Tracker Not Communicating

The tracker is not communicating

Track My Ride automatically runs periodic health checks on your trackers to ensure they're operating correctly. If we find an issue, a red notice will appear next to the vehicle as shown below and on the Vehicles Page.


Reviewing the the tracker's automatic self-check status

Periodically, around every 30 minutes your tracker will be automatically assessed by our systems for any issues that might cause a problem with your tracking experience. This could be anything from incorrect wiring, to the placement of the tracker that is causing low/no GPS signal. There are many different signals that we assess for to help you get the best experience with your Track My Ride GPS tracking system. To review the tracker's self-check status, follow these steps:
  1. Access your account at https://app.trackmyride.com.au or using the mobile app.

  2. Open the Vehicles Page


  3. You can view the status of the tracker's self check against your vehicle's information row. There are three status that can be shown



      1. The tracker is operating correctly, an no issues have been detected.


      1. An issue was detected, but it has been since rectified in the past 24 hours.


      1. A potential issue has been detected that might impact the normal operation of your Track My Ride GPS tracker. You should review it to see what actions need to be taken to resolve the issue.

  4. Click the green + symbol at the start of the row, or anywhere on the row to expand it and view more details about the detected issue(s), if any are present.

Example of a tracker with a power supply issue

In the example below, the tracker that has stopped communicating because the vehicle it is connected to has a flat battery, or the tracker has been disconnected from its external power source. The details of the issue can be viewed in the status notes area once the row has been expanded (by clicking the green +). For example, with this tracker we can see a few issues have been detected because the tracker's external power supply has been depleted or disconnected.
Info
The notice regarding "No network communications" will also be shown if you use Ultra Deep Sleep mode, and have not used the vehicle in the last 30 days.
  1. External power is disconnected : A +12V or +24V constant power supply is recommended for the best operation of your tracker.
  2. Power supply voltage is critically low : When the external power supply is too low to operate the tracker and it's running on its internal backup battery. At least +10V of power is required to keep the tracker running.
  3. No network communications : The tracker is offline and has not communicated with our servers in at least 30 days.



Network coverage

In order to connect with our servers and update your vehicle's location in real-time, your Track My Ride GPS vehicle tracker needs to be within the mobile network coverage area. Your GPS tracker is able to automatically connect to Telstra, Optus and Vodafone's 4G networks. If the vehicle is within a mobile network blackspot (parked or transiting), it will be unable to communicate with our servers but will continue to record and store GPS position data. The stored location data will be automatically uploaded to our servers once the vehicle exits the network blackspot. The TMR-S8 GPS vehicle tracker can store up to 400,000 location points internally (more than you'll ever need!).

Buildings and local terrain does have an impact on network signal levels. You may find that your GPS tracker is able to acquire a mobile network connection when you're driving the vehicle but it may lose its mobile network connection when parked in your garage, shed, or underground carpark. This is based on the local mobile network signal strength. Even if the vehicle is parked in a location where it cannot connect to the mobile network, your vehicle's last recorded location will still be shown on the map.

Pro tip: You can also use the Raw GPS Data report to view the current mobile network signal strength in the most recently received data packet from your GPS tracker.

Alert
If you experience poor network signal strength, you may find that moving the tracker to a different location in your vehicle can resolve the issue. Avoid placing the tracker near or inside metal, as metal blocks mobile network signals as well as GPS signals.




Power supply

Your GPS tracker requires a constant +12V or +24V power supply to operate normally. It can be run on an accessories only power supply (Power only when the vehicle is operating), however it will require additional time each time it's powered up to acquire a GPS signal and vehicle location before tracking can commence. The tracker will operate on its internal backup battery until it is depleted if its external power supply is disconnected. We recommend your tracker is connected to a constant power supply for the best experience.

There are two green LED lights on the Track My Ride GPS vehicle tracker. You can use these lights to determine the tracker's current operating status.
BehaviourMeaning
Permanently switched onGPS signal lost, searching for satellites
Blinking every secondNormal mode, GPS location acquired
OffGPS is turned off because:
Device is powered off
or
Device is in sleep mode

Status LED Light

BehaviourMeaning
Blinking every secondNormal operational mode
Blinking every two seconds (dimly)Device is in sleep mode
Blinking fast for a short timeModem mobile network activity
OffDevice is powered off
or
Device is in sleep mode


If both the green lights are not turned on or illuminated

Info
Any detected motion will wake your tracker from sleep mode, it only needs a light tap or two to wake up
If your tracker isn't in sleep mode and the light still aren't turning on, then simply this means your tracker is not receiving +12V or +24V power. Please also check to be sure your device has not been damaged by water ingress. The first step is to look into the power supply to the device. Please ensure the 12-pin cable is firmly connected to the device and that it is receiving at least 12 volts power. If the device has been hardwired into the vehicle, try plugging the tracker into the vehicle using the originally supplied OBD2 Plug and Play power cable. If the lights turn on, then the issue lies in the wiring of the unit and you should contact your auto electrician.

If the lights are on or blinking

We recommend that you perform a power-cycle on your GPS vehicle tracker.

How to power-cycle the Track My Ride GPS tracker

  1. Unplug the tracker by removing the 12-pin cable from the tracker itself.
  2. Leave the tracker unplugged overnight, or at least long enough (2+ hours) for the lights to extinguish if they were on. This will occur once the internal backup battery has been exhausted.
  3. Once the tracker's lights have switched off and they don't turn on when you move the tracker (motion detected), you may plug it back into the vehicle to power the tracker up again.
  4. If you have power-cycled your device and it has not come back online or the electrician has confirmed that the device is correctly connected to a +12V or +24V constant supply, please create a support ticket at https://support.trackmyride.com.au/portal/en/newticket detailing the steps you have taken in resolving the issue so our support team can assist you further.


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