Vehicle Faults

The Vehicle Faults page displays diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) reported by the onboard computers in your fleet vehicles. These fault codes give you early warning about mechanical or electrical issues so you can address problems before they lead to breakdowns or costly repairs.

Note: The Vehicle Faults feature requires the Maintenance module to be activated for your account. If you do not see this option in your navigation menu, contact your administrator or RouteMate support to enable it. Additionally, the company must have an active ELD connected to the vehicle in order for diagnostic codes to be read and reported.

What Are Vehicle Faults?

Modern commercial vehicles are equipped with onboard diagnostic systems that continuously monitor the health of the engine, transmission, exhaust, brakes, and other critical systems. When something is out of spec, the vehicle’s computer generates a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) — a standardized code that identifies the specific issue.

RouteMate reads these fault codes through the ELD device and displays them on the Vehicle Faults page, giving you remote visibility into your vehicles’ health without waiting for a driver to report a problem.

Viewing Fault Codes for Your Fleet

How to view vehicle faults:

Navigate to Maintenance and then Vehicle Faults.
You will see a list of all active and recent fault codes reported across your fleet.
Each entry shows:
- Vehicle — The vehicle reporting the fault.
- Fault code — The DTC identifier (e.g., P0301, SPN 100).
- Description — A plain-language explanation of what the code means.
- Severity — How urgent the issue is.
Use the filters to narrow the list by vehicle, severity, or date.

Tip: Click on any fault code to see more details, including the affected system, possible causes, and recommended actions.

Understanding Fault Severity

Fault codes are categorized by severity to help you prioritize your response:

Critical — The vehicle may be unsafe to operate or could suffer major damage. Immediate attention is required. Examples include brake system failures, engine overheating, or transmission malfunctions.
Warning — The vehicle can still operate but has a significant issue that should be addressed soon. Examples include emission system faults, sensor malfunctions, or minor engine issues.
Informational — A minor issue that does not affect safe operation but should be monitored. Examples include a loose gas cap, a minor sensor reading out of range, or a routine maintenance reminder triggered by the vehicle’s computer.

Note: Even informational faults should not be ignored indefinitely. A minor issue can sometimes indicate the early stages of a more serious problem.

Taking Action on Faults

When you identify a fault that requires attention, you have several options:

Schedule maintenance — Create a service record or maintenance schedule entry to address the fault at the next available opportunity.
Pull the vehicle from service — For critical faults, you may need to take the vehicle out of service immediately until the issue is resolved.
Notify the driver — Let the driver know about the fault so they can watch for symptoms or adjust their driving behavior.
Monitor the fault — For informational or intermittent faults, you may choose to monitor the code over time to see if it persists or escalates.
Mark as resolved — Once the fault has been repaired, update the record to reflect that the issue has been addressed.

Tip: When a critical fault appears, check if the vehicle has other active faults as well. Multiple related fault codes can help a mechanic diagnose the root cause more quickly.