Limp mode is an ingenious way to stop vehicle theft in your fleet. We’ve received a bunch of questions about how it works and why it’s so effective. Here are answers to your most common questions regarding limp mode from Cartrack.
Limp mode is a mechanical alteration to a vehicle that, when activated, significantly slows it down through remote activation. Limp mode serves two purposes: First, it protects the health of your vehicle in case of mechanical failure by limiting engine power (often a built-in feature). Second, it can be activated by Cartrack in case of theft to stop perpetrators from getting away with your vehicle.
No, limp mode doesn’t damage your engine. In fact, the purpose of it is to actually protect your engine from further damage by stopping you from driving. This protects the engine by reducing power output, which ultimately prevents overheating, component damage, or even an accident.
Limp mode stops theft when it’s activated after the vehicle has been stolen. The engine won’t have much power and will therefore slow the vehicle down, giving authorities or our recovery team a much better chance of retrieving the vehicle and even apprehending the thieves.
If your car already has limp mode, recognise that this feature is automatic in case of mechanical faults. Cartrack can override your car’s automatic limp mode and activate it even if the vehicle is healthy, stopping thieves from getting away with your vehicle.
In limp mode, the engine’s power output will be reduced to about 30%. This will make the vehicle drive much slower, and it may even cause some rattling. The gearbox of the vehicle will also stop working, and the vehicle won’t be able to exceed 3 000 RPM (revs per minute). Warning lights will switch on, and certain components will stop working altogether.
Signal jamming is where vehicle thieves use a jamming device to disrupt the signal of your vehicle’s tracking device. When this device is used on a vehicle that has limp mode installed, it acts as an immediate trigger that activates limp mode, giving you an early warning that someone’s trying to steal your vehicle.
Limp mode is super effective at stopping vehicle theft and hijacking because thieves aren’t able to make a quick getaway (which is an important tactic for achieving a successful theft). This makes them either abandon the attempt or get caught quite easily by our recovery team or by the police.
Yes, a battery can cause limp mode to activate on your vehicle, which acts as a warning that the battery is either malfunctioning or about to stop working. This doesn’t happen very often though, because other vehicle malfunctions are more likely to activate limp mode rather than something as rare as a malfunctioning or empty battery.
Yes, limp mode is perfectly safe to use on all of your vehicles. In fact, this is another layer of safety and vehicle health preservation that Cartrack offers in addition to others you’re probably more familiar with.
If your older vehicles don’t have limp mode and you want them to, you’ll have to give Cartrack a call to find out if they’re compatible. Not all vehicles can have limp mode installed, but most (if they have a Canbus system) are compatible with it.
No, limp mode isn’t an expensive addition to your fleet’s vehicles. The price will depend on the size of your fleet and what other Cartrack features you already have, but we’re happy to quote you over a consultation call.
Yes, you can still prevent GPS signal jamming even if you don’t have limp mode installed and controlled by Cartrack. This can be done with a backup tracker.
