I have had a couple people ask about my recent project with Vessel View wondering what all was involved. For this reason, I wanted to do a quick “How to” based off my recent experience in swapping out a SC5000 System View to a Vessel View for a friend of mine on his 2005 340DA. This is really not a difficult install at all however I figured I would post something to try and answer some of the unanswered questions I had going in to this. If anyone has anything to add or something does not sound correct, please speak up. I have never claimed to be an expert on Smartcraft. All the knowledge I have gained on the subject is from those who have shared information here, my own experience actually doing it hands on and the limited documentation available from Mercury. Portions of information I have included may be obvious to some but I wanted to include as much information as possible to cover all bases. I have included some pictures. I wish I would have taken more but didn’t think about it at the time.
This install was on a boat NOT Equipped with DTS so fortunately I did not have to deal with that. It did mention in the instructions that on DTS installations, “calibration” needed to be performed by an Authorized Mercury Dealer.
A note on compatibility- I was told that all of the 8.1 engines running PCM555 (roughly 2002-up) would be compatible with Vessel View but some Small Blocks are not. I had also heard before that not all Smartcraft Capable engines can support a Vessel View. I did not dig in to finding out why but I suspect it has something to do with the 8.1 using the PCM555 while the Small Blocks use ECM555. Regardless of engine type, it is probably best to call Mercury with your engine serial number to ensure it is compatible prior to ordering. I called a couple years ago when I was considering a VV for my 280 and they told me my 2005 5.0MPI engines were compatible.
For the actual Vessel View kit, I shopped around a bit and found the best price from Don Weed at European Marine in Greenville, SC. I have also known others who purchased Smartcraft components from him and he does provide you support after the sale so that is a huge plus since it seems like most places just want to sell the part and be done with it. I don’t recall the exact price but it was somewhere around $1400. When compared to the ones available in the gray market for $1100 it was worth it to my friend to pay the extra couple hundred an get the warranty along with ensuring it has the most current software, not to mention installation help if needed.
The Part Number for the VV Kit is 79-8M0058806 Vessel View Kit-STANDARD
This Kit Included-
Vessel View Unit with s/w 4.0.0.50 (includes Hardware, Trim Ring and Sun Cover)
84-8M0054864 Vessel View Harness
84-889278T01Vessel View Adaptor Harness
84-899751T01 NEMA Cable (for Inbound NMEA from GPS)
84-889279T02 VV Dual Wake Harness Input
56-820386A76 Air Temp Sensor
Various Installation Manuals and a User Manual
For the replacement dash panel, I went to Tecnografic (CSR Advertiser). For those who did not know, this is the company that makes the OEM panels for Sea Ray so they were able to match the existing panel color and style exactly. All I did is looked to the 2008 340DA Parts Manual (when VV was an option) and ordered SR Panel Part# 1894233 for the Vessel View. The cost for this panel was $120. I must say that Marc at Tecnografic offered an excellent product and a very reasonable turn around time. I had a great experience here.
OK, first thing I did was turn off all DC Power on the boat. Not sure how necessary this is but given the sensitivity of the ECM/PCM and all other SC Components, I did not want to take any chances.
Next step was to remove the panel and disconnect the System View Unit from the SV harness. I then removed the upper System Link Gauge panel and disconnected Port and Starboard Gauge from the SV harness as well. Following this step, I disconnected the SV harness connections to the Port and Starboard SC Junction Boxes and removed the harness from behind the helm. Ok, easy part is done.
The first thing I did for the actual install was assembled the various harnesses together then connect them to the Vessel View and make sure everything powered up as it was supposed to.
This is fairly straightforward from the instructions provided in the kit. You have the main harness that plugs in to the VV on one end and the Starboard J-box on the other. There are multiple harnesses that connect to the main harness at various points. All ends are labeled and most have unique plugs so this helps a lot.
The first point of confusion for me was whether or not the [84-889278T01Vessel View Adaptor Harness] was really needed for this installation. The instructions were not clear to me as to whether this was needed or not. The only thing that was clear that it was definitely NOT needed on CMD (Cummins Diesel ?) applications. In the end, I decided to install it. I was told later this harness is only needed on DTS applications but it was OK to have it installed anyway. This harness plugs in to the J-Box end of the Main Harness then just plugs in to the J-Box itself. More or less a 1 foot “extension” to the J-Box end of the main harness with a couple more plugs on it.
The second point of confusion for me was how SC (CAN) Data from the Port Engine got to the Starboard side and on to the VV. Surprisingly, the install examples in the Install Guide do not address this question at all. They show no connection between the two sides. After some investigation, I noticed an existing jumper cable going between the J-Boxes. It is the cable with Yellow boots in the picture. This is a CAN Cable to let Port CAN Data flow to the Starboard J-box so question answered here.
Next, the [84-889279T02 VV Dual Wake Harness Input] plugs in to the main VV Harness and then goes to the Port Junction Box. The purpose of this cable is to turn on or “wake” the VV if the Port ignition is turned on first. Unlike the System View, the VV does not have a power button. It powers on when either ignition helm switch is turned to ON.
After this, I connected the NMEA Cable to the Main Harness and the Air Temp Sensor. I then restored DC power and turned the ignitions both to the ON position and used the self guided initial setup for the VV Unit which was very straightforward and covered in detail in the VV User Manual. Make sure both Ignitions are set to ON, so the VV can see both ECM/PCM Modules during the auto setup.
After this was completed, I powered everything back down and proceeded to install the assembled harness under the helm. I basically duplicated how the original harness was ty-wrapped behind the helm leaving plenty of slack to remove panels but taking care to ensure the harness would not get caught up in the sliding cabin door. I installed the VV in the new dash panel and plugged it back in to the harness then secured the panel with original mounting screws. Since this panel was an OEM panel, the screw holes lined back up perfectly.
Then it was time to Re-Install the panel with the analog System Link gauges. There are whips coming off the VV harness Clearly Marked for Port and Starboard System Link Gauges. These plug in to the SR 4-in-1 gauge for each side which have the TACHs and Speedo daisy chained to them. Since the VV is set up to handle up to 4 engines, you also have a whip for Inner Port and Inner Starboard System link gauge connections but those are much shorter and in this application just stay on the harness weather capped off.
At this time, I turned the ignitions back on and continued through the sensor setup process outlined in the User Manual. This is well documented in the manual so I won’t repeat that here. Remember after making any changes, you have to hold on the “X” button while turning OFF the ignitions to Save the configuration changes.
All and all this is what I would consider an easy install that could be done by most people. Just take your time to do it right. The Vessel View is a nice unit. Now that Mercury makes a “Black Box” gateway to convert SC Data to NMEA2000 for relay to a Plotter, a Vessel View may not make since for some. My friend likes to have his GPS on Chart mode all the time and he wanted to keep a “Vessel Only” display so decided on the Vessel View. It is a nice unit, looks great and is highly customizable. Also, I believe you can tie in a Generator as well along with Waste and Freshwater tank sensors. He has a 5E so not capable but I believe the 5ECD is.
This install was on a boat NOT Equipped with DTS so fortunately I did not have to deal with that. It did mention in the instructions that on DTS installations, “calibration” needed to be performed by an Authorized Mercury Dealer.
A note on compatibility- I was told that all of the 8.1 engines running PCM555 (roughly 2002-up) would be compatible with Vessel View but some Small Blocks are not. I had also heard before that not all Smartcraft Capable engines can support a Vessel View. I did not dig in to finding out why but I suspect it has something to do with the 8.1 using the PCM555 while the Small Blocks use ECM555. Regardless of engine type, it is probably best to call Mercury with your engine serial number to ensure it is compatible prior to ordering. I called a couple years ago when I was considering a VV for my 280 and they told me my 2005 5.0MPI engines were compatible.
For the actual Vessel View kit, I shopped around a bit and found the best price from Don Weed at European Marine in Greenville, SC. I have also known others who purchased Smartcraft components from him and he does provide you support after the sale so that is a huge plus since it seems like most places just want to sell the part and be done with it. I don’t recall the exact price but it was somewhere around $1400. When compared to the ones available in the gray market for $1100 it was worth it to my friend to pay the extra couple hundred an get the warranty along with ensuring it has the most current software, not to mention installation help if needed.
The Part Number for the VV Kit is 79-8M0058806 Vessel View Kit-STANDARD
This Kit Included-
Vessel View Unit with s/w 4.0.0.50 (includes Hardware, Trim Ring and Sun Cover)
84-8M0054864 Vessel View Harness
84-889278T01Vessel View Adaptor Harness
84-899751T01 NEMA Cable (for Inbound NMEA from GPS)
84-889279T02 VV Dual Wake Harness Input
56-820386A76 Air Temp Sensor
Various Installation Manuals and a User Manual
For the replacement dash panel, I went to Tecnografic (CSR Advertiser). For those who did not know, this is the company that makes the OEM panels for Sea Ray so they were able to match the existing panel color and style exactly. All I did is looked to the 2008 340DA Parts Manual (when VV was an option) and ordered SR Panel Part# 1894233 for the Vessel View. The cost for this panel was $120. I must say that Marc at Tecnografic offered an excellent product and a very reasonable turn around time. I had a great experience here.
OK, first thing I did was turn off all DC Power on the boat. Not sure how necessary this is but given the sensitivity of the ECM/PCM and all other SC Components, I did not want to take any chances.
Next step was to remove the panel and disconnect the System View Unit from the SV harness. I then removed the upper System Link Gauge panel and disconnected Port and Starboard Gauge from the SV harness as well. Following this step, I disconnected the SV harness connections to the Port and Starboard SC Junction Boxes and removed the harness from behind the helm. Ok, easy part is done.
The first thing I did for the actual install was assembled the various harnesses together then connect them to the Vessel View and make sure everything powered up as it was supposed to.
This is fairly straightforward from the instructions provided in the kit. You have the main harness that plugs in to the VV on one end and the Starboard J-box on the other. There are multiple harnesses that connect to the main harness at various points. All ends are labeled and most have unique plugs so this helps a lot.
The first point of confusion for me was whether or not the [84-889278T01Vessel View Adaptor Harness] was really needed for this installation. The instructions were not clear to me as to whether this was needed or not. The only thing that was clear that it was definitely NOT needed on CMD (Cummins Diesel ?) applications. In the end, I decided to install it. I was told later this harness is only needed on DTS applications but it was OK to have it installed anyway. This harness plugs in to the J-Box end of the Main Harness then just plugs in to the J-Box itself. More or less a 1 foot “extension” to the J-Box end of the main harness with a couple more plugs on it.
The second point of confusion for me was how SC (CAN) Data from the Port Engine got to the Starboard side and on to the VV. Surprisingly, the install examples in the Install Guide do not address this question at all. They show no connection between the two sides. After some investigation, I noticed an existing jumper cable going between the J-Boxes. It is the cable with Yellow boots in the picture. This is a CAN Cable to let Port CAN Data flow to the Starboard J-box so question answered here.
Next, the [84-889279T02 VV Dual Wake Harness Input] plugs in to the main VV Harness and then goes to the Port Junction Box. The purpose of this cable is to turn on or “wake” the VV if the Port ignition is turned on first. Unlike the System View, the VV does not have a power button. It powers on when either ignition helm switch is turned to ON.
After this, I connected the NMEA Cable to the Main Harness and the Air Temp Sensor. I then restored DC power and turned the ignitions both to the ON position and used the self guided initial setup for the VV Unit which was very straightforward and covered in detail in the VV User Manual. Make sure both Ignitions are set to ON, so the VV can see both ECM/PCM Modules during the auto setup.
After this was completed, I powered everything back down and proceeded to install the assembled harness under the helm. I basically duplicated how the original harness was ty-wrapped behind the helm leaving plenty of slack to remove panels but taking care to ensure the harness would not get caught up in the sliding cabin door. I installed the VV in the new dash panel and plugged it back in to the harness then secured the panel with original mounting screws. Since this panel was an OEM panel, the screw holes lined back up perfectly.
Then it was time to Re-Install the panel with the analog System Link gauges. There are whips coming off the VV harness Clearly Marked for Port and Starboard System Link Gauges. These plug in to the SR 4-in-1 gauge for each side which have the TACHs and Speedo daisy chained to them. Since the VV is set up to handle up to 4 engines, you also have a whip for Inner Port and Inner Starboard System link gauge connections but those are much shorter and in this application just stay on the harness weather capped off.
At this time, I turned the ignitions back on and continued through the sensor setup process outlined in the User Manual. This is well documented in the manual so I won’t repeat that here. Remember after making any changes, you have to hold on the “X” button while turning OFF the ignitions to Save the configuration changes.
All and all this is what I would consider an easy install that could be done by most people. Just take your time to do it right. The Vessel View is a nice unit. Now that Mercury makes a “Black Box” gateway to convert SC Data to NMEA2000 for relay to a Plotter, a Vessel View may not make since for some. My friend likes to have his GPS on Chart mode all the time and he wanted to keep a “Vessel Only” display so decided on the Vessel View. It is a nice unit, looks great and is highly customizable. Also, I believe you can tie in a Generator as well along with Waste and Freshwater tank sensors. He has a 5E so not capable but I believe the 5ECD is.
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