Mastering Azuga
★ Fleet GPS Trackers · Azuga Guide
What each wire does, where the tracker goes, how to register it, and the mistakes the install guide hints at.
This is the hardwired Azuga tracker with three connections: power, ground and ignition. Azuga's install guide calls it the "3-Wired Hardwired GPS," and the Azuga Fleet mobile app calls it the "Hardwired GPS Tracker." The SKU Azuga lists for it in its PTO guide is DCM970-21ZB1.
Because it connects to the vehicle's wiring instead of the diagnostic port, a driver cannot simply pull it out. That is one reason fleets choose it over the plug-in.
| Wire | Function | What Azuga says |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Constant power | 12 volts, always live |
| Black | Ground | 0 volts, to a good ground |
| White | Ignition signal | 12 volts with the ignition on, 0 volts with it off |
Azuga defines white as live only with the ignition on. A circuit that stays live with the key off does not fit that definition, so this is the wire where a meter earns its keep. Azuga's guide also says to confirm the constant source with a meter and to secure the cables only after the light check passes.
In the Azuga Fleet mobile app: Dashboard, Utilities, Installation, Hardwired GPS Tracker. Scan or type the serial number, tap Continue, enter the VIN and license plate, and tap Submit. On the web: Admin, Vehicles, Vehicles (New), search the serial number, use the three-dot menu to edit, fill in the required fields including the matching device, and submit. Vehicle names have to be unique.
Fleets that want a tracker drivers cannot unplug, vehicles with a hard-to-reach port, and fleets that need the inputs Azuga's blog describes for hardwired units. Azuga's 2020 blog says the hardwired units can support input monitoring and ELD use.
Rental-style vehicles that move between drivers often, because a hardwired install takes more than the 20 seconds Azuga quotes for the plug-in. Also vehicles where nobody has checked the ignition wire with a meter first.
Azuga does not publish a mistakes list, but its guide points to the usual ones. The constant or ground was not checked with a meter. The tracker was mounted close to metal. The vehicle was parked in a garage, the light did not go green, and the install was assumed to have failed. And ServiceTitan's Fleet Pro pages, built on Azuga hardware, say loose or damaged connections are the most common cause of repeated disconnects.
If you would like the wiring side handled for you, see our Azuga installation page, or look up the vehicle in the Vehicle Wiring Database.
Sources: Azuga 3-wire install guide, Azuga blog, Apr 29, 2020, ServiceTitan Fleet Pro hardwired page. AZUGA is a trademark of its owner. API Signal is an independent installer and is not Azuga.
Red is 12 volt constant power. Black is ground. White is the ignition signal, 12 volts with the ignition on and 0 volts with it off. Azuga's guide was last verified in November 2025.
Azuga's guide says not to install it on a battery source above 24 volts DC and describes the red wire as 12 volt constant. It does not say plainly that the 3-wire unit accepts 24 volts. Ask Azuga before you try it. The 2-wire guide is the one that states 12 or 24 volts.
Hidden and away from moving parts, such as under the steering column or under the passenger side dash, label side up, and at least six inches from metal so the built-in GPS antenna is not blocked.
GPS may not lock indoors. Azuga says to park outside with a view of the sky and drive a short way in the open.
Tell us how many vehicles and what they are. We'll quote the installation.
Constant. Ignition. Ground. API Signal.Disclosure: API Signal may receive a referral fee from Azuga when a fleet signs up with Azuga through us. It does not change what we tell you on these pages, including the places where Azuga is not the best fit.