Used Engine Blog » Engine Identification

What is the difference between Federal Emission Engines and California Emission Engines?

Matthew — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:13:32 +0000

It is common for engines to have two different versions pertaining to emissions. Sometimes this is as simple as an EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) – take the exhaust and run it through the engine to burn it again so it comes out cleaner. Sometimes this is as simple as different intake manifolds and maybe some fuel injectors (Subaru EJ253 engines, Toyota 2AZ-FE engines, etc). These are parts that can often be swapped or plugged. They are interchangeable with minor modification.

Then, there are engines that will not under any normal circumstances (read: without extensive expert modifications) interchange between emissions standards. A Toyota 2.2L 5S-FE engines with California emissions cannot be used in a vehicle with Federal emissions, and vice versa. A 3.1L Chevy Malibu engine with Federal Emissions cannot be used in a Chevy Malibu with California emissions and vice versa. The list goes on.

You might be asking what California emissions are, and what Federal emissions are. Federal emissions are the Federally mandated pollution standards that auto manufacturers have to meet nationwide. A vehicle with Federal emissions cannot release over a certain number of particulates per million into the atmosphere, and some cities/counties are under Federal mandate to inspect the vehicles of their residents before they issue tags or tag renewals. If the vehicle fails to pass, it must be fixed under these mandates. Federal emissions vehicles cannot be sold new in areas with California emissions. I’ll be honest and admit that I’m not certain if someone who owns a vehicle with Federal emissions can move to an area that requires California emissions and keep their vehicle.

California emissions vehicles have stricter emissions standards – they have to release fewer particulates per million than their comparable Federal counterparts. Don’t let the name “California emissions” trick you though – New York and many states in New England require vehicles to have California emissions some years. It can get confusing.

So how do you identify what you have? There are a few ways. You can call your local dealership (read: the dealer that sells your brand of vehicle) with your VIN and they can decode it. A simpler way is to open up your hood (or bonnet, for our English brethren), and look on either the apron or the bottom side of the hood. There will be a tag there.

Here is how to decode that tag. 48 state emissions = Federal emissions. 50 State Emissions = California Emissions.

One last thing. Don’t assume that just because you’re in a state that doesn’t require California emissions that you will have a Federal emissions vehicle. It is perfectly legal to sell California emissions vehicles everywhere, and sometimes they slip into states that don’t require them!

A History of Honda Accord Engines, 1990-Present

Marcus Albright — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:29:08 +0000

Ranked second on the list of Affordable Midsize Cars by U.S. News, the Honda Accord has shown great improvements since Honda began manufacturing it in 1976. Although the Accord has had many changes in things such as its design and size, this article will focus on the transformation of the Accord’s engine over the past twenty years in North America; the engines in cars overseas differed at times from the North American models. Certain aspects, such as the size and power, of the engine have change from 1990 to now and have only increased the reliability and popularity of the Accord.

In 1990, Honda introduced its fourth generation of Accords. This generation of Accords included a 2.2 liter, 16 valve electronic fuel injected engine standard. There were three versions of the Accord in this generation: DX, LX, and EX. The DX and LX came equipped with engine F22A1, which had 125 horsepower with four cylinders and 93 kW. During the fourth generation, the EX version of the Accord came equipped with two different engines. Engine F22A4 was used in 1990 and 1991; this engine had 130 horsepower with 97 kW. In 1992, engine F22A6 was introduced in the EX Accords, and it had 135 horsepower with 100 kW; this engine was used until 1993.

In 1994, the fifth generation of Accords was introduced. The main change in this generation was seen in the EX model. The engine still had 2.2 liters with four cylinders, but the new VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) version of the engine increased its horsepower to 140 horsepower with 108 kW. According to HowStuffWorks, the VTEC allowed the engine to have multiple camshafts. In 1995, Honda began using the C27 engine in the Accord. This was a V6 engine with 2.7 liters, and it was only offered in the LX and EX versions.

In 1998, the sixth generation of Accords burst onto the scene. This generation of Accords came with the option of a four-cylinder engine or a V6 engine. The DX four-cylinder engine was equipped with 2.3 liters, 130 horsepower, and 97 kW. The LX and EX models came with 150 horsepower, 112 kW, and included VTEC. The other engine option was the V6 engine. All V6 models included three liters, 200 horsepower, 150 kW, and VTEC.

2003 was the first year for the seventh generation of Accords. During this generation, the four-cylinder engines had 2.4 liters with 160 horsepower; while, V6 engines saw an increase in horsepower to 240 horsepower because of changes to the intake and exhaust. The Accord Hybrid was introduced in the 2005 model year and included a V6 engine that produced 255 horsepower. In 2006, the 30^th anniversary year for the Accord, the V6 engine increased its power to 244 horsepower and the four-cylinder engine increased its power to 166 horsepower; the 2006 Accord Hybrid was re-rated at 253 horsepower with 189 kW.

According to Edmunds, the current Accord has better engine performance without losing any of its fuel efficiency. Now in its eighth generation, the Accord still offers a four-cylinder or V6 engine. The basic 2.4 liter four-cylinder engine now produces 177 horsepower; in the EX, an upgraded version of this engine is available that produces 190 horsepower. The V6 engines now are 3.5 liters and include VCM (Variable Cylinder Management), which shuts off two or three of the cylinders while driving; the VCM can increase the horsepower of the V6 to 271 horsepower with 202 kW.

Overall, the Honda Accord engine has shown itself to be very reliable. Drivers around the country have continued to show their love for the Accord, as seen in the increase in sales. The Accord continues to win awards and despite the importance of the appearance of a vehicle, the Accord would not receive these accolades without having a strong engine. It is evident in the previous twenty years that Honda values improvement in its engine, and as the heart of the vehicle, one must believe that the Accord’s engine will only get better in the next twenty years.

As always, if you need an engine, please feel free to get fill out an online request for a quote on replacement engine or call us at 901-266-9996.

Used Toyota Camry Engines

Matthew — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:00:50 +0000

Toyota Camrys “run forever.” In fact, we’ve sold Camry engines to more than one customer who has gotten more than 400,000 miles out of their original engine. Note that these results are not typical; folks getting those kind of miles are maintenance freaks, and I say “freak” with every intention of it being a compliment. You can maintain till you’re blue in the face unless the design is good. Camry’s have excellent design. The cars just last! If you find yourself in a situation where you need an engine for your Camry, you would probably do well to replace the engine if the rest of the vehicle is in good shape.

We recently had one of our installers in Middle Tennessee put an engine in a really sweet lady’s1999 Camry. She was from Northern Missisippi; our guy picked up her car and hauled it to his shop. I say “our guy” because he is a shop that we have a fantastic relationship with, but he isn’t employed by us. We were able to drive the Camry, motor knocking like crazy, onto his truck. He drove and, I guided. We pulled the oil dipstick on the engine, and it was as as black as a freshly paved road. We of course pulled the transmission dipstick shortly after. Holding it up there were metal flakes that looked like fools gold. This car had been “rode hard and put up wet.” We offered to install a transmission for the customer for only the cost – our cost, no markup – on the transmission.

For this particular customer, we installed a 2.0L replacement engine. Her Camry originally had a 2.2L engine, but we’ve had excellent results with 2.0L replacement engines. There is virtually no power difference between the engines, and we get the 2.0L engines with normally between 30,000 and 50,000 miles. It really is a great solution for our customers. The install went great. The customer had to go out of town, and wanted the car delivered back to her in 8 days, so the mechamic was able to take his time and put some miles on the car after the engine install. In fact, he drove it back to her. There is no better way to test an install than to road test, and the road test verified that our customer had a great Toyota Camry used engine in her vehicle.

If you need a Toyota Camry used engine, or any other engine, please feel free to contact us. As always, you can reach us by phone at 901-266-9996 or you can submit an engine request online. We’ll give you one of the best warranties in the industry and help you save money!

How do I find my Audi or Volkswagen Engine Code?

Matthew — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:03:41 +0000

It’s very common for Audi and Volkswagen models to have several engines with the same VIN code for the same year. Normally, these codes are three letters, but I have seen some 2008 Volkswagen engine codes with four digit engine codes.

Regardless of whether you have a three or a four digit engine code, to make sure you get the correct Audi or Volkswagen engine you have to know the engine code. There are a few ways to find it. Keep in mind that this is based off of my experience only – if you know another location the engine code can be found, please share it.

In some years of VW and Audi vehicles, the engine code is on a sticker located on the engine’s timing cover.
For many years, the engine code is located on the apron at the front of the engine compartment.
In some years, check a sticker located on either the driver’s door or the frame the door closes into. Normally, this is the sticker that also has the VIN.