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FAQs

• What vehicles are compatible with the RCI 90G Series devices?: Virtually any vehicle can be equipped with the RCI 90G Series device. To use the starter interrupt ability on the device the vehicle must have its starter wires accessible.
• How quickly can I be tracking my vehicles?: As early as tomorrow! We ship next day on most orders when paying by credit card
• How does it work?: RCI uses GPS satellite locating to report address, speed and direction, as well as with virtual perimeters called Geo-fences. If the vehicle is moved beyond or into these boundaries, an alert is sent to the user.
• What voltage is compatible?: The devices support either 12 or 24 volt input.
• Is there any visible hardware?: The hardware is completely concealed.
• What area of North America does RCI cover?: Coverage extends to 98% of North American population
• Is it easy to use?: Yes it is. All you need is a PC with a web-browser and internet access or any telephone.
• Can I use it on construction equipment, boats or RVs?: Yes the RCI system can be used on any mobile asset with a 12 to 24 volt power source.
• Is it easy to install?: Yes, most of our products can be installed in less than 20 minutes
• How accurate is the tracking?: GPS is extremely accurate; you can expect accuracy levels within 20-30 feet
• What do the police do when a car with the RCI system is stolen?: Theft of a vehicle with the RCI system is considered a "Priority One" call by police. It is reported as a "Crime in Progress" since the vehicle can be tracked as the locations are monitored. The owner can either give police access to his or her account or stay in touch to give updates.
• What kind of insurance discount can I expect with your system?: You may be able to earn up to a 30% discount. Please check with your agent for details.
• How is RCI different from LoJack/Boomerang?: Convenience – Activating LoJack in a stolen vehicle situation requires first filing a police report. Then, only specially-equipped police cars use radio-frequency to attempt to find the vehicle. RCI clientele can locate their vehicle at any time using PC and immediately inform the police of its location. Coverage – LoJack/Boomerang is only available in 22 states. RCI coverage is global. Quality of Tracking – Once a theft is discovered and the unit is activated, LoJack gives police a general direction of the vehicle as long as it is within a certain radius. RCI gives address, speed and specific direction immediately after a vehicle has left its GeoFence. Price – the RCI system is usually several hundred dollars (installed) cheaper than LoJack/Boomerang and carries ZERO monthly fees.
• How do I receive alerts?: Alerts can be sent to an e-mail address, cellular phone or pager.
• How do I Install the RCI 90G Series device?: To install the RCI 90G Series device: 1. Disconnect the battery and make sure both antennas (RF and GPS antennas) are plugged in to the device before power is restored. Not doing so may damage your unit. 2. Device and antennas are to be placed under the dashboard. The RF antenna (the longer narrower one) is not to be placed within six inches of a metal surface as it can block the signal. The GPS antenna can be stuck to a metal surface (contains a magnet inside) but must be facing upward and must not have metal surfaces between it and the sky (no metal above it). Once complete, reconnect power supply and test device.
• How do I connect starter interrupt?: To install the device with starter interrupt follow above instructions but before reconnecting the power supply do the following: Find the vehicles starter wire and cut it. Connect the starter interrupt cables to each end of the cut starter wire and then connect the “Quick Release” connections from the starter interrupt cables to the device. All connections should be soldered and insulated. Once complete, reconnect power supply and test device.
• I need wiring diagrams inside a vehicle I’m not familiar with, what do I do?: Most mechanics who would be installing these devices will know where the appropriate wires are in the vehicle. If not, you can direct them to a website that may help them: http://www.bulldogsecurity.com/
: This will depend on device revision:; DACP08D:

LED

1:POWER

2:STARTER

3:GPS

4: CELLULAR

COLOR ?

GREEN

RED

RED

RED

ON :

POWER

DISABLE MODE

GOOD GPS FIX

CONNECTED.

OFF

NO POWER

ENABLED

NO POWER/
GPS ERROR

NO POWER/
COMM. ERROR

FAST BLINK

N/A

N/A

ACQUIRING

NETWORK ERROR

SLOW BLINK

N/A

N/A

HAS DATE/TIME

ACQUIRING; DACP08E/DACP08F:

LED

1:POWER

2:STARTER

3:GPS

4: MODE

5: RF

6: SPARE

7: NETWORK1

8: NETWORK2

COLOR ?

GREEN

RED

RED

RED

RED

NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC LEDS
===================
DISREGARD

ON :

POWER

DISABLE MODE

GOOD GPS FIX

N/A

CONNECTED

OFF

NO POWER

ENABLED

GPS ERROR

ERROR

ERROR

FAST BLINK

N/A

N/A

ACQUIRING

N/A

NETWORK ERROR

SLOW BLINK

N/A

WARNING

HAS DATE/TIME

NORMAL

ACQUIRING
• A customer just installed a device and the car won’t start. Why does this happen and what can be done to solve the problem?: A rare occurrence that is usually caused by problems with installation;
1. The starter interrupt is not installed properly (see installation instructions) OR;
2. The power circuit is not complete. You can check on the device itself and if the first light is on (the green one), there is power and you should check the starter interrupt connection. Often times, uninstalling and reinstalling will fix this problem if installers reach an impasse.
3. An even rarer instance that a vehicle won’t start is because the ground wire is not touching a metal surface. Some vehicles have a thin coating inside on the metal surfaces in order to prevent corrosion. In those cases it will suffice to scrape a small bit of this coating off in order for the ground to touch the metal.
• I want to change my username and or password.: Unfortunately, a Username cannot be changed by the customer. We can, however, change a customer’s Password. Contact our Support Team at 877.940.3028 and we will be happy to change your password.
• Is there a manual or guide for the web-application that we can look at?: Every new customer receives a PDF copy of the web-application user guide when they receive their first order. Should you require another copy, simply e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and one will be sent to you immediately.
• How can I be sure if a device is functioning correctly?: Here you must find the serial number of the device that the customer would like to test. Once you have obtained this information you can either look for it on the Results list or click on the Search bar to run a search for that device. When running a search you have numerous criteria to choose from. You can search by vehicle description, activation date of device, vehicle make/model and owners name. There is also an option to switch your search by Device Criteria if you’d like. The criteria you are able to search by includes: Model, Activation Date, Serial Number, ESN number, Firmware and Batch ID State. Once the desired device has been found, click on the Results list so it is high-lighted and then click on the LOCATE button on the top of the screen under the vehicles tab.

Hitting the Locate button will bring up a box showing you what command you are performing (Locate, Warning, Disable, and Enable), give you the progress of the command in a percentage and also show you how much time has elapsed since you started the command. If you receive a message saying Successful it means the device functioning properly.
• How do I Perform a Locate?: To locate a device the customer must log into their account into the Atlas and go to the IM App tab. Once there find and click on the appropriate device to be searched for to highlight it. Then press the Locate button on the top of the screen to find the device.

Once the Locate is successful it will bring up a box showing the status of the command and if successful, will give you the option to view a map. On the map screen you will also be given the street address (or closest approximation possible) City and State as well as the longitude and latitude of the vehicle. These maps are also saved in the Console tab for future reference.
• How do I enable the Warning Function?: To enable the Warning function the customer must log into their account into the Atlas and go to the IM App tab. Once there find and click on the appropriate device to be put into warning mode to highlight it. Next, click on the yellow Warn button located at the top of the screen under the Console tab. It will bring up a small window showing you what command you are performing and how much is left to be completed in a percentage. Once it shows the message Successful it is complete and the vehicle has been put in to Warning mode.

In Warning mode the vehicle will emit a beeping sound whenever the car is started to remind a driver that a payment may be due shortly or that the car may be put into Disable mode. To remove warning mode you must use the Enable command on the vehicle.
• How do I perform the Disable Function?: User must log into their account into the Atlas and go to the IM App tab. Once there find and click on the appropriate device to be put into Disable mode to highlight it. Next, click on the red Disable button located at the top of the screen under the Console tab. It will bring up a small window showing you what command you are performing and how much is left to be completed in a percentage. Once it shows the message Successful it is complete and the vehicle has been put in to disable mode.

Disable mode cuts of the power flow to the starter of the vehicle preventing the car from being started. This command is mainly used for a customer who has not paid their bill or if a dealer is looking to repossess a vehicle and wants to make sure it stays in one place. To remove the Disable mode you must enable the vehicle afterwards.
• How do I Enable a Disabled Device or a Device in Warning Mode?: To use the Enable function the customer must log into their account into the Atlas and go to the IM App tab. Once there find and click on the appropriate device to be put into Enable mode to highlight it. Next, click on the green Enable button located at the top of the screen under the Console tab. It will bring up a small window showing you what command you are performing and how much is left to be completed in a percentage. Once it shows the message Successful it is complete and the vehicle has been put in to enable mode.

Enable mode removes Warning mode and Disable mode from the vehicle highlighted. This means that the customer will no longer hear the beeping noise when starting up a vehicle previously in Warning Mode and will be able to start the car of a vehicle previously put into Disable mode.
• I Attempted A Function On A Device And Got A Result Of:: No GPS Fix Cause:
This message shows when for whatever reason a device cannot get a signal from a GPS satellite to acquire its exact location (latitude, longitude). This could be caused by:

1. Improper installation;

2. GPS antenna becoming disconnected from the device;

3. The vehicle being located is underground, in a garage or generally blocked from receiving a signal from a GPS satellite. If you are receiving this message, however, it does mean you are able to communicate with the RF antenna. Solution: If the cause is incorrect installation, the solution is to remove the GPS antenna from the device (make sure power supply is disconnected first) and install correctly. See installation information.

If the signal is blocked due to blocked signal causes you will have to wait until the vehicle is back to a spot where it is able to receive a signal. If a customer is trying to locate a car every morning at 6:00am and consistently gets No GPS Fix ask them to try at a different time of day. Perhaps the owner of the vehicle is parked in an underground parking lot at that time and only leaves it later at night to go home. If the problem persists you may also want to attempt a Device Reset.

Device Unreachable (Confirmed) Cause:
This error is caused when for whatever reason it is not possible to contact the RF Antenna. The RF antenna works like a cell phone and places that have no cellular coverage would also affect the device the same way. Again being underground, in a tunnel or similar locations can give you this message. As well, if the battery on the car is low, dead or disconnected it will give you this message. The system will in most cases continue to search for the device for a certain number of hours after the initial attempt has given you the Device Unreachable message. If the device is found within this period of time the information will be sent to the Console section in the Atlas and you will be able to pull the map and have the time and date of when the vehicle was located. If it does not find it, however, the word (Confirmed) will show up beside the original response of Device Unreachable. Solution: To fix this issue (in most cases) you will have to wait until the vehicle is back into an area where it has cellular reception. If the battery on the vehicle is low or dead, however, the battery must be “jumped”.

Last Known Position Causes:
This is much less of a problem and more of an attempt to solve a problem. The device records the information of its location every so often and stores it in its buffer. When attempting to locate the vehicle; if it has just entered a place where it cannot get a GPS Fix it will send back the last know position of the device. Solution: In this instance, you will have to wait until the vehicle leaves the location where it is not receiving a good GPS fix. If the vehicle has simply gone into a tunnel you can most probably check again in a couple of minutes and receive a good location. If it has just gone into an underground parking garage, for example, you may have to wait longer.

Device Timeout Message Causes:
Normally, when searching for a device the system will give 180 seconds to find it. If no response is received after 180 seconds you will receive the message Device Timeout. In effect this means that the carrier (of the message) confirmed that the device received the request but the device was not able to send confirmation back showing that the task was complete.
Solution: If the vehicle you are searching for is in a place where you know it should be able to send and receive a signal (i.e.: right in front of the car lot where you have located other vehicles of yours) you should definitely check the installation and make sure it is installed correctly.

Successful Cause:
This response is caused when any function you are trying to perform (Locate, Enable, Warning, Disable) succeeds and the action is executed. This is the response you should get for any action you perform and is the response you will get most of the time.
• A Device Was Found by a Customer or Mechanic of a Customer, What Do I Say?: Device Found By Mechanic
If a mechanic is calling in asking about finding a device in someone’s vehicle inform him that the device was put in by the seller of the car in case it is ever lost or stolen, to be able to track it. Ask for the serial number or the name of the vehicle owner for your records. You will need to contact the dealership or reseller of the device to inform them the device was found by a mechanic as it may potentially put their asset in jeopardy.

Device Found By Customer
If the owner of a vehicle is calling in saying he/she found this device in the car inform them that the device is there in case his/her car is lost or stolen so they will be able to track it. It is important to let them know that if they remove it they run the risk of disabling the starter on the car. This is due to the starter interrupt that most of these devices are equipped with.
• How Do I Perform A Manual Bypass?: When a car is disabled it interrupts the power flow to the starter making it impossible to start. In certain cases a car may be moving when this happens. Only once the vehicle has come to a stop and the engine is shut down will it have any real effect. If the vehicle was moving when it was disabled it is possible for it to move to a new location where coverage may be bad, where it may not be possible to receive a signal or by some stroke of terrible luck the cell phone provider in the area may go down. It, therefore, cannot be enabled again. If you find yourself in this situation there is a safeguard against it called a manual bypass. RCI Technical Support will help you perform a manual bypass. Contact them @ 877.940.3028
• Can I transfer my device to another vehicle?: Absolutely, there are no charges for this but you may want to purchase another wiring harness instead of removing the old harness. This would be least time consuming and by keeping the wiring harness in the other vehicle you may want to transfer the unit back and forth between vehicles.

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LED	1:POWER	2:STARTER	3:GPS	4: CELLULAR
COLOR ?	GREEN	RED	RED	RED
ON :	POWER	DISABLE MODE	GOOD GPS FIX	CONNECTED.
OFF	NO POWER	ENABLED	NO POWER/ GPS ERROR	NO POWER/ COMM. ERROR
FAST BLINK	N/A	N/A	ACQUIRING	NETWORK ERROR
SLOW BLINK	N/A	N/A	HAS DATE/TIME	ACQUIRING