Why is my vehicle not reporting?

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

However, sometimes the tracker can stop reporting and the information in Reveal is incorrect or non-existent. This is sometimes referred to as a non-responsive unit (NRU).

While some issues, such as faulty hardware or outdated firmware, can only be solved by customer support, here are some troubleshooting techniques that you can use to get your vehicle back reporting: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. 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 sitting unused for an extended period of time, the battery may be drained and therefore no power is sent to the 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

The trackers in your vehicles need to talk to satellites. When something gets in the line of sight between the tracker and the satellite network, they cannot talk.
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. Verizon Connect’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 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 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.

Check the extension cable connections

If using an OBD-II extension cable with the Vehicle Data Device (VDD), try the following:

Check cable connection to the OBD-II port

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

If you hear the VDD beep, the VDD is receiving power. If you do not hear the device beep, check the connection between the cable and the VDD itself.

Check cable connection to the VDD

If you do not hear the device beep, check the connection between the cable and the VDD itself. 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. If you hear the VDD beep, it is receiving power. Resecure the device with cable ties if you have removed any.

If the VDD does not beep after checking the cable’s connection to both the OBD-II port and the VDD check that the VDD is working.

Check that the VDD is working properly

To check if the VDD is working:

Disconnect the cable from the OBD-II port and the VDD.
Plug the VDD directly into the OBD-II port. If the VDD beeps, then the issue is either that the fuse on the VDD cable or the cable itself may need to be replaced.

Check the extension cable’s fuse

If the VDD does not beep when plugging the device back in, try testing the VDD cable’s fuse with a multimeter or swapping out the fuse. (3A mini-blade fuses can be purchased at auto parts stores.)

Open the fuse holder cap to access and remove the fuse.
With the cable connected to the OBD-II port and the VDD, plug the replacement fuse into the fuse holder.

If the VDD beeps, the issue was a blown fuse.

If the VDD does not beep, then with a multimeter:

Check the OBD-II port’s power and ground circuits.
Check the vehicle’s cigarette lighter/power receptacle fuse (they’re usually still called “cigarette” on the fuse diagram panel).

If OBD-II port and power receptacle fuse check out OK, then the cable may need to be replaced.

Here is a good reference article on how to check car fuses with a multimeter.

Still stuck?

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
Tracker ESN (if possible)
Name of contact
Where to send the technician

Note: If you have access to the vehicle, ensure that the ignition is on so Customer Support can perform further checks.