Who Has Added Smartcraft to their Engines?

Do you get error codes on the N2K that you MFD or other device can interpret and display for you?
 
Not sure the gateway says it can do check engine stuff, but I have not seen anythjng. Motors are fine right now ha.
 
I'm looking at doing this myself next year. I just picked up a new Garmin EchoMap Plus that has NMEA capabilities. The engine has the Smartcraft connector ready to go. I have a coupe of questions, and I apologize if they're redundant to what you guys have already stated. I'm just trying to grasp the install process.

When you purchase the NMEA starter kit, do I need to hook up the power cable? (see pic)
I read in these posts that the SmartCraft has power already, so does that feed power to the NMEA network?

Is it as simple as (start from engine) - SmartCraft NMEA Gateway to NMEA T connector. One T connector to Garmin. The other T connector end terminated?
Again, sorry if this is redundant. I've read this thread over the last year, and I still get confused (and I'm a technology guy too)
61fa5NvK9SL._SL1000_.jpg
 
If you have smartcraft already, you would find a junction box, and plug int the gateway. The gateway would plug into a T on the nmea 2000 backbone. The basic back bone would be 3 t connectors, 2 terminators (one on each end) and the 3 items going to the 3 T would be your gps- power cable providing power to the backbone, and the gateway. You can then add more devices to that powered back bone.
 
Thank you mittens. So that power cable in the pic would need to be hooked up to the T in the NMEA network because it powers the backbone of the network......got it....that was my confusion.

Also, i believe what you mean by the junction box is the connector, I think it's purple, already on the motor?
 
Yes the starter kits, come with a power connector, to connect to a T and it powers the back bone. Also both end point terminators, and from your pic, 2 drop cables (One Long one short) and a spare T. So you need one more T and should be good for a basic set up if the cables reach.

Ok does you Boat have smart craft gauges? Or old school anolog?

Newer boats run smartcraft network to the helm. So you can just plug into the junction box and go. The gauges are normally smartcraft and plug into the smartcraft network. And build your nmea 2000.

Old boats like my 2002, are smart craft ready... meaning the engines have it, that’s it. All gauges are anolog. So you have to build the smartcraft network and the nmea 2000, and connect them with gateway to conver the data.

So purple connectors on motor to junction or Fancy Y- then to gateway... then to your nmea network.
 
No, my boat doesn't have SmartCraft gauges, just plan'ol'analog so unfortunately I have no junction at the helm.
I am SmartCraft ready. It say's it on the engine cowling and I found the connector.
 
Then your in the same “boat” I am.

Smart craft cables from engines to your choice of 3 ways to connect them to the gateway and then from it to your new nmea.
 
No, my boat doesn't have SmartCraft gauges, just plan'ol'analog so unfortunately I have no junction at the helm.
I am SmartCraft ready. It say's it on the engine cowling and I found the connector.

That's how mine is set up via 2001. Plug and play to your helm or just VV bluetooth it. I love the bluetooth version. Bought a 12" android tablet and mounted it by suction cup bracket at the helm and now have full digital info at my finger tips without going into major boat bucks.

Plus the tablet is my redundant navionics platform.
 
I was looking at that. It would save me about $200-$300. The bummer is, I bought a new garmin that is set up for NMEA. The SmartCraft app does look cool. I like the maintenance schedule portion.
 
I am overly anal, and a tablet would bug me.. I like clean installs, not addons but just me.

And I have enough stuff going on wth my phone. Ha
 
I am overly anal, and a tablet would bug me.. I like clean installs, not addons but just me.

And I have enough stuff going on wth my phone. Ha

Yeah it bugged me too until I found the right mount. It mounts off the side window and in no away blocks the dash and view.

The only issue with the older Sea Ray's is the dash design was not intuitive for future electronic applications. So I make do.
 
No, my boat doesn't have SmartCraft gauges, just plan'ol'analog so unfortunately I have no junction at the helm.
I am SmartCraft ready. It say's it on the engine cowling and I found the connector.

I didn’t either. Here’s the setup I used for getting SC data to N2K and to my plotter.

smartcraft nmea 2000 connections dual engine.png
 
Hey Mittens or Scooper321,

I'm considering the vesselview mobile module connected in place of the NEMA gateway that you installed, using the yellow Y cable and gender changer that Mittens used. Did either of you determine if reprogramming the port engine to change it to starboard was necessary or not?

I have a 2002 340 DA w/smartcraft capable 6.2s.

Thanks,
Jambrin
 
Hey Mittens or Scooper321,

Did either of you determine if reprogramming the port engine to change it to starboard was necessary or not?

Thanks,
Jambrin

Yes, it does. Took the Mercruiser tech about 10 seconds to do it.
 
Yes, it does. Took the Mercruiser tech about 10 seconds to do it.
Thank you for the quick reply!

My boat is currently in the shop for other issues so hopefully I can get them to do this for me while it’s there. Thanks again.
 
I did it my self with my rida scam tool. Literally 10 seconds and it was named port... works like a champ
 
I did it my self with my rida scam tool. Literally 10 seconds and it was named port... works like a champ

At around $600 for the Rinda, it would be cheaper to chat up the tech and have him do it while his boat is there. He might not get charged for it (I wasn't). The Rinda is a tough decision. It's a nice tool, no doubt. But for a lot less than that, you can put a Mercruiser Mobile Gateway on your boat and read the codes on your phone. Plus, you'll get real-time engine data on your phone - like a mini diagnostic screen from a chart plotter. I'm not bad mouthing the Rinda. It's a great tool. It's just not one that everyone has - or wants to pay for - in their tool box.
 
Not true. The older gen smartcraft does not send fault codes through the gateway..... so only way to get codes is the scanner. Not that I am suggesting you buy a scanner for this. I have one anyway. Just if you have a buddy with one it will do it.. also eBay for 300 will get you one, not 600
 
Not true. The older gen smartcraft does not send fault codes through the gateway..... so only way to get codes is the scanner. Not that I am suggesting you buy a scanner for this. I have one anyway. Just if you have a buddy with one it will do it.. also eBay for 300 will get you one, not 600

Don't want to get in a bickering match, but I checked eBay today. $549 is the lowest price for a TechMate Pro. No one was selling the older, obsolete model. If they were it could probably be had for less, I agree. And I'd buy it myself.

The Mercruiser Mobile gateway documents specifically say you can read codes with it. I'm not saying you can; just reporting what I read on Mercruiser documentation. I will report that on my Simrad plotter diagnostic screen, I only get told that there is an engine fault, but not what the specific code is. That's irritating. I was assuming the data is on the SC and N2K networks, but the Simrad isn't unpacking it and displaying it. I guess it's possible that the engine code data ISN'T on the network after all. In which case, Mercruiser's Mobile gateway wouldn't be able to display it either, since it also only connects to the engine via SmartCraft.
 

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