Write down your OBD2 codes before you clear them. Here is a free one-page scan record.
A scan shows codes on a screen, and a cleared code leaves that screen. This one-page worksheet gives you a place to copy each code, the status your tool reported and what you noticed, so a shop sees what you saw.
The plain answer
The scan record is a one-page PDF with blank fields. It has room for the scan date and time, the vehicle, the odometer with its units, the adapter and app you used, what you noticed and when, and four codes with the status your tool reported: stored, pending, permanent or unknown. Print it, or type into the PDF fields. It works with any scanner or app.
Copy each code and its status exactly as the tool shows them. Do it before you clear anything.
What each field holds
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| Scan date and time | When you read the codes. |
| Vehicle | Year, make and model. |
| Odometer | The reading and its units, miles or kilometers. |
| Adapter and app or scanner | What you used to read the codes. |
| What you noticed | What happened and when, in your own words. |
| Code, reported status, notes | Up to four codes, each with the status your tool reported. |
| Saved scan or photo | The filename, plus any questions for your mechanic. |
Download the worksheet
Both files are blank. They hold no example vehicle, ask for no email address and contain no scripts or form-submit action, so the file itself sends nothing anywhere. Keep a filled copy private, because it holds your odometer reading and your codes.
How to fill it in
- Park the car and turn the ignition on.
- Connect your scanner or adapter and read the codes.
- Copy each code exactly as shown. Add the status the tool reports. If it shows none, write unknown.
- Write what you noticed and when it happened, in your own words.
- Save a screenshot or photo of the scan and write its filename on the sheet.
- Bring the page, or a photo of it, to a qualified mechanic.
What clearing does and does not do
Clearing a code removes it from the scanner’s list. It does not repair the cause. California’s Bureau of Automotive Repair says permanent diagnostic trouble codes “cannot be erased by clearing the DTCs with a scan tool or by disconnecting the vehicle’s battery”, and that the vehicle’s own OBD II system clears them once it has verified that the earlier defects are no longer present. Clearing can also reset readiness monitors, which our smog check guide explains.
What the sheet is not
It is a note-taking aid. It does not diagnose a fault, rank repairs, judge whether a car is safe to drive or replace a qualified mechanic. The codes and statuses you write down depend on the vehicle and the tool you used.
Axlyne’s boundary
Axlyne reads supported standard generic OBD2 responses through a separate compatible ELM327 Bluetooth LE or Wi-Fi adapter, on iPhone and Android. Basic reading and clearing are free and need no account. Axlyne Pro adds PDF and CSV exports inside the app, which are separate from this blank worksheet. Support varies by vehicle, adapter and phone. Set up while the vehicle is parked. The download page lists the current store links.