Editorial and corrections policy

Drivers read these pages with a warning light on and a decision to make: keep going, book a shop, or stop. A severity set too low or a cause listed in the wrong order costs money or worse, so we separate what a rule says from what we estimate, and we say which is which on every page.

Who is responsible

Radif Partners, reachable at contact@obdcodemeaning.com.

What comes from a rule

• how the check engine light behaves, from the EPA onboard diagnostic rules in title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations;
• colors and symbols of the brake, ABS, stability control, tire pressure, oil, coolant and charging telltales, from the motor vehicle safety standards in title 49 (FMVSS 101, 126, 135, 138 and 208);
• emission warranty periods, from 40 CFR 85.2103 and the California Air Resources Board;
• technician wages by state, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What is our own estimate

The plain-English meaning of each code, the ranking of its causes, its severity, and the labor hours of each repair are written by us from how these faults are usually diagnosed and fixed. They are labeled as estimates wherever they appear, and the method page explains how they are built. We never publish a parts price we cannot source, and we never interpret a manufacturer-specific code.

Sources we refuse

Forum threads, parts-store pages and video tutorials can point us to a question; they never supply a fact or a figure here. We do not copy the SAE J2012 document or any maker's service manual: code descriptions are given in the standard's structure and our own words.

Review cycle

We re-read the federal rules when the eCFR shows an amendment, and at least once a year; wages are replaced with each new BLS release, usually in spring.

Corrections

1. We check the report against the rule or against several documented repairs.
2. We correct the data file, add a test when a tool's logic is involved, and date the change.
3. The site rebuilds and every page that uses the figure shows it.

Independence

No carmaker, parts retailer, repair chain, scan tool brand or insurer pays for or reviews what is published here. See also the method page. Version of November 1, 2026.