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OBD-II Code Lookup
Check-engine light on? Type the code from your scanner — or search by symptom — and get what it means, the likely causes in the order a workshop checks them, and whether it's safe to keep driving.
If the check-engine light is flashing (not steady), stop driving — that usually means an active misfire that will kill your catalytic converter. Steady light = read the code, note the freeze-frame data, and clear it to see if it returns. Descriptions are the standard SAE definitions; manufacturer-specific P1xxx codes vary by brand.
Good to know
- Covers the standard SAE generic codes (P0xxx, P2xxx, P3xxx) plus common network (U0xxx) and ABS (C0xxx) codes.
- P1xxx codes are manufacturer-specific — every brand means something different. Start with a dealer scan tool or a search for your model + the code.
- Freeze-frame data (the conditions when the fault set) is often the fastest path to the real cause — most scanners show it alongside the code.
- A flashing check-engine light means active misfire — stop driving. A steady light is usually safe to drive to a workshop while you diagnose.