Vesselview mercruiser Bluetooth 8.1S

LG111

Active Member
Jan 4, 2015
730
NW
Boat Info
44 Sedan Bridge - 07
Black Hull
Engines
QSC500’s
Hi All! I thought I'd share what I learned today. Yes the first year 2001 of the 8.1S 496 mercruiser is compatible with the NEW vessel view mobile - Bluetooth. You can Google vessel view mobile to learn more about it, but you get all engine data sent to your phone or tablet!!!!

The harness on the 8.1S - on mine is below the oil remote tucked behind other wires. It has a short deadend stub harness connected to the main harness. Now Merc says look for a yellow cap. Mine had a black cap. But to confirm, pull the cap "stub" via the main harness. The color should be kinda purple with 10 male pins. That's your vessel view!!!

The parts look to be around $600 for twin. You don't need long wires to the dash. Just enough to mount everything in the engine room and BT to your device!

One note, you'll need your mechanic and his laptop to smarten up the engines so they know which one is port and the other starboard.

Finally a smart low expense fun way to get all the data we talk about wanting from our 8.1S's.

PS I also confirmed with a rep from Merc HQ.

Cheers,

Mark
 
This is a reasonable way to capture engine data that isn't displayed on older setups.

What's annoying is my 2017 VesselView still requires the $400 or so harness to transmit via BT. So I can just look at all the data on my VesselView 702 screen for "free," or see the same data on my smartphone for an extra $400. I'd rather spend it on fuel or a steak.
 
This is a reasonable way to capture engine data that isn't displayed on older setups.

What's annoying is my 2017 VesselView still requires the $400 or so harness to transmit via BT. So I can just look at all the data on my VesselView 702 screen for "free," or see the same data on my smartphone for an extra $400. I'd rather spend it on fuel or a steak.
Hi, that's not exactly correct on price. My buddy has the set up you have. VV 7 on the dash. Mobil gives you more on maintenance scheduling and web access directly to your service center from anywhere. Got a problem code, upload right to your mechanic.

Look under the dash where your port and starboard harnesses tie together. My guess you have a 4 way bridge connector. If So, all you need is a 6 way bridge connector and the bluetooth mobil. The BT was 275 on Amazon and the 6 way I found on eBay for near 35. Plug the 4 plugs now into the 6 way. Plug the BT into the 5th spot and a dust cover on the 6th. It doesn' matter what port these harnesses plug into. The dust cover unused port is used for your mechaic if you ever need any updates or reflashing to do. I bought a Samsung Tab A 10.1 tablet at Costco and a suction cup bracket to mount at the helm. I use the Tablet to monitor all VV functions and split screen to navionics as a back up to my RAY. love the touch screen swiping on the low cost end. Vs 2500k plus to upgrade from my 2012 Ray which works just fine. Just can't finger pan.... lol.

Hope that helps.
 
On an older boat, (2003) with no smartcraft architecture installed, but with smartcraft compatible engines, how do you connect both to vessel view mobile?
 
Smart Craft engines have a harness and plug ready on the engine. It may have a yellow cap or a foot long dead end plug. The female plug is purple in side. And I think 10 pin.
For a single engine you only need the VV mobil unit and plug and play. That' it.

For twin you need two blue can cables from each engine. Each run to a four way block. Each block has a short blue wire that connects or bridges the blocks. Port block has the engine, dust cover, bridge wire and VV BT. The starboard block as the engine wire, dust cover, bridge wire and a resistor.

Then you need a merc mechanic to program your engines to read port and starboard. He uses one of the dust cover ports to plug in to.

On your app you enter the engine serial numbers.

You are ready to go! Now let' say your boat doesn' have a fuel tank sendor for digital fuel level or a trim sendor or maybe a steering sendor. You'l need to block those via the VV Mobil app so you don' get a fault reading since the app is looking for them but not there. Hence the app thinks they are faulty since no read...

Have fun!
 
Thanks!!! I will be doing this once I take delivery of the boat
 
Would anyone have a list of part numbers for setting up on twin 5.0's??
 
The part numbers are the same for any size engine that is smartcraft compliant.
If single engine all you need is VV BT 8m0115080

Note there are a couple of ways to set up twin based on the Jbox configuration you may already have under the helm. However starting from scratch, this what I did.

1- VVBT 8m10115080
2- 10ft cables 84-879981T10
2- jbox 878492K14
1- jumper cable 891957K01
2- Terminator resistors 859318T1

Mounted the jboxes to the firewall forward of engines. Starboardside of my 410.
Placed the jumper between the jboxs. Ran 10ft cables from engines to jbox. Yellow band side to motor.
Plugged in the VVBT and resistors one on each jbox. Dust covered the rest . Dust covers come with the jbox.

You need a mechanic with their laptop to plug into the dust cap spot to program and smarten up the engines so one says Port and the other says Starboard on your device.

Then block any of the sensors you don't have installed to stop the faults.

Next, just play and have fun .
 
Damn, LG, you saved me a lot of typing. I did the Gateway a yer or so ago so I feel compelled to help others wire up their engines. But happily, I logged on here too late and found you’ve answered all the questions. Correctly, I might add!

The only thing I would change is that you may need something other than 10 ft cables. If so, that number changes. For 12ft cables, it ends in T12, etc. I measured my setup on twin 5.7s in my 320DA before ordering cables. 10ft would not have been enough for me.
 
I have a single 5.0mpi but NO smartcraft gauges. I simply bought the Bluetooth module and a $6 termination resistor off amazon. Works great with Bluetooth right to my phone. Fuel use was off by about 10% on recent 100mi trip.
 
Damn, LG, you saved me a lot of typing. I did the Gateway a yer or so ago so I feel compelled to help others wire up their engines. But happily, I logged on here too late and found you’ve answered all the questions. Correctly, I might add!



The only thing I would change is that you may need something other than 10 ft cables. If so, that number changes. For 12ft cables, it ends in T12, etc. I measured my setup on twin 5.7s in my 320DA before ordering cables. 10ft would not have been enough for me.

Glad I got it right! Read it three times before I posted. Yes on the 10ft cable.... Why I mentioned my 410. The vdrive set up puts the engines in backwards so the harness is on the bow side of the engines. Close to the firewall. If you want the BT under the helm then a much longer cable will be required. I have no range issues with the BT on the firewall.

Cheers!
 
My '02 Mercs have this plug...looks like I've found another winter project!

LG111, quick question. In the APP, what do the engine identifiers look like if a mechanic doesn't rename your engines?
Could you identify the engines by their previous identifier by disconnecting the data blocks one-at-time?

IMG_2721.jpeg IMG_2722.jpeg IMG_2724.jpeg
 
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LG111, quick question. In the APP, what do the engine identifiers look like if a mechanic doesn't rename your engines?
Could you identify the engines by their previous identifier by disconnecting the data blocks one-at-time?

View attachment 60642 View attachment 60643 View attachment 60644

I don’t think you can. Both engines are, by default, programmed to be (if I remember correctly) starboard engines. You won’t get data from which you can discern engine A from engine B. You’ll get a bunch of SB engine data and no port.

It will cost about 15 minutes tech time for him to reprogram your ECU to be a port engine. Just pay the man and do it right.
 
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I don’t think you can. Both engiens are, by default, programmed to be (if I remember correctly) starboard engines. You won’t get data from which you can discern engine A from engine B. You’ll get a bunch of SB engine data and no port.

Gotcha, makes sense. I was just wondering if it was a 'nice to have' or 'need to have.' Sounds like the latter. Thanks for the tip!
 
Looking at the diagram online I don’t see 84-892323T01 in your list that ties the two engines before going to the module. Did the module come with that?

The part numbers are the same for any size engine that is smartcraft compliant.
If single engine all you need is VV BT 8m0115080

Note there are a couple of ways to set up twin based on the Jbox configuration you may already have under the helm. However starting from scratch, this what I did.

1- VVBT 8m10115080
2- 10ft cables 84-879981T10
2- jbox 878492K14
1- jumper cable 891957K01
2- Terminator resistors 859318T1

Mounted the jboxes to the firewall forward of engines. Starboardside of my 410.
Placed the jumper between the jboxs. Ran 10ft cables from engines to jbox. Yellow band side to motor.
Plugged in the VVBT and resistors one on each jbox. Dust covered the rest . Dust covers come with the jbox.

You need a mechanic with their laptop to plug into the dust cap spot to program and smarten up the engines so one says Port and the other says Starboard on your device.

Then block any of the sensors you don't have installed to stop the faults.

Next, just play and have fun .
 

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