How do Argus GPS and vehicle odometers work together?
The Argus odometer accumulates GPS-tracked distance from an installed baseline, which can drift from the vehicle's own tyre-based odometer over time.
Argus builds an odometer reading for each asset from GPS-tracked distance, starting from the reading entered when the unit was installed. This is fundamentally different from your vehicle's own odometer, so the two can drift apart over time.
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How does the Argus odometer work?
Your vehicle's in-built odometer is based on tyre rotation. The Argus odometer is different — it accumulates distance based on the positions your GPS unit reports. Upon installation, we enter the vehicle's current odometer reading as a baseline, then add tracked distance to it as the unit reports.
Why might the two odometers not match?
Both types of odometer have inherent variance. In-vehicle odometers can be affected by wheel size and tyre pressure, which can overstate or understate actual distance. GPS-based odometers are affected by:
- Physical environment. Underground car parks, extremely built-up areas, remote locations or gorges can leave a GPS unit without enough coverage to record a position, so that travel isn't added to the total.
- Vehicle power issues. An incorrect jump-start or a flat battery can leave the GPS unit without enough power to record and transmit data. If a unit needs rebooting after this, distance travelled before the reboot may not be added to the odometer — see how to tell if a GPS unit is offline.
- Tampering. This can happen accidentally, for example when a contractor does other electrical work on the vehicle.
Because of this variance, we recommend re-calibrating the Argus odometer against the in-vehicle odometer every 3 to 6 months.
How do Argus GPS units calculate distance?
Argus GPS units use satellite signals (GNSS) to calculate location, speed and distance. At least 4 satellites are needed for a position; Argus uses up to 8 for greater accuracy. If a GPS unit goes offline, it's important to update its odometer reading promptly once it's back online, to keep the baseline accurate.
How do I recalibrate my odometer?
Your vehicle compliance settings are where the odometer reading is updated — that process is covered in a separate section of this knowledge base. If you can't find it, contact Argus support and they'll point you to the right place for your account.
This article doesn't cover GPS signal strength or offline diagnosis — see how to tell if a GPS unit is offline.