What this code means
When you press the eject button on the tachograph and the driver card isn’t released immediately, a VDO DTCO 4.1 (or 4.0) shows the message "ejection not possible" with display number 034. According to the manual, card ejection is refused in five situations: the vehicle is in motion, a data download is in progress, data is currently being read from or written to the card, the card was only read in within the same minute (right after insertion or a restart), or — on the ADR variant — the ignition is switched off.
Under Annex I C of Regulation (EU) 2016/799, "ejection not possible" counts as a pure operational notice, not an event or a fault. No EventFaultType is stored — the message doesn’t end up in the mass memory, on a printout or in an evaluation report.
If the same fault keeps recurring across several vehicles, tachograph analysis software shows it for the entire fleet in one place.
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- Bring the vehicle safely to a stop, if it’s still moving — ejection is blocked by design while driving.
- Wait a moment. An ongoing data transfer or download is usually finished within a few seconds to a minute; right after insertion, wait until the next minute begins.
- Press the eject button again.
- On ADR vehicles: switch the ignition on and try again.
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According to the manual, "ejection not possible" has five possible causes:
- Data is currently being read from or written to the card — for example immediately after it’s inserted.
- A data download is in progress.
- The card was read in less than a minute ago (right after insertion or a restart).
- The vehicle is in motion — ejection is blocked by design while driving.
- On the ADR variant, the ignition is switched off.
Drivers most often hit this message when trying to remove the card right after inserting it: the unit refuses ejection within the same minute in which the card was read in.
Can you keep driving?
Yes, without restriction. "Ejection not possible" only affects the eject button — recording of your driving time and rest periods continues normally with the card inserted. It isn’t a fault, so it doesn’t trigger a repair obligation under Article 37 of Regulation 165/2014.
Because "ejection not possible" isn’t an EventFaultType under Annex I C, nothing about it is recorded in the vehicle unit’s or driver card’s downloaded .ddd data — an enforcement check or evaluation won’t turn it into a violation or a fine risk. If the message keeps recurring on a specific vehicle for no obvious reason (not during a transfer, download, driving, right after insertion or ignition-off on ADR), though, that can be an early sign of a developing card-mechanism fault — comparable to the genuine fault "card mechanism fault, slot 1". Worth a check at the next scheduled workshop visit, even without an acute legal obligation.
Also displayed as
Drivers across Europe see the same fault under different on-screen wording. These are the real search terms used for code 34:
- Auswurf nicht möglich 34 — German
- Wysunięcie karty niemożliwe 34 — Polish
- Card ejection not possible 34 — English workshop documentation
- Uitwerpen niet mogelijk 34 — Dutch
Related codes
Frequently asked questions
Is "ejection not possible 34" a fault I need to get repaired?
No. It’s a pure operational notice with no EventFaultType under Annex I C — not a fault, no repair obligation under Article 37, no entry in the fault memory. You only need to wait out the reason (data transfer, download, driving, a card read in less than a minute ago, or ignition off on ADR).
Why can I sometimes only remove my driver card after a few seconds?
The tachograph refuses ejection while it’s reading data from the card or writing to it. This happens most often right after the card is inserted or right after engine start. Wait a moment and try again.
Do I need to report code 34 to the workshop or the fleet?
Not for a one-off occurrence — it isn’t a reportable event. If the message keeps recurring without an obvious reason (no transfer, download, driving, fresh insertion or ignition-off on ADR), report it to your fleet so the card mechanism can be checked at the next workshop visit.
What’s the difference between code 34 and a genuine card fault like code 040?
Code 34 is a time-limited operational notice — ejection works as soon as the cause (e.g. an ongoing transfer) ends. Code 040, "card mechanism fault, slot 1", is a genuine hardware fault with a high severity rating that requires a workshop visit and is stored in the fault memory.