Mercruiser Gateway

Hi guys, got her back from the dealer today. Found that when I have both engines running my gauge information is only dispaying intermittently. It appears only the tach data is making it through at a constant rate. However when only my starboard ignition is on am I seeing the constant stream of data from both engines. I have the "multi engine power disconect cord unplugged from the port. Any ideas?
 
Hanger
Considering a Garmin 740s and would like to do the same setup as you have. Wondering if you ever got this straightened out? I don't necessarily mind getting total fuel flow (as opposed to individual motors). My engines were manufactured in 2007 and went into warranty in early 2008. I have set up Port/Stbd with Rick's Diacom software but I guess we don't know for sure if that's what makes Rick's work and yours remain "one or the other." Wondering if it's a RAYMARINE vs. GARMIN issue?

Thansk for any help!
RON
 
I definitely have fuel burn from each engine. With Raymarine's latest software upgrade, the MFD can calculate fuel burned/remaining.
 
Spent some time in West Marine tinkering with the display-model 740s and picking the salesguy's brain. He was very familiar with the unit and says that it will do what I'm looking for. The data from the engine computer is converted to NMEA 2000 data by the Mercruiser Gateway. Then it is fed to the display via NMEA connections and cabling. You basically add a T to connect each device to the NMEA 2000 Cable. You wind up with a series of "Ts" that pick up data from whatever other stuff you have that connects via NMEA 2000. Could be a ER camera, a weather station, AIS, whatever. What you do is form a sort of "Manifold" of data that enters the back of the display through one single input plug.
 
This is a "network backbone" - my Simrad NSE 8 works the same way. I'll be exploring the same thing this winter on my 8.1s. I keep telling the wife it will pay for itself in saved fuel...

Dale
 
Just spoke to Greg at Mercruiser. I briefed him on my engine package and explained that the boat was repowered, replacing older 2001 7.4 horizons.

He's telling me that the appropriate junction boxes are at the helm already. They bring the digital signal from the engines to the helm and send it out to the analog gauges. He said there should be a open terminal on the J-box, into which I would plug the Merc Gateway. From there, the NMEA2000 connections are made to the display.

I told him that sounds too easy. He said it's that easy. Hard to believe.

I now have to FIND these J-boxes. Time to pull some panels.
 
rondds said:
Just spoke to Greg at Mercruiser. I briefed him on my engine package and explained that the boat was repowered, replacing older 2001 7.4 horizons.

He's telling me that the appropriate junction boxes are at the helm already. They bring the digital signal from the engines to the helm and send it out to the analog gauges. He said there should be a open terminal on the J-box, into which I would plug the Merc Gateway. From there, the NMEA2000 connections are made to the display.

I told him that sounds too easy. He said it's that easy. Hard to believe.

I now have to FIND these J-boxes. Time to pull some panels.
Click to expand...

When you repowered with the 8.1 engines did they run the Blue Smartcraft cables from each engine up to the helm? What are you using for gauges right now? Smartcraft?
 
Jason
The boat was repowered back in 2008. I was not the owner at the time so I don't know the answer to that. Gauges now are all analog and the system monitor does work (ie: if I pull up the float on the high water bilge pump, the alarm will sound and read Hi-Water). ​All the analog gauges work as well.
 
Ron,

Smartcraft gauges are digital, despite having a needle indicator, they just look like analog gauges. Digital, or analog, in this case refers to the process that is used to acquire the data. The 496/8.1 engine package can supply both analog and digital signals to the appropriate gauges. The 8.1s could have just been dropped in, and the engine(s) connected to the boat harness via the round engine connector and the existing analog gauges would work just fine. BTW, the round engine connector has to connected regardless as it handles other circuits in addition to the analog gauges.

So the first question is, do you have Smartcraft gauges? It is possible when the re-power was done the Systems Monitor was the only Smartcraft device installed, and the original gauges were left in place. While not recommended by Mercruiser, Smartcraft and analog gauges can coexist at the same time. The issue is that SC operates on 5vdc and the analog system on 12 vdc. SC works through the engine ECM, also 5vdc. However they use many of the same sensors/transducers creating a potential circuit overlap. \. So if there is a cross connection between the two systems, and 12 vdc gets fed into the SC system, the ECM will fry. Figure 1.5 boat bucks per engine to correct this wiring error.

The thing is Smartcraft is a pretty flexible architecture where the difference between a configuration that 'works', and one that is 'right', is that the former may be limited to doing exactly (and only) what the installer wanted, and the latter will have built in expansion capability. The guy at Merc is correct, if Smartcraft was installed the right way, this is an easy peasy upgrade. If on the other hand the installation was just focused on getting a System Monitor to work, it may be more complicated.

I have the Merc Smartcraft product manual that I got when I upgraded my 2002 496. Some of the part numbers are out of date, but the rigging principles are unchanged. If you PM me an email address I'll send you a pdf copy.

Henry
 
Henry
I don't know much about the gauges. Not sure if that's something you can tell from a pic, so I've attached one. Click on it to open it,then lower right to supersize. One thing I thought was odd is that the port oil pressure gauge has 40psi at the 12 o'clock position, while the stbd has 50psi at the 12 o'clock. Tachs are original b/c they show full hours (including the old motors' hours).

DASH
 
PM Sent...
 
rondds said:
Jason
The boat was repowered back in 2008. I was not the owner at the time so I don't know the answer to that. Gauges now are all analog and the system monitor does work (ie: if I pull up the float on the high water bilge pump, the alarm will sound and read Hi-Water). ​All the analog gauges work as well.
Click to expand...

I see Henry has added some great advice. I am curious, when you say "System Monitor" are you referring to the Sea Ray branded System Monitor at the helm or a Mercury Smartcraft "System Monitor" that displays engine data? With your hi-water alarm comment, I am assuming it is the Sea Ray Monitor, not a Smartcraft System Monitor. As far as what gauges you have, a picture would do wonders here. I cant see the one you posted. Just a hunch at this point but I am willing to bet you are probably still running all Analog (non-Smartcraft) gauges which means you will need to "convert" to Smartcraft to use the SC Gateway which is the very topic Henry was touching on.
 
Jason
Click HERE for a pic of the dash. You can make it larger after the initial click.

Henry and I have been going back and forth via email a bit. I'm still somewhat confused but he said to check the belt-side of the motor for a plug labelled SMARTCRAFT. If the plug is capped, then I do NOT have Smartcraft up by the helm and will need to route things up to the helm myself (and the Merc guy was incorrect).

I have the SeaRay System monitor, not smartcraft monitor. Black square, with a barely visible LCD crawl of words.

Rick's boat (though a 410) is a 2001 as well, with same original powerplant that I had. I believe he had to follow his chart in post #19 and bring SC up to the helm before being able to view the data on his e127. He's at some boring conference in DC now so he hasn't been able to chime in.
 
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I am pretty sure you are going to need to copy me and the .PDF that Merc sent me. I do not think your 2001 boat is Smartcraft ready. The Merc guy probably heard 2008 engines and assumed 2008 boat.

I have to go to Casino Night, I mean back to the conference. Back in the room in a couple of hours.
 
I told Greg Merc that it was a repower. Maybe it went in one ear and out the other.
 
Ron,

We are in a similar boat (lol), since I repowered my 2002 340 with 2011 8.1s. My gauges are still analog, as Henry described, and I had to run SC network cables up to the helm area, and add my own J-Box. I can show you the connectors, and where I routed the cables, when I see you next week for the generator pluck.

Dale
 
Awesome Dale. That'd be great. Thanks! I am at the boat now and took some pix in the ER - harnesses, plugs, all sorts of stuff that I don't really know what they are for. I'll post them here later on today for interpretation!
 
Ron,

If I understand this you want to add a Gateway to get fuel burn data on a third party MFD. I think you can do this because Smartcraft calculates fuel consumption based on data collected in the ECM; FI nozzle burst and duration, number of bursts/time, RPM etc. If that is the case, you probably can add a Gateway and not do a gauge upgrade. If however Smartcraft 'needs' to know the fuel level then you have a gauge issue. The existing fuel gauge is 12 vdc. Since the tank senders are resistive devices they will also work with the 5vdc Smartcraft system. But you will have to disconnect your dash fuel gauge as Smartcraft and the analog system are mutually exclusive. That will leave the dash fuel gauge doa. The next step would be to covert all of the gauges, but that ratchets the buy in up quite a bit.

Henry
 
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