In order to reduce the noise and vibration of the diesel engine,it is crucial to exactly identify the engine noise source character.Based on "two-microphone" method,the sound intensity measurement of a vehicle four-stroke diesel engine was carried out in a hemi-anechoic chamber.Then the sound intensity contour maps were obtained from the measurement results and the main noise components of different frequencies on all the measurement surfaces were picked out to construct contour maps.By analysizing the relationship between the characteristics of contour maps and the space distribution of the engine compartment,the major sources of the exterior radiation noise of the diesel engine were identified.The results provided a creditable basis for improving the noise performance of the engine in the next phase.