Where is bank 1 located on a automobile engine?

It depends on the engine/manufacturer. For example, Chev 350: #1 is left bank front, #2 is right bank front. Answer The above is true, but in addition there is a visual way to tell as well. If you look at the engine block you should be able to see one of the cylinder heads, or the forward part of the casting in the block is ahead of the other side (this is because if you look at the internal components of the engine you will see 2 connecting rods will be on a single journal of the crankshaft of any V configured motor one piston is slightly ahead of the other, modern maching and casting of engine blocks will have a slight setback on one side; I am not sure but this may not be the case on very old engine blocks due to far less sophisticated casting and machining prior to the end of WWII ?) In every case that I have seen the forward most cylinder is the #1 cylinder. Additionaly Chevy does number there cylinders alternating like described above, Ford will number 1-4 on one bank 5-8 on the other in either case the forward most cylinder is the 1# cylinder.