Glossary / General

code reader

5 Episode Mentions

Too Afraid to Ask

It’s a small device you plug into your car to see what the computer says is wrong. It shows error codes that help diagnose problems.

Technical Definition

A code reader is a handheld diagnostic tool that plugs into a vehicle’s OBD‑II port to retrieve trouble codes and sensor data from the engine control unit.

Hear It Discussed

"Like, if you could speed up so much of your diag in the body stuff, I can still remember like, you know, power windows and power locks kind of problems, how much info you could get from the DRB3"
Derek Amodio Was a Chef but Now He’s a Technician? The Jaded Mechanic Podcast 37:28

"You could get him a scan tool, one of those small card reader code readers, and that would be perfect. That code reader sounds great."
Auto Correct Classic | Auto Tips for Navigating the Holidays Auto Correct 05:04

"So yeah, yeah, And one thing that made me do is go ahead and get me a code reader for myself, and that and that and I bought one that you can actually do live data with it too..."
The Car Show with Dane Donovan 5/23/2026 The Car Show with Dale and Dane Donovan 21:40