I have a 2002 Accent, I bought it from a little old lady who has her own dealership and just sells "auction" cars as is and knows jack about them. Well I have had 2 elantras so an Accent with low milage was an easy sell, but here's the thing: What engine do I have? It came with no paperwork, the title doesn't say. I know you can tell by the vin, but I went to 2 garages and 2 parts stores, and one of each said 1.5 and the others 1.6. Sooner or later I'll need a part that's not interchangeable. Someone help!

the first chunk of my vin is "KMHCF" then the letter number part starts.

 

google is your friend here's some pics of the 1.6L engine:

first is the beta 1 1.6L (as in non VVT, which is not an option on your generation)
http://rides.importtuner.com/ride/10.../photos/4.html

note that its normally black and silver top, not red and silver top. someone has simply painted it.

and here is what the 1.5L looks like:

http://www.dragtimes.com/images/8328...dai-Accent.jpg

now just pop the hood and compare

 

Look at the valve cover. It will have DOHC stamped in it if it's a 1.6L or SOHC stamped in it if it's a 1.5L. FYI, DOHC = Double Over Head Cam, SOHC = Single Over Head Cam.

 

Nova - FYI there IS a 1.5L DOHC out there....its a total POS but it does exist...its virtually non existent in north america however. if the OP is from austrailia or somewhere its a possibility....

apparently it was one of hyundai's first DOHC engines and it was just terrible. its hard to find much info on it, not a good sign lol

 

While that's true, the chances of him having a DOHC 1.5L are slim. But to be sure, I'll ask, what's the 8th digit of the VIN?

 

very slim...from what i understand thats a good thing