It’s a good thing your brother knows how to understand car OBD codes! When he’s ready to tackle your BMW 325i, he’ll need to look down and to the left of the steering column. The OBD port is on the driver’s side, near the quarter panel, just above the hood-release latch.

With any luck, the error code he finds will be a simple fix. If it’s something like replacing the power steering fluid, you can proceed with confidence to resolve the issue.

But as you said, your brother is a mechanic-in-training. And the fact is most car insurance policies will not cover faulty repair work done by a mechanic (or an amateur mechanic for that matter). For that reason, if the OBD code indicates anything complicated, we really recommend getting your car fixed at a repair shop or by a mobile mechanic.

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