OEM fault-code index 17,105 model-code entries · 132 manual P/Ns
Powersports DTCOEM fault-code library

Reference

Powersports fault-code glossary

Short definitions for the vocabulary behind the code tables: SPN, FMI, DTC, P-code, CAN and PGN, ECU and ECM, EPS, and the difference between an active and a stored code.

Published by Azmi Mhamed · Sources and data

Definitions updated 2026-10-25 · 8 entries · Report a correction

Why a glossary helps

A fault-code table is easier to read when the words around it are stable. The same manual may use SPN, FMI, DTC, P-code, ECM, and EPS in a single chapter, and the acronyms can hide the fact that they describe different layers of the same system. This glossary keeps the definitions short and links each one to the reference page or model table where the term is used.

The entries are written for a reader who already has a code and wants to understand its format. They do not add a diagnosis, a repair procedure, or a safe-operating judgment. A definition explains what a term means in the archive; the OEM manual remains the authority for a specific machine.

Start with SPN and FMI if the code is a pair of numbers. Start with P-code if the code begins with P, and with CAN / PGN if the label names a message or a network. The code index is the flat lookup; the glossary is the vocabulary behind it.

SPN Suspect Parameter Number The number that identifies the component, circuit, or parameter a controller is watching. FMI Failure Mode Identifier The number that describes how a monitored parameter failed. DTC Diagnostic Trouble Code The umbrella term for a code a controller reports or stores. P-code Powertrain Diagnostic Trouble Code A code that begins with P, usually tied to the powertrain or engine controller. CAN / PGN Controller Area Network / Parameter Group Number The vehicle network and the message-group identifier used in J1939-style communication codes. ECU / ECM Electronic Control Unit / Engine Control Module The controller that runs a system; ECM usually refers to the engine controller specifically. EPS Electric Power Steering An electric steering-assist system and the module that controls it. Active vs stored Fault-code state Whether a code is present now or was recorded earlier and kept in memory.

Model tables

These tables show the vocabulary in context. The first is a Polaris model table, the second is the Arctic Cat shared table, and the third is a Segway ECU table.

Polaris Ranger 1000Model tableArctic Cat shared fault codesModel tableSegway UT10 ECUModel table

Reference pages

The glossary is one part of the reference layer. The FMI reference lists the common failure-mode values and the archive counts. The label-variance reference lists every key with more than one printed description. The model-year changes page groups exact model names by year, and the code index lists every key in one searchable table.

System hubs

The system hubs apply this vocabulary to the tables. Each one follows a module or component family across brands and model years, with exact row anchors back to the source pages.

Fuel and airFuel delivery, throttle, intake, boost, and emissions · 400 code keysIgnitionSpark, coils, misfire, knock, and engine speed · 100 code keysSensorsTemperature, pressure, position, speed, and switches · 528 code keysElectricalPower, charging, relays, drivers, modules, and body outputs · 562 code keysCommunication / CANCAN buses, messages, PGNs, and lost-module rows · 46 code keysEPSElectric power steering and steering-angle rows · 104 code keysBrakes / ABSBrake switches, wheel speed, ABS, and descent control · 37 code keysTransmission / driveGear, clutch, AWD, differential, and traction rows · 109 code keys