Locating the Transmission and Engine Numbers

[AW] Based on my ’91 manual-transmission car, here’s what you do: Uncover the engine and standing by the left rear fender bend over and put your nose right by the left rear corner of the air cleaner housing. Looking down and toward the center of the car (i.e. at approximately a 30 degree angle from horizontal), about one inch beyond a point directly below the fuel injection throttle body you should see a white bar-coded label. That’s the transmission number label. While you’re at it you might want to look about six inches further toward the center and four inches to the rear, where you will see the engine number stamped into the engine block, with the string “C30A1” on one line in larger letters, and “below” (i.e. closer to you) the remaining seven smaller digits of the engine number. On my car someone had helpfully gone over the engine number stamping with a thin coat of orange paint which helped draw my eye to it. It is best observed from just short of the support bracket for the engine cover prop (i.e. where you stick its end to hold up the engine cover).

“Hidden” VIN Number

[MWE – 2000/2/27] The VIN Also appears on the inside of the engine compartment body panel in behind the rear valve cover. Get up under there with a flashlight – you will see it stamped in the middle of that panel.