Troubleshooting

Find the message you saw. Most problems come down to five things: the phone not locked in its corner, prongs on the rubber, a rim lip that needs wiping, a phone still changing temperature, or a walk that took too long.

On this page

During a lap
Doors and camber
Bracket Calibration
Scanning, the phone and feedback
Still stuck?

During a lap

What you see	What it means	What to do
This needs the bracket calibration for this phone and bracket first…	No usable calibration yet.	Run Settings → Bracket Calibration.
Time to calibrate the bracket	Your calibration is 30 days old or more.	Calibrate now, or Not now to carry on (it asks again in 30 days).
Place on Ground won’t change to Leave on Ground	The bracket isn’t still, for example it’s in your hand.	Set it down and let go.
The bracket moved during the rest. Leave it until prompted.	It was touched during the ten-second rest.	Leave it alone until the countdown ends.
Front is too high. Please level. / Back is too high. Please level. / Not level. Measure the top of the rim.	One prong sits higher than the other.	Slide the bracket round the rim until the bar sits between the marks.
Amber jittering	One prong isn’t touching.	Push in so both noses sit on the lip.
Amber drifting	The bracket is creeping along the rim.	Hold still.
Red bumped	It was knocked.	Take it off and put it back on.
A low buzz, two quick buzzes	That reading was refused.	Hold it again.
Phone Moved? The two readings disagree. Is the phone pushed into its corner? Remove and place on the same spot.	The second reading at a wheel didn’t match the first: the bracket didn’t go back on the same spot, or the phone shifted in the bracket.	Push the phone into its corner, lock the wedge, lift the bracket off and place it on the same spot.
Redo Rear / Redo Front The front did not close. Read the front again, starting at…	That axle’s closing reading failed three times.	Read only that axle again from the wheel named. The other axle and the doors are kept.
The rear left would not repeat. Read the rear again…	A wheel’s second reading was refused three times.	Read that axle again.
Not Closed The lap did not close. Please start over.	Drift or placement was over the limit after two redos.	Start over. Work steadily, keep the screen on, let the phone’s temperature settle.
The two readings at one wheel did not agree. Please start over.	The placement couldn’t be repeated.	Check the phone is clamped tight, clean the rim lip, start over.
The phone was knocked or spun during a walk. Please start over.	A drop, knock or spin broke the measurement.	Carry it smoothly; never set it down mid-lap.
The phone’s temperature was changing during this lap…	The phone was warming up or cooling down, which makes the readings drift.	Leave the phone with the app open for 3 to 5 minutes, then start over.
A walk is refused after the screen went off, a call came in, or you switched apps	The phone stopped reading its sensors mid-walk.	Keep the screen on and the app in front between wheels.
Readings scatter, with no message	Often the prongs are touching the tire’s rubber.	Slide in only until the prong noses meet the lip’s flat ring.
Low confidence	See the reasons listed under it.	Fix what it says and measure again before adjusting. Read the result

Doors and camber

What you see	What it means	What to do
Hold it gently against the glass.	The bracket is wobbling on the door glass.	Hold it lightly, flat in the back corner.
Hold the bracket flat against the glass.	A door reading was taken off the glass.	Lay it flat on the glass.
Thrust angle missing, with a reason	A door’s two readings disagreed, the bracket was knocked, or more than a minute and a half passed.	The wheel numbers are still good. Measure again with Thrust if you need it.
Wrong way round: the wedge side is on the rim…	Camber side reading on the wrong edge.	Turn the bracket so the wedge side is away from the rim, FRONT still up.
Redo Rear Left (or another tire) during camber	That tire’s side readings disagreed three times, or it was knocked.	Read that tire again. If it fails again it is kept as Low.
Camber says relative only	No camber zero from the calibration.	Run Bracket Calibration.
Spec check says it needs the floor	The floor readings were skipped for that axle.	Measure on a flat spot with the floor steps.

Bracket Calibration

What you see	What it means	What to do
The phone moved in the bracket during the flat readings. Push it into the corner, lock the wedge…	The phone shifted in the tray.	Re-seat the phone, lock the wedge, start over.
The flat readings could not measure how the phone sits in the bracket	Not enough good flat readings.	Start over.
Not flat against the wall. Both prongs must touch the wall.	One prong is off the wall.	Slide the bracket flush against the wall.
It did not go back on the same spot. Put it back at your mark… / That turn did not come back to the same spot…	It was placed away from the V.	Right prong under the V each time.
Walk canceled due to a drop or knock… / Walk canceled: the sensors stopped… / That walk was too short…	The walk was spoiled.	Put it back on the mark and walk again; carry it until it buzzes.
The first and last upright readings disagree. Check that the phone is locked in the bracket, then start over.	The phone is loose.	Lock the wedge; start over.
The two edge readings suggest there could be an issue with the bracket. Check the prongs…	Damaged or dirty prongs.	Inspect and clean the prongs. Reprint the bracket if one is damaged.
Done, but it cannot be saved.	The run failed a check; the reason follows.	Fix the stated cause and run it again.

Scanning, the phone and feedback

What you see	What it means	What to do
This phone has no gyroscope, so it cannot measure alignment.	The phone has no gyroscope.	This phone can’t be used.
The VIN scanner refuses a code	It isn’t a VIN barcode, or the VIN’s check digit doesn’t match.	Type the VIN, and check the 9th character.
The camera won’t open	Camera permission was refused.	Open settings → Permissions → Camera → Allow.
No model after a VIN scan	No internet connection.	Pick the model yourself.
Not sent: no internet connection. (Send Feedback)	You’re offline.	It’s kept and offered again next time.

Still stuck?

Send it from the app with Settings → Send Feedback: choose Problem, say which part of the app, and describe what happened. Leave Include app and phone details ticked so we can see the app version, phone model and calibration date. Or email info@rimreader.com. What to include.