Engine hours - what does the system really measure in your machine?

The operator arrives in the morning, turns the key and leaves the ignition on all day. The engine is started several times. For part of the time the machine performs tasks, part of the time it idles, and for the remaining hours the engine is off.

In the evening, the system shows a report: ten hours of operation.

But of what? Ignition on, engine running or actual work being done?

For the machine owner, this is an important difference. Equipment utilization assessment, fuel consumption analysis and maintenance planning depend on this data. That is why, when choosing monitoring, it is worth starting with one question: how does the system know that the engine is actually running?

At Multiflota, this is exactly where we start. Our team has 30 years of experience installing telemetry systems, including in older construction machines. We develop our own devices and sensors and use our own installers. This lets us obtain information about engine operation even where data from factory electronics is not available.

Engine hour - a short explanation and an important distinction

Engine hours are used to record engine operation. In practice, however, you need to know how a specific meter counts them.

An operating time meter can add one hour for every 60 minutes of engine operation, regardless of RPM. In solutions that count engine hours depending on rotational speed, the increase in the reading is linked to engine RPM relative to the value adopted for a given meter.

That is why, before comparing data from the factory meter and the telemetry system, it is worth checking whether both readings are generated according to the same rule.

In this article, we focus on measuring actual engine run time and distinguishing its states: off, idle and running at higher RPM. This type of measurement requires reliable data from the machine.

The ignition can be on when the engine is not running

In a construction machine, the ignition signal does not have to match engine run time. The operator may leave it on between engine starts.

If the system counts time only based on this signal, we get information about ignition-on time. Calling it “engine run time” does not change the measurement method.

Let us look at an example day:

A system based only on ignition can show ten hours. In fact, the engine ran for six, two of which were spent idling.

This example shows the difference between measurement methods. Without identifying it, the owner may analyze fuel consumption or equipment utilization based on the wrong number of hours.

A running engine does not always mean work is being done

The second problem is distinguishing engine operation from performing a task.

The operator may leave the engine running while waiting for transport or during a break. The machine stands idling for an hour. Fuel is consumed and the operating time meter increases, but work does not progress during that time.

This does not mean that every idle period is unjustified. Warm-up, cool-down or technological requirements may be part of proper operation. However, the owner should be able to see how much of this time occurred and when.

That is why separate information is needed about:

• when the engine was off;
• when it was idling;
• when it was running at higher RPM.

It lets you ask a specific question: why did this machine idle for two hours? Was it waiting for another device, for material, or was it left running during a long break?

In a new machine, data may be available. In an old one, you need to know how to obtain it

In newer machines, some information can be read from the CAN bus or engine controller. If the right parameters are available and correctly interpreted, they can form the basis for monitoring operating time.

A construction fleet is rarely uniform. A thirty-year-old loader works next to a new excavator, and on another site there is an even older machine. Mechanically sound, useful and still heavily used.

Such equipment may not have a CAN bus, an electronic controller or an easily accessible RPM signal. Even if there is a gauge in the cab, it does not mean it provides data in a form that can be connected to telemetry.

In this case, installation requires knowledge of the machine's design and choosing the right measurement method. It is not enough to connect a standard device and assume that ignition status corresponds to engine operation.

How Multiflota measures engine operation in older machines

We developed our own sensor that makes it possible to obtain information about engine operation independently of the ignition signal itself. This allows us to distinguish between ignition on, actual engine running, and idling or running at higher RPM.

This solution also makes it possible to monitor older designs where measurement cannot be based on CAN bus data.

The starting point is the specific machine: its design, available signals and installation conditions. We select the method of obtaining parameters to match them. Only then does the data go into the system and become the basis for reports.

Our own sensor is one element of this process. The installer's experience is just as important: they can assess where and how to install it and how to verify that the information obtained is correct.

For the fleet owner, this means the ability to monitor equipment of different ages. An older machine does not have to remain outside control just because its manufacturer did not provide electronic access to engine parameters.

Thirty years of experience matters when working with machines

Differences between machines become clear during installation. Design, engine starting method, previous modifications and signal availability may require an individual approach.

Our team has been installing telemetry systems for 30 years. This experience covers new and old machines, including those where obtaining information requires more than connecting a device to a ready-made port.

We have our own installers, our own devices and our own engineering department, where we design telemetry devices and sensors. This means we can work both on the measurement method in the machine and on the software that analyzes its results.

From the customer's perspective, the result matters most: the report should reflect what actually happened with the engine. If the ignition was on all day, but the engine ran for only a few hours, the system should show that difference.

A report is only as reliable as the data that feeds it

A clear app and convenient reports are important. They make daily work easier, help compare machines and spot irregularities.

But they will not fix an incorrect measurement.

If the system receives only the ignition status, the chart describes the ignition status. Even the most advanced dashboard will not automatically turn it into a reliable record of engine operation.

That is why, before implementation, it is worth asking the provider a few questions:

• On what basis do you calculate working time in this specific machine?
• What will the system show when the ignition is on, but the engine remains off?
• Do you distinguish between idling and operation at higher RPM?
• How will you take the measurement if the machine does not provide CAN data or an RPM signal?
• How will you verify after installation that the reported states match the engine's actual operation?

The answers show what is behind the term "engine hour monitoring". They also help determine whether the proposed solution fits the entire fleet or only its newest part.

Reliable working time helps understand costs

When you know when the engine was actually running, it is easier to interpret other information about the machine.

You can compare fuel consumption with actual engine operating time, check the share of idling or compare equipment utilization across different construction sites. Long waiting periods become a basis for discussing work organization.

Reliable records also help plan maintenance. At the same time, you need to stay compliant with the calculation rules and intervals defined by the manufacturer of the given machine.

At Multiflota, we combine engine information with location and fuel control. This lets the owner check where the machine was, when its engine was running and what was happening with the fuel at that time.

This is a much fuller picture than a single number of hours at the end of the day.

Let's start with your machine

If a machine is thirty or forty years old, still does its job and you bear its operating costs, you need reliable data just as much as the owner of new equipment.

At Multiflota, we start by determining how to obtain that data. Our own sensors, installers and team experience allow us to approach measurement even where ready-made information from the machine's electronics is missing.

Let's talk about your fleet. We will check how to monitor the actual operation of the engines in your machines - including those built long before the CAN bus became common.