Use of engine no. when installing reconditioned All engines and factory-new replacement engines or crankcases - AH01.10-P-0001-01A

ENGINE ALL 

The engine number has a different legal significance in the individual countries. For example, in the Federal Republic of Germany it has been viewed as "insignificant in terms of traffic law" since the middle of 1972. It is therefore no longer included in the vehicle title of ownership and vehicle registration document.

Almost every other country still requires the engine numbers of automobile registered in the country concerned. In international transport the authorities regard the regulations of the country in which the vehicle is registered to be binding.

To ensure that there are no difficulties with regard to automobile verifications or border crossing because of missing or incorrect engine numbers, the following guideline must be observed for all repair work.

• 1. Guidelines for vehicles registered in the Federal Republic of Germany 
  1. For vehicles that do not have an engine no. in the vehicle registration document  (initial registration after approx. middle of 1972), a replacement of an identical model engine or cylinder crankcase does not require a new engine no. to be stamped in or an existing one to be changed.
  2. If an engine number is entered in the vehicle registration document,  then, in the case of replacement with identical components, either the number of the removed major assembly must be transferred onto the new engine, or the engine number on the vehicle ownership title or vehicle registration document must be struck through by the responsible persons (TUV, TUA, vehicle licensing agency).

     Corresponding regulations have been enacted by the Federal Ministry of Transport in its Official Journal 1973, page 66.

• 2. Vehicles registered outside Federal Republic of Germany 

  When installing a reconditioned engine or a factory-new engine or cylinder crankcase the engine number of the removed engine must be adopted when replacing an identical model and transferred to the new major assembly or the new cylinder crankcase.

  NOTE: For different models the engine number can only be stamped onto a removed engine.

  The special guidelines under point 3 must also be observed for the installation of reconditioned engines, cylinder crankcases and short blocks.

• 3. Special guidelines 
• 3.1 Installation of an identical model, factory-new replacement engine 
  1. If a factory-new engine is installed and an engine number is required (e.g. vehicle registered outside Federal Republic of Germany), then the number of the factory-new engine must be ground down and the number of the originally installed identical model engine then stamped in.
  2. If the factory-new engine has an engine model plate (older car engines) and if an engine number needs to be specified in the vehicle documents, then the engine model plate must be removed from the removed engine and attached in the same position to the engine that is identical and that is to be installed.
• 3.2 Installation of an identical model reconditioned engine 
  1. The remanufactured unit plate  must not be removed from either the reconditioned engine to be installed or from the removed engine, if this was a reconditioned engine.
  2. If the removed engine carries an engine model plate  (older car engines) and if an engine number needs to be specified in the vehicle documents, then the engine model plate must be removed from the removed engine and attached in the same position to the reconditioned engine that is to be installed. This plate is to also be attached to the remanufactured unit plate.

     If a vehicle owner encounters difficulties because of missing engine numbers during vehicle verifications or border crossing, the relevant workshop may - under certain circumstances - be liable to recourse.

     After an engine replacement the engine number in the vehicle maintenance booklet and the vehicle data card, as well as the customer repair card must be corrected. These documents must clearly indicate which engine is in the vehicle to ensure that the replacement part service can run smoothly.

     The copy of the vehicle data card that is located at the replacement part department for the company-owned sales and service outlet responsible or the general distributor should also be corrected.

• 3.3 Model designation marking of cylinder crankcases and short blocks 

  The crankcase and short blocks available for delivery on the parts sector do not bear an engine model designation marking nor do they have an engine number.

  To ensure that engine identification is possible during vehicle inspections (e.g. by the Technical Inspection Association following vehicle immobilization or the customs authorities when a vehicle is exported), then the workshop conducting the repair must stamp the engine model designation into the crankcase or the short block in the engine sequence field.

  Example: 

  Model, engine model designation

  201.024 102.962

Extract from VkBI 1973 pg. 66 (Official Journal of the Ministry of Traffic, Building and Housing) 

(Applies for Federal Republic of Germany only)

Official Gazette of Federal Ministry of Transport

Guidelines on vehicle ownership title (VkBI 1972 pg. 354)

Bonn, December 28th, 1972

StV2/36.15.17

In accordance with the vehicle ownership title guideline dated June 20th, 1972, Section C. No. 9.1, and where vehicle ownership titles were based on the old version of title templates, for details that are no longer required in future (e.g. the "manufacturer's engine serial number"), a line has to be inserted at the relevant position.

The question then arises as to how to proceed, with regard to the vehicle ownership title and the vehicle registration document, if older version titles still contain the former manufacturer's engine serial number, and now a reconditioned engine with a new number is installed into the vehicle in question. Following coordination with the responsible supreme authority of a German State, I hereby state the following:

1. Because the manufacturer's engine serial number is no longer significant in traffic law terms, a change does not need to be made to the vehicle documents. This is not contradicted by 27 Section 1 of the German vehicle licensing regulations, whereby the details in the vehicle title of ownership and vehicle registration document must always be matched to the actual conditions. This regulation includes namely only those details on specific conditions that are relevant in terms of traffic law. This is no longer the case with the manufacturer's engine serial number.
2. However, to ensure that the affected vehicle owners are not subjected to any misunderstandings or even disadvantages (e.g. inspection abroad), I would advise the following procedure:

   If the installed reconditioned engine has a different number to the one in the vehicle title of ownership and vehicle registration document, then the details in the "Manufacturer's engine serial number" have to be deleted and the following endorsement entered in the vehicle title of ownership and vehicle registration document at a suitable position: "Entry of manufacturer's engine serial number no longer required".

   If the endorsement is entered in the immediate vicinity of the deletion, then the following entry is sufficient:

   "Entry no longer required".

   Federal Minister of Transport

   Commissioned by

   Wagner