Code-Reading and -Translating in One Place Many automotive enthusiasts and do-it-yourself types may be familiar with an OBD-II code reader that displays the related information for a given warning light. However, some of the information provided by such readers are frustratingly simplified or cryptic. Vehicle Mind is an OBD-II tool, but it’s also much more advanced and connected. “A code reader may just say ‘catalytic converter,’ which isn’t descriptive enough,” Ciadella said. Sometimes a code will be triggered by something as simple as a loose gas cap or faulty sensor, sending completely irrelevant codes to the diagnostic port.