Frequently asked questions

Short answers to common questions about using DTC Remover. For the full workflow see Removing fault codes; for behaviour on specific ECU families see ECU-specific notes.

What is the difference between OBD and manufacturer (PROD) codes?

OBD codes are the ones read with the diagnostic tool set to the generic OBD-II protocol; multi-brand ELM327 cables usually read only generic OBD codes. Manufacturer codes (shown as PROD in the software) are read with the tool set to the manufacturer-specific protocol. On Audi/Seat/Skoda/VW the manufacturer code to use is the 5-digit numeric one.

Which field do I use, and can I enter both?

OBD Code — the standard OBD code; the group letter (B, U or P) is mandatory at the front (e.g. P0403).
PROD Code — the manufacturer-specific code (see the make-specific notes below).

You can fill in both the OBD and PROD fields at the same time, so the software searches both tables in a single operation.

What do Disable, Remove and Checksum do?

Disable — turns the code off by setting its priority flag.
Remove — removes the code more firmly, for cases where Disable did not clear the limp-home (the exact technique varies by ECU type).
Checksum — corrects the checksum, only on EDC15 ECUs where the Checksum box is ticked. The EDC15 checksum is off by default.

For how these behave per ECU family, see ECU-specific notes.

How do I format codes on BMW?

OBD codes always keep the group letter (e.g. P0403).
Manufacturer codes must not have the group letter (e.g. P3071 is entered as 3071).

How do I format codes on the VAG group (Audi/Seat/Skoda/Volkswagen)?

OBD codes always keep the group letter (e.g. P0403).
OBD codes shown with more than 5 characters must be truncated (e.g. P200200 → P2002).
VAG 4-digit hexadecimal manufacturer codes: no group letter (e.g. P3071 → 3071).
VAG 5-digit decimal manufacturer codes: zero-pad at the front if shorter than 5 digits (e.g. 123 → 00123).
VAG 5-digit decimal codes longer than 5 digits: remove the leading zero (e.g. 012345 → 12345).

Rule of thumb: the software treats a 4-character entry as a VAG hexadecimal code and a 5-character entry as a VAG decimal code; no other lengths are accepted.

Tip — On VAG vehicles it helps to read the file with VAS or VCDS so you also capture the manufacturer codes — OBD codes alone may not be enough to clear every fault. For example, on an Audi A4 EDC17CP14 a differential-pressure fault can be stored only in manufacturer form (searched as the decimal code 05262), and some faults only appear under VCDS.