V Engine (V6, V8, V12)

Common types are V6, V8 and V12; the angle between banks is often 60 or 90 degrees depending on the design. The layout is shorter than an inline engine with the same number of cylinders, so large engines fit in the engine bay. Each bank has its own cylinder head and exhaust manifold, and fault codes often refer to bank 1 or bank 2.

Pistons in both banks drive connecting rods onto the same crankshaft, often with two rods sharing one crankpin.

Twice the cylinder heads means more gaskets, camshafts and timing parts to maintain. Bank 1 is the side containing cylinder 1; check service information before replacing a sensor for one bank.