Vehicle tracking sensor averts vehicle brake failure25 November 2010

Brake failure on a van has been averted using patented contactless engine management technology from vehicle tracking company Masternaut.

The Masternaut-developed system recognised a fault in the vehicle's ABS (antilock braking system) and EPS (electronic power steering), and reported that both were displaying warning lights.

This alerted the service engineer – who had apparently been ignoring the warning lights – to the potential failure, allowing the vehicle to be stopped and recovery arranged.

Martin Port, managing director of Masternaut explains that the firm's CANbus does not need an open FMS (fleet management standard) gateway. The engine monitoring and diagnostic system sends information in real time to the Masternaut tracking system, which, he explains, alerts operators to faults and unusual driver and vehicle behaviour.

"This is a cautionary tale for fleet operators and shows that an investment in technology is worthwhile," insists Port.

"Drivers often ignore warning lights, assuming that these are simple electrical faults and have no bearing on the safety of the vehicle," he warns.

"We were able to prove that the Masternaut data was accurate and, on further investigation, we were able to show that these two faults had existed for some time. The addition of safety alerts and highly detailed reporting complements the vehicle tracking system, adding a further dimension in accuracy and intelligence," he states.

Port points out that modern LCVs and trucks are fitted with up to 70 electronic control units, the largest of which is the ECU (engine control unit). The CANbus relays this information to the vehicle tracking system, enabling fleet managers to monitor all systems.

Author
Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Masternaut Ltd

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