Troubleshooting common issues with the Vehicle Gateway

Updated February 20, 2026 20:26

A Vehicle Getaway could be having multiple issues, here are some ways you can troubleshoot it:

Cannot connect to the Vehicle Gateway

Potential causes for Vehicle Gateway connectivity issue include:

Bluetooth Connectivity
Power Saver Mode on Mobile Device

To resolve this issue, follow the steps below:

Power Saver Mode

Turn off power-saving mode

Bluetooth Connectivity

1. Log in to the Motive Driver App and click Logs.

2. Tap Current Vehicle.

Note: In case the Current Vehicle tab is not showing up on the application contact support.

3. Tap Leave Current Vehicle.

4. Go back to Logs. Tap three lines at the top-left corner. Scroll down to Logout from the Motive Driver App.

5. If you're using iOS, go to the Bluetooth settings and unpair/forget the Motive device.

6. Turn the Mobile Bluetooth off.

7. Reboot the Mobile device.

8. Unplug Vehicle Gateway and wait till the lights go off completely.

Note: If you have Vehicle Gateway IBB-3.6, read How to perform pinhole/hard reset or reboot on Vehicle Gateway (lbb 3.6)?

9. Reconnect the Vehicle Gateway and check the LED lights

10. Check the color of your right Vehicle Gateway light (Solid Red/Blinking Red) while the Driver App is disconnected and the engine is running.

11. Before logging in back to the Driver App, check your Vehicle Gateway's serial number. If it starts with AABL, then:

1. Look for a pinhole next to the USB port on the Vehicle Gateway.
2. Insert a paperclip/pin in the hole and press for 15 seconds.
3. The Vehicle Gateway lights start to blink in multiple colors indicating that the device has started to reboot.

12. Ensure you have installed the latest version of the Motive Driver App.

13. Log in again to the Motive Driver App and try connecting to the vehicle.

14. Tap No Vehicle and select a Vehicle to connect.

15. Turn on Bluetooth.

16. If you're using iOS devices, look for the Mobile Bluetooth Accessory that matches the serial number of the Vehicle Gateway installed.

17. Connect with Vehicle Gateway (for iOS devices only).

18. Try following all the steps with a different mobile device to ensure your device has no issues.

19. Try to do a swap test by connecting to any other available Vehicle Gateway. If the swapped Vehicle Gateway gets connected that indicated your previous Vehicle Gateway was not working.

Both LEDs on the Vehicle Gateway are Blinking Red

The lights are red when your Vehicle Gateway first turns on. After a few minutes, the LEDs should change. If they do not, then follow these steps:

If the left LED remains red, it means the Vehicle Gateway has not been able to acquire a GPS signal. Remove your Vehicle Gateway from close proximity to a metal plate, heating vent, or other potential sources of interference.
Place the Vehicle Gateway in a location with a clear view of the sky to help resolve any cellular/GPS reception issues.
If the right LED remains red, it means the Motive Driver app is not successfully connected to the Vehicle Gateway.
Log in to the Motive Driver app and go to three lines > Logs > Vehicle.
Select Vehicle Gateway under available accessories to pair via Bluetooth.

Troubleshooting GPS

If the GPS is not tracking the correct location, it can cause inaccurate data in the Vehicle Gateway and lead to unexpected behavior such as:

The left LED on the Vehicle Gateway is solid red
Log entries with Unavailable Location
No/out of date location history on the Fleet Dashboard

This issue can usually be fixed with a few simple troubleshooting steps.

Check the placement of the Vehicle Gateway. It should have a clear view of the sky for accurate GPS tracking.
Ensure nothing is blocking the GPS signal.

Do not place objects on top of the Vehicle Gateway.

Note: The Vehicle Gateway can't see through heavy metals, but it can see through plastics, glass, or light metals. Also, make sure to not point the Motive logo towards the ground, firewall, or cabin of the vehicle.

Confirm the left LED status. If it's GREEN it means there is a stable cellular connection but if it's RED that means there is a bad cellular connection.
If the issue continues-For LLB 3.55 ca or lower, unplug the Vehicle Gateway from the diagnostic port while the engine is off. For LLB 3.6 ca, perform a pinhole reboot.
If the Vehicle Gateway was unplugged, wait 5 minutes, then plug it back in.
If these steps do not work, please contact Motive Support.

Vehicle Gateway’s left LED is green while the right LED blinks rapidly in red

When the right LED is green, it indicates the Vehicle Gateway has a cellular/GPS signal.

If the right LED rapidly blinks red, indicating that the Vehicle Gateway is capturing engine speed. The vehicle is in motion, but the Motive Driver App is not connected.

If the above behavior is observed and if your fleet track Hours of Service (HOS), connect to the Vehicle Gateway via the Motive Driver App (available for Android and iOS). In order to do that, kindly follow the steps below:

1. Download the Motive Driver App from iTunes or Google Play store.

2. Follow the in-app instructions to pair your device with the Vehicle Gateway.

3. If these steps do not work, please contact Motive Support.

Vehicle Gateway’s left LED is green while the right LED blinks slowly in red

When the left LED is green, and the right LED is blinking slowly in red, it indicates the following:

The green left LED indicates the Vehicle Gateway is turned on and has a cellular/GPS signal.
The right LED blinking slowly in red indicates that the Vehicle Gateway is capturing engine speed, but the Driver App is not connected.

If your fleet tracks Hours of Service (HOS), connect to the Vehicle Gateway via the Motive Driver App (available for Android and iOS).

Download the Motive Driver App from iTunes or Google Play store.
Follow the in-app instructions to pair your device with the Vehicle Gateway.

Vehicle Gateway LED lights are Blinking Orange and Green

If the LEDs of your Vehicle Gateway version LBB 3.55 or lower are blinking orange and green, it means that your Vehicle Gateway firmware is updating to the latest version. Don’t unplug the device until the lights have stopped blinking.

Vehicle Gateway LED lights are Blinking Yellow and White

If a Vehicle Gateway LBB 3.6 or higher LEDs are blinking yellow and white, the firmware is being updated to latest version. Do not unplug the device until the lights have stopped blinking.

Both Vehicle Gateway LED lights are Blinking White

If both LEDs on the Vehicle Gateway are blinking white, the Vehicle Gateway is powering up. Do not unplug; it will start in a few seconds.

Vehicle Gateway Powered Off

When the Vehicle Gateway (VG) LEDs are off, or the device does not power up, it indicates that the Vehicle Gateway is not receiving power. Power loss can occur due to a disconnected cable, a vehicle battery kill switch, or the ignition being off in switched ignition power vehicles. You may observe one or more of the following symptoms:

Vehicle Gateway LEDs are off
Unable to track the vehicle location
Drive time/logs are not updating
Camera not recording
Safety events are not uploading

The issue can be caused by any of the following:

Cable Issues

Loose cable connection
The cable is disconnected
The cable is damaged
Incorrect cable in use
Bent, missing, or corroded pins

Vehicle Battery / Power Issues

Insufficient or no power at the vehicle’s diagnostic port or fuse box
Vehicle battery drained
Battery kill switch turned ON

Debris / Dirt

Dirt or debris on:
- Vehicle diagnostic port
- Cable connector
- Vehicle Gateway port

To resolve this issue, take the following steps:

Turn on the vehicle ignition:

Start the engine to check if the Vehicle Gateway turns on. If your vehicle has a battery kill switch, ensure the kill switch is off.
If VG is installed under the dashboard, verify VG is functional by checking if VG is advertising its Bluetooth signal or WiFi Signal on the mobile app.

Check Power to the Vehicle Gateway:
- Ensure the Vehicle gateways' cables are securely connected to the gateway.
- Jumpstart the vehicle if the vehicle’s battery is drained.
- Check the LED activity on the Vehicle Gateway to confirm if it is powered on. Both the LEDs should turn red first, and once the gateway acquires the GPS signal, the left LED should turn green as shown below.

Reconnect cables: If there is no LED activity, unplug the cable connecting the vehicle gateway to the diagnostic port of the vehicle and plug it back in, waiting for any LED response.

Pinhole reset: If no LED activity is observed, perform a pinhole reset on the device by following the steps outlined below.

Find the pinhole present at the left-hand side of the USB port on the Vehicle Gateway (highlighted by the red circle below)

Press the pinhole for 10 seconds with the help of a paperclip or a similar tool.
The LEDs should start blinking green and blue for 30 seconds.
Both LEDs will blink yellow for 4 to 5 seconds and then blink white for a few seconds.
Once the bootup is completed, both the LEDs will blink green or red.
If the reset does not work and you still see no LED activity, unplug the Vehicle Gateway from the diagnostic port and leave it disconnected for 24+ hours. Connect the Vehicle Gateway back after 24 hours and go through the steps a) to e) above.

Perform a swap test

If the issue persists, follow the steps below, and additional steps (If applicable to you):

Connect the reported Vehicle Gateway (facing the power issue) to another vehicle having a working Vehicle Gateway connected to it, to check if it powers up or not.
Connect another working Vehicle Gateway in the vehicle (where the reported Vehicle Gateway was not powering up) to observe if it powers up or not.

If the reported Vehicle Gateway is powering up in another vehicle, then the issue is occurring from the vehicle's side or due to the cable in use.

If these steps do not work, please contact Motive Support.

Vehicle Gateway will not turn off

If the Vehicle Gateway is not turning off, follow the steps below:

Note: Ensure the cables are correctly installed & securely connected. Check and fix any fault codes that are open (related to your speed sensors)

Open your Driver App on your mobile device and make sure it says 'No Vehicle' on the top right.
Turn the engine off & take the keys out.
Unplug the cable from the Vehicle's diagnostic port and the Vehicle Gateway unit.
Check the following ports for corrosion/damage/missing pins.
- Both ends of the Motive cable connector
- Vehicle diagnostic port
- Vehicle Gateway device's connector port (not USB port)
Take pictures of both ends of the Motive cable, the Vehicle Gateway device's port, and the diagnostic port/ fuse box (if the fuse box connector is in use).
Once the lights on the unit turn off, leave it unplugged for 5 minutes.
Plug the cable back into the unit and the diagnostic port/ fuse box, and turn on the engine to check the functionality of the ELD/Vehicle Gateway.
If these steps do not work, please contact Motive Support.

Vehicle Gateway showing invalid fault codes

If your Vehicle Gateway is showing invalid fault codes, follow the below-given steps;

Turn the truck's engine off - Remove the key from the ignition if the truck has a keyed entry.
Unplug the Motive gateway from either the diagnostic port/ECU of the truck or the Gateway device.
Leave it unplugged for 3-5 minutes, ensuring the LED lights on the Gateway are completely off.
Replug the Motive gateway back and wait for the LED lights to power on.

If that does not fix the issue, you should contact Motive Customer Support so we can provide you with a quick resolution.

Vehicle Gateway shows Code 1 issue

Check if your Driver App is connected properly. The right-hand LED light of Vehicle Gateway should be Green if it is connected successfully.
Leave the vehicle from the Driver App and log out of your Driver App.
Wait for 15 seconds before you log into the Driver App.
Select the current vehicle from the Driver App to connect it with the Vehicle Gateway.
If that doesn’t work, turn the engine off.
Unplug the Vehicle Gateway from the diagnostic port and wait for 5 minutes before plugging it back.
With the App connected to the Vehicle Gateway, take a test drive over 5 MPH. The driving lock screen should appear on the App.
If you're using a Y cable, please remove it and connect the Vehicle Gateway directly to the diagnostic port.
Check the speedometer/tachometer gauges to make sure they are working fine.

Vehicle Gateway shows Code 2 issue

Check if your Driver App is connected properly. The right-hand LED light of the Vehicle Gateway would be Green if it is connected successfully.
Leave the vehicle from the Driver App and log out of your Driver App.
Log in to the Driver App after 15 seconds.
Select the current vehicle from the Driver App to connect it with the Vehicle Gateway.
If that doesn’t work, turn the engine off.
Unplug the Vehicle Gateway from the diagnostic port and wait for 5 minutes before plugging it back.
With the App connected to the Vehicle Gateway, take a test drive over 5 MPH. The driving lock screen should appear on the App.
If you're using a Y cable, please remove it and connect the Vehicle Gateway directly to the diagnostic port.
Check the speedometer/tachometer gauges to ensure they are working fine

Vehicle Gateway shows Code P issue

Check if your Driver App is connected properly. The right-hand LED light is Green in case of a successful connection.
Leave the vehicle from the Driver App.
Log out from your Driver App and log into the Driver App after 15 seconds.
Select the current vehicle from the Driver App to connect it with the Vehicle Gateway.
If that doesn’t work, turn the engine off.
Unplug the Vehicle Gateway from the diagnostic port.
Wait for 5 minutes before plugging back the diagnostic port.
After connecting the Driver App, take a test drive over 5 MPH. The driving lock screen should appear on the App.
If you're using a Y cable, please remove it and connect the Vehicle Gateway directly to the diagnostic port.
Check the speedometer/tachometer gauges to ensure they are working fine.

Vehicle Gateway shows Code E

If your Vehicle Gateway is not working properly due to Code E issue, it needs to go through some basic troubleshooting. It will eliminate any issues your Vehicle Gateway would be having in collecting the right recording time.

Check if your Driver App is connected properly. If the right-hand LED light is Green, it is connected well.
Leave the vehicle from the Driver App.
Log out from your Driver App to log back into the Driver App after 15 seconds.
Select the current vehicle from the Driver App and connect it with the Vehicle Gateway.
Turn the engine off if the connection is not established.
Unplug the Vehicle Gateway from the diagnostic port and Wait for 5 minutes before plugging it back.
After connecting the Driver App, take a test drive over 5 MPH. The driving lock screen should appear on the App.
If you're using a Y cable, please remove it and connect the Vehicle Gateway directly to the diagnostic port.
Check the speedometer/tachometer gauges to ensure they are working fine

Performing Vehicle Gateway (VG LBB-3.6) troubleshooting

Use these below-mentioned for VG LBB 3.6 troubleshooting:

Leave the current vehicle on the app and then log out to ensure the app is updated.
(In case of Bluetooth connectivity, concern) Unplug your Vehicle Gateway from both ends, wait for 5 minutes, and reconnect the Vehicle Gateway.
On the back of the Vehicle Gateway, press the pinhole on the USB port present at the back of the ELD. Press for 10 to 20 seconds using a small pin (For example paper clip).
Stop pressing it when you see a blue light on the Vehicle Gateway, then wait 30 seconds to a minute.
Wait until you see a green solid and a red flashing light on the Vehicle Gateway.
Then connect with the vehicle gateway from the Driver App.

Frequent mobile disconnects with the Vehicle Gateway

If you are facing frequent mobile/tablet device disconnects with my Motive Vehicle Gateway, it might be due to connection or update issues. Follow these steps to resolve the issues.

Make sure your Vehicle Gateway’s firmware version is up-to-date. To learn how to update your Motive Vehicle Gateway, click here.
Check if the App is still open in the background when the Motive Driver App gets disconnected. If yes, this may be because the device's Operating System is force-stopping the app due to low memory/RAM. Try closing unnecessary apps.
Make sure your phone is neither on low-battery nor on power-saving mode. Disconnects can also occur because of low battery on mobile devices, the Operating System would disconnect the external Motive device and force-stop the app to save power.
Make sure nothing else is connected to the mobile device’s Bluetooth, for instance, a Bluetooth headset.

Telematics check failed

A failed telematics check can lead to inaccurate data collection from the Vehicle Gateway. If you see a message indicating failure of the Telematics check, it could be due to a variety of reasons, including connection issues, incorrect cables, or other communication disruptions.

Restart the Vehicle Gateway:

Disconnect the vehicle gateway for 5–10 minutes.
Reconnect it, ensuring the engine is ON.
Allow 2 minutes for the network to reestablish communication and start transmitting telematics signals to the gateway.

Check Cable Compatibility:

If the test continues to fail, verify that you are using the correct cable for the vehicle gateway.

You can find more information on the recommended cable in this article, and details about each compatible cable here.

Note: If troubleshooting does not resolve the issue, please reach out to Motive support for further assistance.

Vehicle Gateway is not recording drive time

If the Vehicle Gateway is not recording the vehicle’s drive time, and you face the following issues:

Drive time comes up as 0 for trips
Driver App does not put the driver into drive mode when the vehicle moves past 5 MPH
Location history is missing

Cause:

Cable Issue: Incorrect Cabe Installation
Corrosion/Damaged Pins: On the vehicle's diagnostic port, On the cable connector, On the Vehicle Gateway port
Vehicle Issue: Open fault codes, Data not being provided from the vehicle's ECM/ECU
Vehicle Gateway Issue: Vehicle Gateway firmware is not updated

Solution:

Confirm the Status of the LED lights on the Vehicle Gateway:

Left LED Green: Indicates the VG has a GPS signal.
Left LED Red: Indicates the VG does not have a GPS signal.
Right LED Solid Green: Indicates the driver app is connected.
Note: This status does not indicate whether or not the VG is capturing vehicle telematics. To confirm this with the LEDs, the Motive App must be disconnected from the VG.
Right, LED Solid Red: Indicates the VG is not capturing vehicle telematics, and the driver app is not connected.
Right LED Slow Blinking Red: Indicates the VG is capturing engine speed and the driver app is not connected.
Right LED Fast Blinking Red: Indicates the VG is capturing engine speed telematics, the vehicle is in motion, and the driver app is not connected.

Troubleshooting steps:

Note: Ensure the cables are correctly installed & securely connected. Check and fix any fault codes that are open (related to your speed sensors).

Open your Driver App on your mobile device and ensure it says No Vehicle on the top right.
Turn the engine off & take the keys out.
Unplug the cable from the vehicle's diagnostic port & the Vehicle Gateway unit.
Check the following ports for corrosion/damage/missing pins.
‣ Both ends of the Motive cable connector
‣ Vehicle diagnostic port pins and ensure that the pins are not pushed back
‣ Vehicle Gateway device's connector port (NOT USB PORT)
Take pictures of both ends of the Motive cable, the Vehicle Gateway device's port, and the diagnostic port/ fuse box (if the fuse box connector is in use).
Once the lights on the unit turn off, leave it unplugged for 5 minutes.
Plug the cable back into the unit and the diagnostic port/ fuse box, and turn on the engine. If the
right LED starts blinking, the Vehicle Gateway is communicating with the ECM.
Connect to the Vehicle Gateway and do a test drive to see if it records.

Note: If it still doesn't work, please contact our 24/7 Support Helpline.

Cannot connect to Vehicle Gateway on iOS devices

Make sure the engine of the vehicle is on.

Note: Light-duty vehicles that have an OBD2 port will go into low power mode if the engine is off for more than 45 mins. The Bluetooth receiver is not active in low power mode and require as much as 2-3 mins to re-initialize upon starting the vehicle.

Log in to the Motive Driver App. Launch the Motive Driver App.
If you are on duty, go to Logs.

If you see No Vehicle, tap and select a vehicle.
If you want to leave the current vehicle, tap the Current Vehicle.
Tap Leave Current Vehicle to remove the selected vehicle.
Under your phone Settings, navigate to Bluetooth and make sure Bluetooth is on.
To ensure optimal performance, reduce the number of my devices in Bluetooth settings; more devices will slow down the select an accessory pop-up and may interrupt the ability to connect to the Vehicle Gateway. .
Tap the information icon and select Forget this device.

Note: Do not remove the vehicle gateway; the device name will start with “MOTIVE_”

Configure the Motive Driver app on an iOS device:

Under Settings, scroll down until you find and tap the Motive Driver App.
Enable Background App Refresh.
Tap Location and under ALLOW LOCATION ACCESS, tap Always Ensure that Precise Location is enabled.
Tap Motive Driver in the upper left corner to return to the Motive Driver App settings.
Tap Notifications and ensure that Allow Notifications is enabled.

5. Configure iOS power management:

Under your phone Settings, scroll down until you find and tap Battery.
Please make sure that Low Power Mode is not enabled.

6. Power off your iOS device.

7. Power on your iOS device, launch the Motive Driver App, log in, and then attempt to reconnect.

Note: The Driver App must be open and active, otherwise, you may experience inconsistencies.

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