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Journey and engine alerts not working properly

Fix incomplete journeys, missing stops, and false engine on/off alerts with these simple solutions.

Problem 1: My stop isn't showing in the journey report

Why this happens:

Our system only records a "stop" as the end of a journey if your vehicle stays stationary for at least 5 minutes AND we confirm it's still stopped.

Brief stops don't end journeys:

  • Traffic lights
  • Quick delivery stops
  • Stuck in traffic
  • Drive-through

This prevents your journey report from being split into dozens of tiny segments every time you stop briefly.

How to see just start/finish locations

If you only care about where the vehicle was turned on and off (not stops along the way), use the Engine On/Off report instead of the Journey report.

Want shorter stops recorded?

You can change the 5-minute minimum in your Account Settings under "Journey Settings".

For example, if you want 2-minute stops to end journeys, you can change it there.

Problem 2: Journey just finished but isn't showing as complete

Why this happens:

When you park, your journey stays marked as "in progress" until we receive confirmation that the vehicle is still parked (after 5 minutes of being stationary).

Here's the process:

  1. You drive somewhere
  2. You park and turn off the engine
  3. Journey shows as "in progress"
  4. After 5 minutes, tracker sends confirmation
  5. Journey marked as "complete"

For the last journey of the day: Confirmation usually comes from the tracker's hourly "heartbeat" check-in.

If you start driving again before 5 minutes: The previous journey ends and a new one starts.

Why we wait for confirmation

This prevents journeys being wrongly marked as complete when you:

  • Stop at traffic lights
  • Drive through a tunnel (temporarily losing GPS)
  • Make a quick stop under 5 minutes

Be patient – your journey will be marked complete within an hour, or sooner if you start driving again.

Want to change the 5-minute wait time?

Go to Account Settings > Journey Settings and adjust the "end of journey" time.

Problem 3: Getting "Engine On" alerts when the vehicle is parked

Why this happens:

If you're using a battery charger/trickle charger, it raises your battery voltage to around 14V. Your tracker detects this voltage rise and thinks the engine is on (because normally only a running engine creates 14V).

Default engine detection: Engine is "on" when voltage is above 13.2V.

How to fix it

You need to change your engine detection method. Two options:

Option 1: Use motion detection instead of voltage

Option 2: Change the voltage threshold (if hardwired)

Option 3: Use ignition wire (if hardwired)

  • Connect the ignition sense wire to your vehicle's ignition circuit
  • Requires adjusting your installation wiring

👉 See our Engine On/Off detection setup guide for full instructions.

Problem 4: Getting "Engine Off" alerts while driving

Why this happens:

Your vehicle's voltage is dropping below 13.2V while you're driving.

Check your voltage graph first

  1. Go to the Vehicles page
  2. Click on your vehicle row to expand it
  3. Look at the voltage and speed graph (shows past 3 days)
  4. See if voltage drops below 13.2V while driving

How to fix it

Cause 1: Modern vehicle with smart alternator

Some modern vehicles turn off the alternator when the battery is full (to save fuel). This drops voltage below 13.2V even though the engine is still running.

Solution: Change to motion-based engine detection instead of voltage-based.

Cause 2: Loose wire (hardwired installs only)

If you see voltage dropping below 9V on the graph, you likely have a loose wire.

Why 9V is too low: Even a completely flat 12V battery reads 11V. Below 9V means a connection problem.

Solution:

  • Check all wire connections
  • Check the 12-pin power plug on the tracker
  • Make sure all connections are tight and secure

Cause 3: Voltage threshold too high

The default 13.2V threshold doesn't work for your vehicle.

Solution: Lower the voltage threshold or switch to motion-based detection. See our "Setting up engine on/off detection" guide.

Quick summary

Problem Solution
Stops not showing They're under 5 minutes – change journey settings if needed
Journey not complete Wait for 5-minute confirmation or start driving again
Engine alerts when parked Change detection method (you're using a battery charger)
Engine alerts while driving Check voltage graph, fix loose wires, or change detection method

Need help? All of these fixes require adjusting your engine detection settings. See our "Setting up engine on/off detection" guide, or contact support at support@trackmyride.com.au.