Driver Identification
Let only listed drivers start a vehicle, using an iButton, RFID card or Bluetooth tag — how to manage the list, and what it means when it says out of sync.
A vehicle can be set so it only starts for drivers you have listed. The driver presents a tag — an iButton, an RFID card, or a Bluetooth tag — and the tracker releases the immobiliser only if that tag is on the vehicle's authorised list.
Access: Asset > Authorised drivers
How it works
A relay is wired to the starter or fuel pump and held by the tracker's digital output. With no authorised tag present the relay stays engaged and the engine will not start. Present an authorised tag and the output releases, and the vehicle starts normally.
If nobody authorises and the ignition is switched off, the vehicle returns to blocked after about 25 seconds.
The list lives on the tracker itself, not in the app. That is deliberate — the vehicle keeps working the same way when it has no mobile signal, in a basement car park or a rural yard.
Managing the list
Add or remove drivers on the asset's Authorised drivers tab. Each entry links a driver to a tag you have already registered.
When you save, the changes are sent to the tracker over the air. You do not need to visit the vehicle.
The sync state matters
Because the list lives on the tracker, there is a gap between what the app shows and what the vehicle enforces. That gap is shown, not hidden:
| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Synced | The vehicle is enforcing exactly this list |
| Syncing | Changes are on their way to the vehicle |
| Out of sync | The vehicle is not enforcing what you see here |
Out of sync is not a cosmetic warning. Until it clears, the vehicle is operating on its previous list — which may include a driver you have just removed, or exclude one you have just added.
An out-of-sync state usually clears on its own once the vehicle has signal. If it persists, the vehicle has not been reachable — check the device's connection on the Diagnostics tab.
Turning immobilisation on
Immobilisation can only be switched on once at least one driver is confirmed on the vehicle. If you try earlier, the app refuses and explains why.
The reason is blunt: on current tracker firmware, an empty authorised list does not lock everybody out — it lets anybody in. Enabling protection against a list the vehicle has not received yet would give you a vehicle that looks protected and is not, which is the worst of both worlds because nobody goes looking for it.
For the same reason, removing your last authorised driver switches the checking off first, so the vehicle fails closed rather than silently accepting any tag.
Identification methods
| Method | Notes |
|---|---|
| iButton | Touch-contact key. Works on any vehicle with a spare digital output |
| RFID card | Card reader wired to the tracker's serial port. Needs a tracker model with that port |
| Bluetooth tag | Driver carries a tag; no reader to wire in |
Bluetooth identification requires beacon detection to be restricted to a configured list. Left open, any beacon in range — including one in a passer-by's pocket — would release the immobiliser. The app will not let you enable Bluetooth immobilisation until this is set.
Engine blocking over CAN
Vehicles with a CAN-CONTROL + IMMO adapter can block the engine over the vehicle bus with no relay wiring. It is quicker to fit, but it works on roughly half the vehicles on that adapter's list, where a relay works on all of them.
Relay immobilisation stays the recommended method. CAN blocking is an upgrade for vehicles that support it.
Related
- Remote Vehicle Control — locking and immobilising on demand
- Drivers — registering drivers and their tags