If you're a personal user, knowing how to read and interpret OBD codes is a trick that's well worth having up your sleeve for those times when the Check Engine light in your car suddenly comes on ...

The second character identifies whether the fault code is a generic code or a manufacturer specific code. A generic code is the same on all OBD-II equipped vehicles no matter the manufacturer.

Did your vehicle's check-engine light just pop on? An OBD-II scanner can point you in the right direction—and potentially save you a bundle.