DTC Lookup

Overview

Covers all 9,533 generic codes defined by SAE J2012 / ISO 15031-6 (P0, P2, P3, B0, C0, U0 and U3 families), with descriptions in English and German, plus carmaker codes for 32 makes, strongest for GM, Ford, Volkswagen and Chrysler brands. Generic code content comes from the OBDex open dataset; carmaker titles are given as the carmaker defines them. Warning light and system category data from OBD Codes List, https://obdcodeslist.com/code-data.html. Repair costs are estimates in euros. Data is refreshed weekly.

Live Test DTC Lookup Source →

Formula

One function covers the whole catalog: the first argument names the source, the rest are its inputs, and the "field" pair says which single value lands in the cell. Formulas covers the grammar that applies to all of them.

=VERVE("dtclookup", A2, "field", "found")

A2 holds the code you are looking up. Drag the formula down and each row resolves on its own.

With literal values

Nothing has to come from a cell — typed values work the same way.

=VERVE("dtclookup", "P0301", "field", "found")

Inputs

Required inputs are positional, in the order below. Everything else is passed as a "name", value pair after them — the same shape as SUMIFS. Premium inputs are accepted on every plan but only take effect on plans that include them.

Input	Type	Where it goes	Description
`code`Required	string	argument 2 (A2)	The OBD-II trouble code: P, B, C or U followed by four characters, for example P0301, U0100 or P2BAC length 0–10
`make`Optional	string	"make", value	The vehicle make, for carmaker-specific codes, for example Ford, Chevrolet or Volkswagen length 0–40
`lang`Optional	string	"lang", value	Language of the title, description, causes and symptoms of generic codes `ende` default en

Passing an option

=VERVE("dtclookup", A2, "make", "Ford")

What lands in your sheet

The "field" pair is what makes the formula resolve to one cell. Its value is a dot-path from the table below, so swapping it is how you pull a different value — one formula per column.

Seeing everything at once

Drop the "field" pair and the formula returns the whole response instead: two columns, field name on the left and value on the right, spilling from the cell you typed in.

=VERVE("dtclookup", A2)

Good for exploring, not for filling down

The second row's table would land on top of the first's, and every cell after the first reads #REF! (#SPILL! in Excel). Keep one per sheet, or name a field, and leave the cells below and to the right empty.

Response fields

Paths are relative to data. Each one is exactly what the "field" pair accepts, so swapping it is how you pull a different value into a cell. On a plan without a Premium field the cell reads #PREMIUM(field) rather than a value, so a locked field never looks like a real answer.

Use as "field"	Type	Example cell value	Description
`code`	string	`P0301`	The trouble code, uppercased
`found`	boolean	`true`	Whether the code has a record
`system`	string	`Powertrain`	Vehicle system: Powertrain, Body, Chassis or Network
`subsystem`Premium	string	`Ignition`	Powertrain subsystem, for example Ignition or Transmission
`codeType`	string	`generic`	generic (same meaning on every vehicle) or manufacturer (carmaker-specific)
`title`	string	`Cylinder 1 Misfire Detected`	Standard title of a generic code
`description`Premium	string	`Misfires concentrated on cylinder 1. A cylinder-specific code points away from shared causes (fuel p…`	What the code means and what the control module detected
`warningLight`	string	`Check Engine Light`	Warning light the code turns on, for example Check Engine Light or ABS Light
`affectedComponents`Premium	array	`["ignition_coil","spark_plug","fuel_injector"]`	Components involved, as identifiers such as ignition_coil
`causes`Premium	array[4]		Common causes of the code
`causes.0.cause`Premium	string	`Ignition coil for cylinder 1 failed`	The cause
`causes.0.likelihood`Premium	string	`high`	How often this cause is responsible: high, medium or low
`symptoms`Premium	array	`["Check engine light on or flashing","Rough idle and uneven running","Power loss, hesitation under acceleration"]`	Symptoms a driver may notice
`repairDifficulty`Premium	string	`easy`	easy, medium, hard or shop_only
`diyPossible`Premium	boolean	`true`	Whether the usual repair is within reach of a home mechanic
`estimatedRepairCost`Premium	object	`{…}`	Typical repair cost range
`estimatedRepairCost.min`Premium	number	`40`	Low end of the cost range
`estimatedRepairCost.max`Premium	number	`800`	High end of the cost range
`estimatedRepairCost.currency`Premium	string	`EUR`	Currency of the cost range (EUR)
`estimatedLaborHours`Premium	object	`{…}`	Typical labor time range
`estimatedLaborHours.min`Premium	number	`0.3`	Low end of labor hours
`estimatedLaborHours.max`Premium	number	`4`	High end of labor hours
`emissionsRelated`Premium	boolean	`true`	Whether the fault affects emissions
`limpModePossible`Premium	object	`null`	Whether the fault can put the vehicle into limp mode
`relatedCodes`Premium	array	`["P0302","P0303","P0304"]`	Codes that commonly appear with this one
`make`	object	`null`	The make the lookup used, when a supported make was given
`manufacturer`Premium	object	`null`	The carmaker's definition of a carmaker-specific code, when make is given
`availableMakes`	object	`null`	Makes that define this carmaker-specific code
`language`	string	`en`	Language of the returned text

Filling a whole column

Both platforms make one batched call for a column rather than one request per cell, and both cost the same — 1 credit per row looked up. How you write it differs, because the two runtimes batch at different points.

Rows 2–100 in one call

=VERVE("dtclookup", A2:A100, "field", "found")

In Google Sheets, give the arguments ranges and the answers spill down from the cell you typed in. Custom functions there run synchronously and in isolation, so dragged cells cannot be coalesced — the range form is how a column becomes one call. The "field" pair is required here: a per-row two-column table has nowhere to spill. Use a full column per input (A2:A100, not A2) — a single-cell reference is read as row 1 only and the rest of the column comes back blank.

In Excel, type the formula once and fill down — no range form and none needed, because its runtime is asynchronous and the add-in coalesces the calls a fill produces into a single batched request. Do not hand VERVE.CALL a range: Excel flattens it into positional arguments, so A2:A100 arrives as a hundred separate arguments and the cell reads #ERR rather than filling.

Either way, column A holds your code values and the answers land beside them, one row each, blank rows skipped.

When a cell doesn't fill

A failed lookup returns readable text starting with #ERR rather than a spreadsheet error, because Excel cannot show a custom message on a real error — you would get a bare #VALUE! with no reason. The trade-off is that IFERROR() will not catch it; test with LEFT(cell, 4) = "#ERR" instead. Error handling covers the rest.

Cell reads	What happened
`#ERR Not connected`	No API key saved. Open the side panel and connect your account.
`#ERR Replace <name> with a cell or value`	A preview formula was copied as-is. Swap the placeholder for a cell reference.
`#ERR No "x" in dtclookup`	An option name this source does not take. The message lists the ones it does.
`#ERR No data point "…"`	The `"field"` path is not in the response. Check it against the table above.
`#PREMIUM(field)`	The field exists but your plan does not include it.
`#ERR Out of credits`	The cycle's credits are spent. Usage resets on your billing date.

Before the formula works

The add-in reads the API key you saved once in the side panel — the key never goes in the formula, so a shared sheet does not leak it and a collaborator without access simply sees the last calculated values.

Install the add-in for Google Sheets or Excel.
Open the side panel and sign in, or paste a key from your dashboard.
Type the formula above into any cell.

Use cases

Scan Tool Apps: Bluetooth OBD-II dongle apps turn the raw codes a car reports into plain-language titles, likely causes and the warning light involved.
Repair Shop Software: Workshop systems attach the likely causes, labor hours and cost range to a job card the moment a technician reads a code.
Fleet Telematics: Fleet platforms receiving fault codes from vehicles flag which ones are emissions-related or can put the vehicle into limp mode, and route them to maintenance.
Used Car Inspections: Inspection and listing tools explain stored codes found during a pre-purchase check in terms a buyer understands.

Other ways to use DTC Lookup

Set up DTC Lookup on VerveSheets, or reach the same source a different way. Your VerveSheets account and credits work on all of them — one key, one balance.

Call it as a REST APIOne HTTPS endpoint and an x-api-key header, with SDKs for Node, Python and .NET.APIVerve →Reference →

Give it to an AI agentConnect over MCP and your agent calls it as a native tool — Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT.VerveKit →Reference →

Ground an agent on itA cited, machine-checkable fact your model can't produce on its own.VerveContext →Reference →