engine-number
Holden Caprice Engine Number
Use this guide to locate the engine number on your Holden Caprice and line up the right engine-related parts enquiry.
The Caprice is Holden's top long-wheelbase luxury sedan, sold from the VQ (1990) through WH, WK, WL, WM and WN generations, and also exported in later years. It shares driveline and front-end engineering with the Commodore and Statesman of the same era but uses long-wheelbase-specific body, glass and interior parts.
Where to find your Holden engine number
The stamped engine number is on a machined pad on the block. Its location depends on the engine family:
- Inline six-cylinder: on a pad on the right-hand side of the block, above the engine-mount boss.
- V8 (253 / 308, 4.2 / 5.0 litre): on a pad on the left-hand side of the block, above the engine mounting.
- V6 (Buick-derived, Ecotec, Alloytec): on the front left-hand face of the block, below the ignition coil.
- Later V6 and LS V8 models: the build / engine plate sits on the radiator support panel (VT-VZ era) or the passenger-side strut tower (VE / VF era).
You may need to wipe the pad clean to read the stamped number, and on air-conditioned cars the compressor can sit in front of it. Older Holden engines use a capacity-plus-tune prefix (for example 186S or a Q-series V8 code), while modern engines (Ecotec, Alloytec and the LS V8 family) use a GM engine code plus a separate stamped serial.
For the most accurate part match, send us both the engine code or prefix and the full stamped number, along with whether the car is automatic or manual.
On this model
Caprice used the Ecotec and Alloytec V6 and the Gen III/IV LS V8 family depending on era, identified by GM engine code plus a stamped serial. On the later WM/WN Caprice the engine number is at the rear of the engine on the passenger side. Send the engine code and stamped number for an accurate driveline match.
⤢ Tap to enlargeThis page also draws on later year-by-year data for Holden Caprice to cover modern variants.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the engine number on a Holden Caprice?
It is stamped on a machined pad on the engine block. Inline sixes are on the right side above the engine mount, the 253/308 V8s on the left side above the mount, and the V6 engines on the front left face below the ignition coil. You may need to wipe the pad clean to read it.
What is the difference between an engine prefix and an engine code?
Older Holden engines use a capacity-plus-tune prefix stamped on the block, while modern engines (Ecotec, Alloytec and the LS V8 family) use a GM engine code plus a separate stamped serial.
Do you match engine numbers to parts?
Yes. Send us the engine code or prefix and the full stamped number, plus whether the car is automatic or manual, and we will match the right engine-related part.
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