Mastering Geotab
★ Geotab Products · IOX Add-On
The IOX-KEYLESS is the in-vehicle hardware behind Geotab Keyless. It lets authorized drivers lock and unlock a shared vehicle from a phone, and can add starter inhibit for extra control.
The IOX-KEYLESS is an IOX module that connects to a Geotab GO9 or newer and turns the vehicle into one that can be opened with a digital key. Inside the vehicle, it works with a 3 volt key fob that is already paired to the factory central locking system. The module uses Bluetooth to find an approved driver's Android or iOS phone, connect through the GO device, and send lock and unlock commands.
It is one piece of the wider Geotab Keyless solution. On the software side, drivers can use the Geotab Drive app or a shared mobility provider's app from the Geotab Marketplace, and fleet staff can manage access and send remote commands. Geotab describes the hardware as working across most modern vehicles, including electric and hybrid models.
Government and corporate motor pools can let employees reserve a vehicle the way they book a meeting room. The key is issued for that booking, so nobody has to staff a key cabinet or chase down a set that walked off in a jacket pocket.
Car sharing operators use it so members can book a vehicle on short notice and open it with the app, with no handoff and no lockbox.
Rental companies can offer self-service pickup. Geotab publishes a rental case study in which customers unlocked vehicles from their phones.
Small shared work fleets where several drivers share one vehicle over months can use it as plain key management, removing the cost of replacing lost keys.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Hardware revision | B1 |
| Compatible GO devices | GO9 and newer |
| Bluetooth | Version 4.0 single mode |
| Key fob compatibility | 3 V fob paired to a central automatic locking system |
| Size | 121 mm L x 100 mm W x 24.5 mm H |
| Nominal input voltage | 12 V / 24 V |
| Current at 12 V | 49 mA typical, 75 mA max, 0.6 mA sleep |
| Current at 24 V | 24 mA typical, 40 mA max, 0.4 mA sleep |
| Temperature rating | -40 °C to +85 °C |
| Connectors | Mini-USB in and out; 10-pin starter inhibit relay socket; 4-pin and 6-pin sockets reserved for future use |
| Housing | Black moisture-resistant thermoplastic overmold |
Geotab recommends a T-harness so the GO device and the module can be mounted away from the OBD port, and the right harness depends on the vehicle. That matters on a shared vehicle, because a GO hanging off the diagnostic port is easy for a renter to kick or pull. The module itself mounts out of sight under the dash trim, held by its cable-tie points to trim, frame or a wire bundle, either upright or flat, and clear of the pedals. Once the GO is plugged back in, the vehicle has to stay running for at least five minutes so the keyless function fully enables. During setup the GO beeps twice a minute, and the work is done when the red, green and blue LEDs are solid. Communication is then logged at installmygps.com with the GO serial number. Starter inhibit uses a separate expansion harness and its own document, so we plan it when we quote the job, not on the day. One point that catches people out: the IOX-KEYLESS is not compatible with the IOX-BT on the same vehicle.
It fits fleets where many people share a smaller number of vehicles and key handling is a daily cost: motor pools, car sharing and self-service rental. It is less useful for a fleet where each driver has an assigned vehicle and takes it home, since the key problem barely exists there. Our technicians check each vehicle for a compatible 3 volt fob on central locking before ordering, and fleets that also want Bluetooth beacon tracking on the same vehicle will need to choose between the two modules.
No. Lock and unlock through the app uses Bluetooth between the phone and the vehicle, so an underground garage is not a barrier. Remote commands from the office do use the data network.
Geotab lists the Geotab Drive app and shared mobility providers on its Marketplace, including Fleetster and Launch Mobility, and also offers API integration with a fleet's own software.
The physical fob stays in the vehicle, secured with the module, and the system operates it for the authorized driver.
We supply the IOX-KEYLESS with the correct T-harness for each model and install it at the lot where your shared vehicles park, then confirm the LEDs and the app before handing the keys over to software. Phone 803-513-1009, or use Get a Quote to send us the makes and model years in the pool.
Sources: Geotab Support, IOX-KEYLESS installation document; Geotab Keyless solution page; Geotab blog, Geotab Keyless. GEOTAB is a registered trademark of Geotab Inc. API Signal is an independent installer and is not Geotab.
Tell us how many vehicles and what they are. We'll quote the hardware and the install together.