want the part number and the casting date to be maybe a little earlier than the build date and you want the correct heads/intake/exhaust manifolds on your '69 Z28.

Only modern manufacturers put 'serial numbers' on engines and transmissions.


I see. I always assumed "numbers matching" meant that the actual engine number could be verified off of the VIN # or from a build sheet for that car.

I'm not a muscle car person, so I appreciate the information. Wink

D
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 9:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

D Clymer wrote:
I should purchase a "birth certificate" for the Vanagon in question and see if the engine I pulled out of it is the original.


Don't be surprised if said birth certificate simply says "nicht verfügbar; (MV), 90bhp, 2.1 liter" after "Engine No.". Wink

What should be stamped on the engine is MV ###### . That six-digit number tells you when the engine was built (well, for those of us who have access to that info, anyway Very Happy ). For example, MV 036101 is a 2.1L MV engine built in July 1987; CS 141800 is a 1.6L CS engine built in November 1983.

EDIT: Click here for a PDF list of engine build dates (MV, CV, CS, DH engines only).
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Last edited by kamzcab86 on Wed Feb 07, 2024 11:21 pm; edited 1 time in total
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D Clymer
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

kamzcab86 wrote:
D Clymer wrote:
I should purchase a "birth certificate" for the Vanagon in question and see if the engine I pulled out of it is the original.


Don't be surprised if said birth certificate simply says "nicht verfügbar; (MV), 90bhp, 2.1 liter" after "Engine No.". Wink

What should be stamped on the engine is MV ###### . That six-digit number tells you when the engine was built (well, for those of us who have access to that info, anyway Very Happy ). For example, MV 036101 is a 2.1L MV engine built in July 1987; CS 141800 is a 1.6L CS engine built in November 1983.


So there is no actual engine ID number? I knew that transmissions were stamped with a (confusing) production date code, but I assumed engines actually had an ID number.

Have you actually ordered a "birth certificate" for one of your VWs? Worth it or not?

Thanks, Kam.

D
D
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kamzcab86
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 9:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

D Clymer wrote:
So there is no actual engine ID number? I knew that transmissions were stamped with a (confusing) production date code, but I assumed engines actually had an ID number.

Have you actually ordered a "birth certificate" for one of your VWs? Worth it or not?

Thanks, Kam.

D


That six-digit number is as close to an ID number as you'll probably get. If the engine was built within 1-3 months of your van's build date, odds are it's the original engine. There are no codes like what appears on the trans, as far as I know; I could be wrong though.

And, yes, I've got a birth certificate for my Cabriolet (click here to see it). I plan to get one for the van too sometime in the future. Cool
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 10:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The MVxxxxxx is the actual unique engine ID number. If you post the full number I can tell you when the engine was made. If you also post the last 8 digits of your VIN that can be checked for date as well. These dates are not exact, within a week or two.

Mark

D Clymer wrote:
.....So there is no actual engine ID number? I knew that transmissions were stamped with a (confusing) production date code, but I assumed engines actually had an ID number......
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D Clymer
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 3:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

crazyvwvanman wrote:
The MVxxxxxx is the actual unique engine ID number. If you post the full number I can tell you when the engine was made. If you also post the last 8 digits of your VIN that can be checked for date as well. These dates are not exact, within a week or two.

Mark

D Clymer wrote:
.....So there is no actual engine ID number? I knew that transmissions were stamped with a (confusing) production date code, but I assumed engines actually had an ID number......


Hi Mark,

Thanks. That would be great! The van is a 1988 Wolfsburg Edition with VIN# ending in JH077333. The engine code is MV043433*. Any information you could give would be much appreciated.

David
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

D Clymer wrote:
The van is a 1988 Wolfsburg Edition with VIN# ending in JH077333. The engine code is MV043433*.


Mark can confirm, but:

Engine was built in March 1988.
Van was built in March 1988 (click here to determine the exact date).

Looks like you have a "numbers matching" van. Wink


EDIT: Click here for a PDF list of engine build dates (MV, CV, CS, DH engines only).
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Last edited by kamzcab86 on Wed Feb 07, 2024 11:22 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kamzcab86 wrote:
D Clymer wrote:
I should purchase a "birth certificate" for the Vanagon in question and see if the engine I pulled out of it is the original.


Don't be surprised if said birth certificate simply says "nicht verfügbar; (MV), 90bhp, 2.1 liter" after "Engine No.". Wink

What should be stamped on the engine is MV ###### . That six-digit number tells you when the engine was built (well, for those of us who have access to that info, anyway Very Happy ). For example, MV 036101 is a 2.1L MV engine built in July 1987; CS 141800 is a 1.6L CS engine built in November 1983.



Technically you're correct.... well, actually we both are Cool Yes, the engine ID will determine within a certain time period when the engine was produced however with the birth cert. you'll actually have the actual ID number of the engine when the van was manufactured.

SO, if you only partially matters to you, you can determine rather quickly whether the engine is the correct "range" with a quick engine ID number. If you want to know for certain then the birth certificate will tell you specifically what you want to know... or not Wink
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 5:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

CdnVWJunkie wrote:
Yes, the engine ID will determine within a certain time period when the engine was produced however with the birth cert. you'll actually have the actual ID number of the engine when the van was manufactured.

SO, if you only partially matters to you, you can determine rather quickly whether the engine is the correct "range" with a quick engine ID number. If you want to know for certain then the birth certificate will tell you specifically what you want to know... or not Wink


Not disagreeing with you, but the engine number is not displayed on my Cabriolet's birth certificate (linked in a previous post), nor is the build date of said engine (it's also missing several M-codes). The only thing it states on that line is engine type. Therefore, you shouldn't be relying on an expensive piece of paper to tell you all you want to know about your vehicle. Furthermore, the new 2012 certificates don't even say "Motor Nr./Engine No."; they simply say "Motor/Engine". Wink
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 5:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, both do show up as produced about the 3/4 of the way into March 1988.

Mark





D Clymer wrote:

Thanks. That would be great! The van is a 1988 Wolfsburg Edition with VIN# ending in JH077333. The engine code is MV043433*. Any information you could give would be much appreciated.

David
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 6:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kamzcab86 wrote:
CdnVWJunkie wrote:
Yes, the engine ID will determine within a certain time period when the engine was produced however with the birth cert. you'll actually have the actual ID number of the engine when the van was manufactured.

SO, if you only partially matters to you, you can determine rather quickly whether the engine is the correct "range" with a quick engine ID number. If you want to know for certain then the birth certificate will tell you specifically what you want to know... or not Wink


Not disagreeing with you, but the engine number is not displayed on my Cabriolet's birth certificate (linked in a previous post), nor is the build date of said engine (it's also missing several M-codes). The only thing it states on that line is engine type. Therefore, you shouldn't be relying on an expensive piece of paper to tell you all you want to know about your vehicle. Furthermore, the new 2012 certificates don't even say "Motor Nr./Engine No."; they simply say "Motor/Engine". Wink



That's weird. When i got my first BC they were free but you had to wait until they had time to search for the information. All the others were paid for. I've never requested one for anything but a Bus so I speak from that vantage point.
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