Monitor Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) in real time with Motive to prevent breakdowns, cut repair costs, and keep your fleet running safely and efficiently. Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), also known as fault codes, are alerts generated by a vehicle’s onboard diagnostic (OBD) system to identify malfunctions. Understanding how DTCs work and how Motive captures them helps you maintain fleet health, prevent breakdowns, and reduce repair costs.
Overview
Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) are essential for fleet managers to detect and resolve vehicle issues early using real-time data from Motive’s vehicle gateways. Monitoring these codes helps prevent minor issues from becoming major repairs, keeping your fleet running efficiently and cost-effectively.
- Early problem detection: By monitoring DTCs, fleet managers can identify potential mechanical issues early. This allows for timely intervention, preventing costly repairs before they escalate.
- Proactive maintenance: DTCs provide valuable data that helps schedule maintenance or repairs before breakdowns occur. This proactive approach reduces the likelihood of unplanned downtime.
- Minimized downtime: Addressing issues promptly based on DTC alerts helps minimize downtime. This ensures that vehicles stay operational and productive, reducing fleet disruptions.
- Improved safety: DTCs help identify critical vehicle issues that could compromise safety. Resolving these issues quickly improves both driver and cargo safety on the road.
Basics
Fault codes are standardized codes generated by a vehicle’s OBD-II system when it detects a malfunction. These codes help pinpoint issues such as engine, transmission, or emissions problems.
Integrating DTCs in Motive:
Motive seamlessly integrates Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) into its system, capturing them in real time through the vehicle gateway. This ensures fleet managers receive instant, actionable data to address vehicle issues as soon as they arise.
- DTC detection: The vehicle's OBD system detects a malfunction and generates a DTC to pinpoint the source of the issue, such as engine or transmission problems.
- Real-time data capture: Motive’s vehicle gateway captures the DTC instantly, ensuring that fleet managers receive up-to-date information for quick decision-making.
- Automatic transmission: Once captured, the DTC is automatically transmitted to the Motive Fleet Dashboard, where it’s instantly available for review.
- Immediate alerts: Fleet managers receive real-time notifications of any detected DTCs, enabling them to take immediate action and prevent issues from escalating.
By tracking fault codes in the Motive Dashboard, fleets can move from reactive to predictive maintenance, improving reliability and lowering repair costs.
Viewing vehicle Fault codes
Vehicles tab
- Log in to the Fleet Dashboard, and go to Fleet View > Vehicles.
- Set the Issues filter to Faults or click More > Faults.
- Click the required vehicle to view faults.
- Click Fault codes.
- The Fault codes details drawer displays, click View report to view and export a report of the listed fault codes.
- Click Save.
- Add Name and Time range > click Save.
- You will get a complete list of all Fault Codes for the selected vehicle. The Fault Codes are classified as per their severity levels Critical, High, Low and Unclassified in case of no classification.
Live tab
- Log in to the Fleet Dashboard, click Live.
- Search the vehicle > click to view the details.
- Click Fault codes > the Fault codes details drawer displays.
- Click the three dots to share with last connected driver.
- Click the Severity dropdown to reorganize the fault codes as required.
- Click View Report to get detailed insights about fault codes and their severity levels.
Summary tab
- Click the Summary tab > click Fault codes in Action Center.
- This redirects to the Fault codes details drawer.
Fault codes classification
Severity | What it means | Visual indicator |
Critical | Vehicle must stop immediately, tow may be required. | Dark red badge |
High | Drive only if absolutely necessary, service needed soon. | Red badge |
Low | Continue driving without concern. | Gray/Black badge |
Unclassified | Severity not yet determined. Prompt: 'This could indicate a critical fault. Please get it checked.' | Yellow badge |
Creating Fault code Alerts
- Log in to the Fleet Dashboard > click Admin.
- Click Platform > Alerts > Create alert.
- The Create Alert dialogue box displays, scroll to click Vehicle fault code.
- Add Alert Name and Vehicles in Trigger section.
- Select the Recipients for Delivery.
- Select the required Delivery method > click Save.
Sending Fault code Alerts
Fleet App
- Log in to the Fleet App > tap Notifications.
- Tap the Maintenance Alert Notification.
- The vehicle details are displayed > tap Fault codes.
- On the Fault code details screen, tap the three dots > Send to last connected driver.
- The driver recieves the alert via a text message.
Fleet Dashboard
- Log in to the Fleet Dashboard, and go to Fleet View > Vehicles.
- Select More > Faults.
- Click the required vehicle to view faults.
- Click Fault codes.
- The Fault codes details drawer displays, click the three dots > Share with last connected driver.
Once sent from Fleet App or Fleet Dashboard, the alert is sent to the Driver via email, text message or WhatsApp.
FAQs
What is a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC)?
A DTC is a code generated by a vehicle’s onboard diagnostic system to indicate a specific malfunction, such as an engine or emissions problem.
How does Motive capture DTCs?
The vehicle gateway connects to the OBD port and automatically sends detected codes to the Motive Dashboard in real time.
Will I be notified when a DTC is detected?
Yes. Real-time alerts are sent whenever a new DTC appears so you can respond promptly.
Can I view DTC history for a specific vehicle?
Yes. You can view current and past codes in the Maintenance Diagnostic Codes section of the Motive Dashboard.
Do all DTCs require immediate repairs?
No. Some codes are warnings, while others require urgent attention. Review the details for each code to decide on the appropriate action.
Can Fault codes be seen or checked on the Driver App?
Fault codes cannot be seen on the driver app. Fault codes can be seen by clicking on the vehicle profile (red icons) on the Fleet Dashboard.
How can I remove or clear a fault code from appearing on the fleet dashboard display?
The Motive Fleet Dashboard displays fault codes in real time as they are reported by your vehicle’s onboard system. There is no way to manually clear or dismiss these codes from the dashboard itself. They will disappear automatically once the underlying vehicle issue is resolved and the code is no longer being reported by the vehicle.
If you are seeing a code that you believe is incorrect or has already been fixed, it might help to double-check that the vehicle’s onboard diagnostics have been reset or try restarting the vehicle. If the code still appears, it is likely still being reported by the vehicle’s system.
How do I resolve fault codes for components that my vehicle does not have?
Motive Vehicle Gateway only reads and displays what the truck’s ECM is broadcasting, it cannot create its own fault codes. In some setups the ECM is still configured for optional systems or reuses SPNs, so it can show codes for components that are not actually installed on the vehicle.
The best next step is to have your mechanic plug into the truck’s ECM, confirm these codes on their side, and clear or disable them at the vehicle level if they are no longer applicable. Note that these faults will not affect how Motive records HOS logs or location tracking.
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