GO Engine – Engine Fault Codes for Preventive Maintenance
The next generation of GPS fleet tracking and management technology incorporates engine diagnostics with GPS data. The Checkmate application and GO Engine platforms offer fleet managers collect PID, SID and MID information at the same time as GPS data. GO Engine units provides the same GPS tracking information found on the GO RF or GO Live platforms but also provides a connection to engine control module (ECM) to provide engine fault codes. Engine data can be collected from most newer J1708 (6 or 9 pin), J1939 and OBD II ECMs. The engine diagnostic information is transferred on the same 900MHz RF wireless download from vehicle to office computer, WiFi network or cellular service depending on the option selected.
Engine fault codes are used to diagnose potential and current engine maintenance issues before they result in a vehicle going down at an inopportune time. For operations and fleet managers this has a significant impact on the ability to accomplish the mission of deploying a fleet to deliver goods and service. It also has a significant impact on the cost associated with delivering these products and services. Any truck that is unable to make a delivery as a result of maintenance issues results in a significant financial loss. The breakdown of a single delivery vehicle can cost a company tens of thousands of dollars.
Engine Diagnostic Codes
With GO Engine data being readily available, fleet maintenance technicians have a reasonable chance to forecast which issues are going to be most significant in the near future. With about 2000 fault codes available, fleet maintenance departments can narrow the list inside the Checkmate software to identify which codes are most important and at what thresholds issues should be reported. This level of prioritization means fleet maintenance personnel can focus on the most important maintenance compared to just doing maintenance in hopes of preventing vehicle down time. With a focused maintenance program and the controls provided by GPS data, most maintenance departments can shift from four to three annual maintenance sessions. At an estimated value of $300 per large truck, a company can save significantly on an annual basis.
When calculating the return on investment for the GO Engine platform, consider the maintenance benefits and GPS data benefits separately and then together. A typical ROI for a passive GPS tracking system is about 5 months. Although the benefits of GO Engine data may take a little longer to implement, the benefit from a single incident forgone is very large and can likely be realized in the first six months. This means for a few hundred dollars more per vehicle a company has the potential to cumulatively save thousands more per vehicle annually for the life of the company.
In the short term GO Engine platform offers an immediate installation savings because the unit is installed by plugging into the ECM port in the vehicles cab and sticking the antennas on the windshield. Due to the simplicity, an average of $125 per vehicle can be saved on installation contractor services for larger trucks. With this savings included the difference in the investment is about $175 per vehicle unit in the short term. In the long-term the cost of the GO Engine platform is actually the same or less than the standard GO RF platform because companies do not have the expense of switching a unit from one truck to another or having an installer come onsite to check the unit if an issue develops. Typical expenses for removing a unit are about $50 per vehicle with another $125 to have a unit wired to the new vehicle. With the GO Engine platform almost any employee can unplug the unit from one vehicle and plug it into another. Based on these figures there is no reason companies should not invest in the GO 1708 unit.
