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The Spanish ITV and the OBD socket: what they read

At a Spanish ITV test centre they don’t just check the exhaust any more: they plug a reader into the car and read what it says. This is what they look for, under the official test centre manual, and how to check it yourself first. Most European roadworthiness tests read OBD in a similar way, but where you live, your country’s rules are the ones that count.

Which cars

The OBD reading is done on Euro 5 and Euro 6 cars and vans, following the ITV test centres’ inspection procedure manual. The version in force since January 2026 is 7.9.

What they check, point by point

  • That the OBD socket answers. If the test centre can’t read the car, it’s a major defect.
  • The engine warning light, off. If it’s on, it’s major, even if the car runs fine.
  • No confirmed or permanent faults. A single one is major. Permanent faults can’t be cleared: they go away on their own when the car checks the fault is fixed.
  • How far it ran with the warning light on. If it’s off now but the car did more than a kilometre or more than an hour with it on, it’s major. If the car doesn’t give that figure, it’s minor.
  • Lifetime fuel consumption. On cars registered from 2021, the test also records the total fuel and distance stored in the car.

The emissions monitors

Monitors are the checks the car runs by itself while you drive: catalytic converter, oxygen sensors, EGR and so on. The manual doesn’t use them to decide, but Final OBD still shows them because they give away a recent clear: if nearly all of them are incomplete, somebody cleared the faults not long ago.

Why not to clear faults before going

Clearing switches the light off, but it doesn’t fix the fault, and permanent faults can’t even be cleared. On top of that, a recent clear shows. The sensible thing is to read the car in good time, a week or two before, fix whatever comes up and drive normally so the car finishes its checks.

How to check it at home with Final OBD

Final OBD reads through the socket what the test centre reads and judges it by the rules of manual 7.9, not by other countries’ rules or forum lore. The verdict is one of three: pass, fail or something still to read. It never says pass without having read everything.

Each defect comes with its point in the manual and whether it’s minor or major, and the faults to fix are on the same screen, explained. The verdict is part of Pro.

What the app can’t see

Brakes, lights, tyres, play in the suspension or exhaust gases are checked at the test centre, and none of that can be read through the socket. Final OBD isn’t the test itself or an official report: it saves you going in blind on the OBD part. If a fault comes up, here’s how to read and clear it.