OBD-II hardware and software
Plug in the DriveDecode M1 adapter, open the DriveDecode app, and read your engine and emissions codes in plain English: what the code means, what usually causes it, and what to check first.
Already have a code? Start here.
Two pieces. The adapter reads the car, the app explains it.
Hardware
Plugs into the OBD-II port under your dash and connects over Bluetooth. Works on 1996-and-newer US cars and light trucks. Ships with an activation code good for two devices. If everything you scan is a 2008 model year or newer, theDriveDecode Go covers those for less.
Coming soon
M1 specs and detailsSoftware
Reads stored, pending and permanent codes, shows live sensor data, and tells you whether you will pass an emissions test. Every code comes with ranked likely causes and a place to start, and any scan can be handed over as a PDF.
iOS and Android at launch, macOS to follow
How DriveDecode worksFive things a code reader on its own will not do for you.
"P0301" tells you nothing. "Cylinder 1 is misfiring" tells you where to look. Every code carries its plain-English label everywhere it appears.
Not an alphabetical parts list. The causes that actually turn out to be the problem, in the order worth checking them.
Around a fifth of trouble codes mean different things on different makes. DriveDecode decodes your VIN and shows the definition for the car in your driveway.
See which monitors have run and which have not, framed the way the test station sees it, before you drive across town.
A fuel trim check that compares idle against 2500 rpm, a battery and charging check that tells resting voltage from charging voltage, and reports you can hand to a shop.
A DriveDecode adapter reads engine and emissions systems: the powertrain and emissions codes the OBD-II standard requires on every US vehicle it covers. It does not read ABS, airbag (SRS), TPMS or transmission-specific manufacturer codes. Those need make-specific decoding that generic OBD-II hardware cannot do.
The app is free to try and the adapter comes with the activation code in the box.