lost engine comm

[woodm]

Started as a bit intermittent and has progressed to where I cannot run boat. I get an error message on smartcraft stating lost eng comm and then the engine drops off (if running at higher rpm it will drop down considerably) and alarm sounds. It does this every few seconds. mechanic is recommending CAN cable for starters. I have checked connections to best of my ability. I also have navman 5500 on boat and have heard there can be a problem between navman and smartcraft at the gateway but from what i have read the navman 5500 is not smartcraft enabled so i am thinking that rules out that one. any suggestions? boat does fire right up but alarms start right away.

 

[kaz911]

check for corrosion on all SmartCraft connectors - even the blanking plugs. One of them is a "terminator" and it makes certain the smart craft network is balanced. If that fails you will (can) get comm's errors.

Also check multi connectors on the engine - visually inspect them

And last but not least - check your batteries - if you have low voltage at the helm you might have corrosion on battery connectors and / or big amp terminals like engine grounding. And if you can - check your starter - if you often have water in your bilge - the power cables are prone to corrosion - and thereby creating small shorts (or big) to the engine block (ground)

All big "engine" & battery power wires should really be cleaned annually unless you have coated them with rust protection. Visual inspection is a MUST!

 

[woodm]

OK. thanks i will do so. I have done a visual inspection and reconnect of most connectors.
Some more info
1. i disconnected the CAN line at the helm. Still got warning.
2. Also disconnected at the engine and still got warning.
3. A merc tech told me that with this line disconnected the gauges that are analog would still run and the engine would like be fine. Not the case. With the line completed disconnected i am still getting a warning alarm (no idea what for b/c i cannot see the message but likely the same) engine rpms continue to rev up and down between 500 and 1000.

 

[woodm]

EXPERTS Should have a look--- Re: lost engine comm

More information.

It seems that i almost always get an alarm that shows Battery! PSI! Temp! first. All three of those show at the bottom of tach on smart gauge first-- right after i fire up the engine. Then shortly thereafter i get the Lost Eng Comm (a different sounding alarm and that is when RPMs get erratic). Not sure if that means anything but just thought i should mention as i am going through connections and trying to find an area in which to focus.

Keep in mind when i have the key on i can scroll through modes on SmartCraft and view the different sensors e.g., battery, etc. without alarm. it is only after i fire up the engine that the alarm starts and the gauge goes crazy. So is this a relevant piece of information? Meaning, if it truly had Lost Eng Comm why can i cycle the modes on the gauge without alarm and it reports "fine" when the key is on but engine off? Wouldn't i expect it to have Lost Eng Comm regardless of engine on or off?

What really constitutes corrosion. Is it the slightest bit of discoloring or usually more substantial? Do you use CRC cleaner or something that would evaporate better?
Thanks again for any help. Getting close to the 4th and i am starting to get really annoyed with this one.

also, does it make sense to disconnect connectors to the smartcraft system to see if that silences the alarm? I am not sure how all this works so don't know if that would just raise the alarm b/c smartcraft cannot find the sensor. For example, if the oil press were causing this and i disconnect the oil sensor what would that do? would it silence alarms or continue to raise due to lost connection?

 

[MICHAEL TIGGES]

Any luck resolving this problem as I am experiencing same............Doesnt stutter, just throws lost engine comm and dies, it seems to start after engine warms up and runs for 10 minutes then after warmed up it does it starts fine then after 45 seconds it loses engine comm and engine dies, will start right back up, recently changed out water pump and impeller, transducer, distributor oil change , water control unit, new batteries, have checked grounds and all connections checked and reseated.

 

[Ibrahim khalid]

Anyone have any luck with this. Started experiencing the same symptoms on my boat. After about 10 minutes get beeping alarm with “communication error” on Vesselview. The guages all die for about a minute and then recover on their own and the error goes away.