Mastering Geotab
★ Geotab Harnesses · Make-Specific and Custom Harnesses
The HRN-BD16K1 is a Geotab bypass harness kit that keeps a GO device powered on vehicles with a positive battery terminal disconnect, so the device stays awake when the master switch is off. It ships with a fuse kit.
The HRN-BD16K1 is a bypass harness kit that feeds a Geotab GO device from the battery side of a positive terminal kill switch, so the tracker keeps running after the driver turns the master switch off. Geotab supplies it as a kit with the harness and a fuse kit, and the harness section itself is short, about 8 cm (3.15 in).
Why does that matter? A GO device that loses all power every night has to start over each morning. Geotab explains that this kit keeps the device alive so IOX learning and heartbeat messages continue. Without that steady supply, Geotab notes some engine data can go missing until the device finishes provisioning again after the reset. Fleet managers see it as gaps in the morning trip log.
Geotab positions this part for any vehicle fitted with a battery disconnect on the positive terminal. That is the defining test, not the make or model. So the first job is to look at the switch and trace which cable it breaks.
The kit is listed with Geotab's make-specific and custom harnesses and works as part of a GO device install, adding the bypass feed to the device. Geotab does not list a part that it replaces or a separate harness it requires. On rugged equipment running a GO RUGGED, Geotab has a separate bypass kit, the HRN-RS12K1, so the device type decides which of the two you order.
Take a fleet whose drivers kill the master switch at the end of every shift. Each morning the GO device boots cold, hunts for a cellular connection and re-learns any attached IOX modules. Dispatch sees the truck appear late, harsh event data from the first minutes may be missing, and an IOX add-on can look unreliable when the real cause is the nightly blackout.
The bypass changes one thing: the device keeps its own supply while everything else on the truck is dark. That gives steady heartbeats overnight, keeps accessory learning intact and lets the morning trip start recording from the first turn of the key.
There is a trade-off. Geotab openly discourages a standard install in kill switch vehicles and suggests finding a continuous power source where one exists. This kit is the answer when the owner wants the switch to stay in service and still wants complete data.
The sequence below follows Geotab's general rules for harness work. The exact connection points depend on the vehicle, so we confirm them on site.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Part number | HRN-BD16K1 |
| Type | Battery disconnect bypass harness kit |
| Kit contents | Bypass harness and fuse kit |
| Harness length | 8 cm (3.15 in) |
| Switch type supported | Positive terminal disconnect only |
| Bypass wire extension | Red +V lead may be extended up to 3 m (10 ft), 16 AWG minimum |
| Maximum connected harness length | 2 m (6.5 ft) |
| Approval | Client must be told the risks and approve the install |
| Country of origin | China |
Confirm the switch really sits on the positive cable before ordering, because a ground-side disconnect rules this kit out. Never skip the fuse on the bypass lead, and size any extension at 16 AWG or heavier. Remember that the device now draws from the battery around the clock, so a truck that sits for long spells deserves a battery check at service time. Get the owner's approval in writing on the work order so everyone agrees the master switch no longer shuts down the tracker.
Geotab lists the HRN-BD16K1 for positive cutoff systems only. A ground-side switch calls for a different approach, and our technicians can sort that out once they have looked at the truck.
Yes. The red +V lead may gain up to 3 m (10 ft) of 16 AWG or heavier wire, while the connected harness run keeps its own 2 m (6.5 ft) ceiling.
Bypassing a master power switch changes how the vehicle behaves when it is shut down, and Geotab requires that the client understands those risks and approves the work before it goes ahead.
Kill switch trucks are a job we handle often in our 35 years of twelve-volt work. API Signal supplies the HRN-BD16K1 along with the GO device and fits both at your yard, then walks you through the approval before we start. To pencil in a date, ring 803-513-1009 or describe your kill switch trucks on Get a Quote.
Sources: Geotab Harness Identification and Application, Geotab specific install notes, Geotab guide to telematics harnesses. GEOTAB is a registered trademark of Geotab Inc. API Signal is an independent installer and is not Geotab.
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