CarScan
U0401Network

Invalid data from engine control module

Where to start

The unit receives data from the engine that it does not believe. This is not a communication failure — the link is there, but the content is implausible. Look for codes in the ENGINE itself: the real cause almost always lives there, and this code is only its reflection.

«No communication» is about the bus, not the unit

⛔ «No communication» almost never means «the unit is broken». It means one unit stopped hearing another, and the usual causes are power, ground and the bus — not the unit itself. Replacing a control unit on this code is the most expensive mistake in the whole reference.

Read the number of them. Several «no communication» codes at once point to something shared: power, ground, or a break in the bus. One code alone points to that unit's own connector and its power. Five missing units almost never mean five broken units.

⚠️ These codes also appear on their own after the battery has been disconnected, and clear themselves after a few trips. Clearing them without finding the cause is fine only in that case — otherwise they come back before you leave the yard.

A code is not a diagnosis. It says which check failed, not which part to replace. Clearing it without repair only means the car will report it again in a few trips.

How to put together a report a mechanic will actually read

How the code is built

Letter — the systemNetwork: modules talking to each other
Common or the maker's ownGeneric code: the same on every car
Number of the faultThe serial number inside that group — it does not say how serious the fault is

All codes in «Communication between modules»

How the app helps

CarScan reads this code from your car through an OBD-II adapter, shows whether it is active now or only stored, names the module that reported it, and puts it into a plain-text report for your mechanic.

See what the app does

Unfamiliar word? Open the glossary

What the letter and the four digits mean