The GPS trackers in your vehicles send information, such as location, to RAM Tracking.
However, sometimes the tracker can stop reporting and the information in RAM Tracking is incorrect or non-existent.
While some issues, such as faulty hardware or outdated firmware, can only be solved by customer support, here are some troubleshooting techniques that you can use to get your vehicle back reporting:
Check the Detailed Report
If you suspect that your vehicle is not reporting, run a Detailed Report.
This report will tell you where the vehicle has been today, or on whatever date range you select. Detailed report does not show real-time information. To see where your vehicle is right now, check Live Map.
Check that the vehicle can start
Try starting the vehicle. If a vehicle has been sitting unused for an extended period of time, the battery may be drained and therefore no power is sent to the tracker.
Check that the vehicle is in cellular range
If you see the no signal icon, then the vehicle may have gone out of cellular range. This can be caused by driving through a tunnel, entering an underground car park, or driving through an area with no cellular signal, such as a the countryside.
Check that the vehicle has a clear view of the sky
The trackers in your vehicles need to communicate with satellites. When something gets in the line of sight between the tracker and the satellite network, they cannot communicate.
If the vehicle is inside of a building with a metal roof, in an underground car park, or in an area surrounded by large buildings, this may interfere with GPS signal.
Trackers require both GPS and the cellular network to work.
Check that the battery isolator or voltage reducers are inactive
Battery isolators and voltage reducers prevent the starting battery from being run down by your vehicle’s equipment when the engine is off. They do this by reducing the voltage to below 6V. RAM Tracking’s tracking units need at least 12V to work.
If the battery isolator or voltage reducer is engaged too soon, this can affect your tracking in the following ways:
The vehicle shows as un familiar state on Live Map when the vehicle engine is off.
Live Map shows only the last movement of the vehicle, which may be some distance away from its actual location.
To prevent this from happening, wait at least 90 seconds after turning off the vehicle before engaging the battery isolator or voltage reducer. This will allow the tracker to finish its reporting cycle.
Check that the tracker is plugged in
Trackers stop reporting when they are unplugged. A plug-and-play device can be unplugged because of tampering or it can be unplugged during maintenance. (The ODB II slot is used by mechanics to run vehicle diagnostic reports.)
Reboot the tracker
Check the lights on the tracker itself. If the lights are not on, perform a power reset on the unit. To do this, unplug the tracker from the ODB II port with the engine off, wait for five minutes and then plug it back in. This will only work for plug-and-play devices.
Check wiring and fuses
If you have a plug-and-play tracker, check the power of the OBD II port using a digital multimeter. Test the voltage on pin16. If it shows 0 volts then check for a blown fuse - often the OBDII is fused on the auxiliary circuit.
If you have a wired 9 (or 3-wire) tracker, check for a blown fuse as the tracker is wired to one of the fused circuits in the vehicle.
Still need help?
Once you have carried out all these checks and the vehicle is still not reporting, it is time to contact Customer Support. They can perform further troubleshooting and book a technician if needed.
Ahead of your call to support, have the following information available:
Vehicle name and vehicle ID
Date and time of last report
Name of contact
Where to send the engineer (may not be necessary)
Note: If you have access to the vehicle, ensure that the ignition is on so Customer Support can perform further checks.