We all throw around the 'ive got a C20XE' and 'My LET is amazing' statements, but do you know what your talking about when you say it?? No? Well heres a simple breakdown to help you know what your going on about!
The first part of the engine code will denote the Emissions regulations that the engine was built to at the time of production. Engines without the first letter on the engine code denotes an engine produced before the emissions regulations were introduced! Broken down as follows...
Euro 1 standards (also known as EC 93): Directives 91/441/EEC Vauxhall engine code C
Euro 2 standards (EC 96): Directives 94/12/EC or 96/69/EC Vauxhall engine code X
Euro 3 standards (2000/2005): Directive 98/69/EC, further amendments in 2002/80/EC Vauxhall Engine code Y
Euro 4 standards (basically an update from Euro 3) Vauxhall Engine code Z
Euro 5 standards (2008): Proposed regulation [COM(2005) 683] published in December 2005 Hmm, anyone think that Mr Vaux was a bit hasty to get to the letter Z?
Next we have the easy one. The two numbers after the emissions letter denotes the engine size. So 1.6 litres is denoted by 16, 2.0 litres denoted by 20.... Easy!
The next digit you will come to on the engine code will denote the engines compression ratio as follows...
8 to 8:5:1 ratio denoted by the letter G
8.5 to 9:1 ratio denoted by the letter L
9 to 9:5:1 ratio denoted by the letter N
9.5 to 10:1 ratio denoted by the letter S
10 to 11:5:1 ratio denoted by the letter X
11.5 +:1 ratio denoted by the letter Y
We then move along to the fuelling digit, indicating the type of fuel system the engine uses as follows....
D = Diesel (the guy who thought of that one is a genius)
E = Multipoint Injection
V = Carb engines
Z = Single point injection engines
The last digit on the end of the code will denote if an engine differs from a sister engine, is produced in another counrty, or any factory exra bits! As follows....
B = IBC (Inverted Brayton Cycle, in laymens terms, the recurculation of gasses)
C = Corporation ignition system
F = Vehicles for Authorities (plod Omegas if tuned from the factory would no doubt carry this code...)
H = High output / Supercharging
I = Irmischer
J = Throttled Output
K = Komplex (so complex, thay cant even spell it!)
L = Low output / Supercharging
P = Power Adapted
R = Increased Output
T = Turbo (Another clever one)
U = Uruguay
V = Volume model
W = Venezuela
2 = Family II engine
So now when you tell someone you have a C20XE, you can also tell them it means the engine conformes to Euro 1 regulations, has a capacity of 2 litres, has a 10 to 11:5:1 compression ratio and has multipoint injection!