The OBD-II port is the standardised diagnostic connector fitted to every petrol and diesel vehicle sold in the EU since 2001, and every vehicle sold in the US since 1996. It's located under the dashboard, within arm's reach of the driver's seat, and it carries a live feed of vehicle data that most fleet managers have never tapped. Plug an OBD-II GPS tracker into this port and you have GPS position, speed, engine hours, fuel consumption, fault codes, and driver behaviour data — without wiring a single cable or booking a single installation appointment.
What OBD-II Trackers Give You That Wired Trackers Don't
Zero Installation Cost
Plug in under the dashboard. Done. No electrician, no vehicle off-road time, no per-vehicle installation charge (typically £40–80 for wired alternatives).
OBD Data Stream
Fuel consumption, fault codes (DTCs), engine RPM, coolant temperature, mileage odometer — data that hardwired GPS trackers without CAN bus integration don't capture.
Self-Powered
Draws power from the OBD port directly. No battery to replace, no power wiring required. Port is live with ignition on most vehicles, enabling ignition-based tracking logic.
OBD-II Tracker Device Profiles
Teltonika FMB920 OBD
Teltonika's OBD variant of the FMB920 — their most widely deployed vehicle tracker — provides GPS position, OBD-II parameter access (engine RPM, coolant temp, fuel level), and BLE sensor connectivity in a plug-in form factor. Higher data quality than budget OBD trackers at a corresponding price premium. GoAndTrack connects via native Teltonika protocol.
Queclink VG809
Compact 4G LTE OBD-II tracker with multi-band global connectivity. Strong APAC market presence. OBD-II PID access, ignition detection, harsh driving alerts. More affordable than Teltonika OBD at slight cost in documentation quality. GoAndTrack connects via native Queclink protocol.
Concox JT706 (JimiIoT)
4G LTE OBD-II tracker from the JimiIoT family — the GT06-protocol OBD option. Lower cost point than Teltonika or Queclink at reduced data richness. Good for operations where basic GPS + ignition detection suffices and cost per vehicle is the primary constraint. GoAndTrack connects via GT06 endpoint.
Digital Matter Falcon OBD
Premium OBD-II tracker with driver ID via BLE NFC/tag. Deep OBD-II data logging, harsh driving detection, and Digital Matter's characteristic build quality. Higher price point justified by superior data quality and driver accountability features. GoAndTrack connects via Telematics Guru API.
What OBD-II Data Unlocks in GoAndTrack
| Data Point | OBD-II Trackers | Hardwired GPS (no CAN bus) | GoAndTrack Query Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPS position + speed | ✓ | ✓ | "Where is my fleet right now?" |
| Ignition on/off | ✓ | ✓ | "Which vehicles started outside business hours?" |
| Engine fault codes (DTCs) | ✓ | ✗ | "Which vehicles have active engine fault codes?" |
| Fuel level | ✓ (supported PIDs) | ✗ | "Which vehicles are below 25% fuel?" |
| Engine RPM | ✓ | ✗ | "Show me drivers with average RPM above 3,500" |
| Coolant temperature | ✓ | ✗ | "Any vehicles showing high coolant temperature today?" |
| Total mileage (odometer) | ✓ | ✗ | "Which vehicles are due service based on mileage?" |
| Harsh braking / acceleration | ✓ | Via accelerometer only | "Which drivers had the most harsh events this week?" |
| Battery voltage | ✓ | ✓ | "Any vehicles with low battery voltage?" |
OBD-II vs Hardwired: When to Choose Which
Choose OBD-II Plug-In When:
- Your vehicles are regularly swapped, hired, or returned — OBD devices move with minutes, not hours
- Installation cost is a primary constraint — especially for large fleets where £40–80 per vehicle adds up
- You need OBD diagnostic data (fault codes, fuel, engine parameters) that standalone GPS doesn't provide
- Your vehicles have accessible, unobstructed OBD-II ports (most passenger and light commercial vehicles)
- You want easy removal — OBD trackers can be removed and redeployed without tools
Choose Hardwired When:
- Security is a priority — OBD port removal is obvious and takes seconds; hardwired trackers are covert
- Your vehicles are heavy commercial or specialist (HGV, plant) where OBD-II port location is inaccessible or non-standard
- You need external I/O (temperature probe input, driver ID button, panic button) that OBD form factor doesn't support
- Tamper resistance is required — an OBD tracker that's unplugged stops tracking; a hardwired tracker with backup battery continues
- You need vehicle cutoff capability (remote immobiliser) — most OBD devices don't support this safely
Key Takeaways
- OBD-II plug-in trackers eliminate installation cost (£40–80 per vehicle), downtime, and scheduling friction — making them the right choice for fleets where vehicles are frequently swapped or where per-vehicle installation cost is the primary procurement driver
- OBD-II data richness (fault codes, fuel level, engine parameters, coolant temp, odometer) gives GoAndTrack queries that basic GPS trackers without CAN bus integration cannot support — service scheduling, fault prediction, and fuel management become AI-queryable
- The PID compatibility caveat is real: standard OBD-II PIDs (GPS, ignition, RPM, coolant) work across virtually all vehicles; manufacturer-specific PIDs for extended data require vehicle-level testing before fleet-wide deployment
- OBD-II vs hardwired is a security and capability tradeoff, not a cost tradeoff — hardwired wins for theft prevention, tamper resistance, and external I/O; OBD wins for deployment speed and portability
- GoAndTrack handles mixed OBD + hardwired fleets natively — OBD Teltonika FMB920 on vans and hardwired Teltonika FMC130 on HGVs appear in the same unified AI interface with the same query capability
Connect Your OBD-II Fleet to GoAndTrack
Teltonika OBD, Queclink VG809, JimiIoT JT706, Digital Matter Falcon — every OBD-II tracker connects to GoAndTrack for AI-powered fleet queries, fault code monitoring, and service scheduling based on real odometer data.
Start Free at goandtrack.com →