Troubleshooting: Vehicle not reporting to Reveal

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The vehicle trackers in your vehicles send information, such as location, to Reveal.

Occasionally a vehicle tracker can stop reporting and cause absent or incorrect information in Reveal. This is sometimes referred to as a non-responsive unit (NRU).

If this happens, use the following troubleshooting techniques to get your vehicle reporting again.

Some issues, such as faulty hardware or outdated firmware, can only be solved by Customer Support.

Restart a non-reporting vehicle tracker from Reveal

If a Vehicle Data Device (VDD) or a Xirgo tracker is installed in a vehicle, you can restart the vehicle tracker from within Reveal.

For more information, see Restart a non-reporting vehicle tracker from Reveal.

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.

Replay 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 unused for a long time, its battery may be drained and unable to power the vehicle tracker.
Some trackers only report when the vehicle is in operation.

Check that the vehicle is in cellular range

Check the vehicle status on Live Map. 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 desert.

Check that the vehicle has a clear view of the sky

Vehicle trackers need to communicate with GPS satellites and the cellular network. Metal degrades or blocks GPS and cellular signals, but the signals easily pass through non-metallic vehicle parts.

Vehicle trackers should not be mounted beneath, or covered by, metal objects within a vehicle’s dash.
If the vehicle is inside a building with a metal roof, in an underground car park, or in an area surrounded by large buildings, this may interfere with GPS signals.

Vehicle trackers work through glass, plastic, and composites.

Check that the battery isolator is inactive

Battery isolators prevent the starting battery from being run down by your vehicle’s equipment when the engine is off.

If the battery isolator is engaged too soon, this can affect vehicle tracking in the following ways:

The vehicle shows as idle 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. This will allow the tracker to finish its reporting cycle.

Check that the vehicle tracker is plugged in

Vehicle trackers stop reporting when they are unplugged. A plug-and-play device can be unplugged because of tampering, or during maintenance. (mechanics use the ODB-II port for vehicle diagnostics.)

Reset the vehicle tracker

To hard reset a vehicle tracker, remove the fuse that provides power to the OBD-II port. The fuse is typically labeled Aux/Cigarette, Data Link Control Connector, Diagnostic Link, or Powerpoint.

For Xirgo vehicle trackers, check the lights; if the lights are not on, reset the tracker as follows:

Turn off the engine.
Unplug the vehicle tracker from the ODB-II port.
Wait for five minutes.
Plug the vehicle tracker into the OBD-II port again.

Check the port wiring and fuses

If you have a plug-and-play vehicle tracker, check the port voltage using a digital multimeter.

When checking voltage with a digital multimeter, ensure the multimeter power probes contact the ground and power pins at the same time.

Vehicles with an OBD-II port

The voltage at the OBD-II port should be 12 volts or greater.

Use Pin 16 to test the Battery + voltage.
Use Pin 4 to test the OBD-II chassis ground.

If the voltage is 0, check the OBD-II port fuse and replace it if blown
Often, the OBD-II port is fused on the auxiliary circuit.

Vehicles with a 9-pin DLC port

The voltage at the Data Link Connector (DLC) port should be 12 volts or greater.

Use Pin A to test the Battery - voltage.
Use Pin B to test the Battery + voltage.

If the voltage is 0, check the DLC port fuse and replace it if blown
The tracker is wired to a fused circuit in the vehicle.
If the voltage is still 0, check the OBD-II port fuse and replace it if blown.
If the voltage is still 0, check the vehicle tracker's harness for a blown fuse or damage.

Vehicles with an RP1226 port

The voltage at the RP1226 port should be 12 volts or greater.

Use Pin 1 to test the power voltage.
Use Pin 8 to test the chassis ground.

If the voltage is 0, check the RP1226 port fuse and replace it if blown.
If the voltage is still 0, check the OBD-II port fuse and replace it if blown.
If the voltage is still 0, check the vehicle tracker's harness for a blown fuse or damage.

Vehicles with a 6-pin port

The voltage at the 6-pin port should be 12 volts or greater.

Use Pin C to test the power voltage.
Use Pin E to test the chassis ground.

If the voltage is 0, check the 6-pin port fuse and replace it if blown.
If the voltage is still 0, check the OBD-II port fuse and replace it if blown.
If the voltage is still 0, check the vehicle tracker's harness for a blown fuse or damage.

Check the cable connections

Check the cable connections for the VDD tracker or Xirgo tracker as relevant.

VDD tracker

The VDD beeps when it is receiving power.

If using an OBD-II extension cable with the VDD, try the following:

Check the cable connection to the OBD-II port

Unplug the cable from the vehicle’s OBD-II port and plug it back in.

If the VDD beeps, it is receiving power.
If the VDD does not beep, Check the cable connection to the VDD.

Check the cable connection to the VDD

Turn off the engine.
Disconnect the VDD from the cable.
Wait for five minutes.
Reconnect the VDD to the cable.

If the VDD beeps, it is receiving power. Re-secure the VDD with cable ties if you removed any.
If the VDD does not beep, Check that the VDD is working properly

Check that the VDD is working properly

Disconnect the cable from the OBD-II port and the VDD.
Plug the VDD directly into the OBD-II port.

If the VDD beeps, it is working properly.
If the VDD does not beep, Check the cable.

Xirgo tracker

The Xirgo tracker's LEDs are illuminated when it is receiving power.

Check the cable connection to the OBD-II port

Unplug the cable from the vehicle’s OBD-II port and plug it back in.

If the Xirgo’s tracker's LEDs are illuminated, the Xirgo tracker is receiving power.
If the Xirgo tracker's LEDs are not illuminated, Check the cable connection to the Xirgo tracker.

Check the cable connection to the Xirgo tracker

Unplug the cables’s 14-pin Molex connector from the Xirgo tracker.
Wait for five minutes.
Plug the cable's 14-pin Molex connector into the Xirgo device.
Check the Xirgo’s LEDs.

You may need to turn on the ignition for the Xirgo tracker to receive power.

If the Xirgo tracker's LEDs are illuminated, the Xirgo tracker is receiving power.
If the Xirgo tracker's LEDs are not illuminated, Check the cable.

Check the cable

Check the cable’s fuse

Open the fuse holder cap.
Access and remove the fuse.
Optional: Test the removed fuse with a multimeter. If the fuse is ok, Replace the cable.
Insert a new, similar fuse into the fuse holder and replace the fuse holder cap.
3A mini-blade fuses can be purchased at auto-parts stores.
Connect the cable to the OBD-II port and the vehicle tracker.

If the vehicle tracker is receiving power (VDD beeps or Xirgo tracker's LEDs are illuminated), the issue was due to a blown fuse.
If the vehicle tracker is not receiving power (VDD does not beep, or Xirgo tracker's LEDs not illuminated), Replace the cable.

Replace the cable

Disconnect the existing cable.
Replace the existing cable with a similar cable.
Connect the new cable to the OBD-II port and to the vehicle tracker.

If the vehicle tracker is receiving power (VDD beeps or Xirgo tracker's LEDs are illuminated), the issue was due to the cable.

Still stuck?

Once you have carried out all these checks, if 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 Customer Support, have the following information available:

Vehicle name and vehicle ID
Date and time of last report
Tracker ESN (if possible)
Name of contact
Address of vehicle location where the technician can check the installation.

If you have access to the vehicle, ensure the ignition is on so Customer Support can do further checks.